Ode to Billy Joe (1976)

79% of users liked it
(818 ratings)

Bobbie Gentry's hauntingly enigmatic 1967 hit single served as the inspiration of this story of unrequited teenage love. In 1953, Bobbie Lee Hartley (Glynnis O'Connor) is 15 years old and in love with 18-year-old Billy Joe McAllister (Robbie Benson). Unfortunately, Bobbie's father (Sandy McPeak) and… More Bobbie Gentry's hauntingly enigmatic 1967 hit single served as the inspiration of this story of unrequited teenage love. In 1953, Bobbie Lee Hartley (Glynnis O'Connor) is 15 years old and in love with 18-year-old Billy Joe McAllister (Robbie Benson). Unfortunately, Bobbie's father (Sandy McPeak) and mother (Joan Hotchkis) forbid her to date until she's 16, and until then, Billy Joe and Bobbie Lee are supposed to be content with occasional meetings after church on Sunday. The teenage lovers sometimes steal away for meetings on the Tallahatchie Bridge, but while the other local boys are able to slake their frustrations with the prostitutes imported for the occasional town dances, a booze-addled Billy Joe succumbs to another sort of temptation, and his guilt first destroys his relationship with Bobbie Lee, and then leads to his self-destruction. Ode to Billy Joe was produced and directed by Max Baer,Jr., best remembered as Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Max Baer Jr.
Genres: Drama, Gay & Lesbian

In Theaters: Jun 4, 1976 Wide

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Very weak plot, acting based on flash hit song of the '70s.

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Great song but a dull indifferently acted movie.
Randy T

Not the 'manliest' of movies, in fact you could plausibly retitle it <i>Brokeback Bridge</i>, but I never get tired of watching it. I had quite the crush on Glynnis O'Connor back in my youth. She was sorta' the Juliette Lewis of the seventies, all… More
Not the 'manliest' of movies, in fact you could plausibly retitle it <i>Brokeback Bridge</i>, but I never get tired of watching it. I had quite the crush on Glynnis O'Connor back in my youth. She was sorta' the Juliette Lewis of the seventies, all soft and girl-next-doorishly sexy. Still hard to believe that Robby Benson passed her up for a roll in the hay with James Best. Dude, what were you thinking!?