Mad Times

Door To Door

William H. Macy wrote, directed, and starred in this made-for-tv film depicting the life of Bill Porter. The story starts as Porter's mother helps him prepare to go interview for a job as a door-to-door salesman. From the beginning it's clear Porter has some condition that makes him talk funny (later we find out it's cerebral palsy). Through sheer determination, he gets the job and the rest of the story is how he kept it and how he affected his customers and how they affected him. It's got sort of a Hallmark feel to it, but that doesn't reduce the impact of Macy's depiction of a life well and usefully lived. And almost incidentally, the film shines light on another of the careers of old that no longer exists in the US.