No Ordinary Man
“No Ordinary Man” has one of the most interesting interpretations of what a dramatic re-enactment is I’ve ever seen. In telling the story of Billy Tipton Sr., directors Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt have enlisted trans voices to help put Tipton’s story in perspective. Some of them are reporters and historians, while others are performers who have been inspired by Tipton, who was born female, but presented himself as male, and went on to have a celebrated career as a touring jazz musician. Some of the performers are seen in front of a backdrop like you would expect to see at an audition, and as they perform key moments in Tipton’s life, it feels like we not only are seeing something personal about Tipton, but the performers, as well; we never see traditional re-enactments. We don’t need to- these are infinitely more revealing and emotional.
In 1989, Billy Tipton Sr. died, and his son- Billy Tipton Jr.- was with him. When the paramedics came, his secret was revealed to the world; no one had any idea. The media, naturally, had a feeding frenzy, and a lot of the conversation- rooted in the transphobia and homophobia of the time (and, sadly, the last 32 years)- towards Tipton was how he could lie to his family, how that lie affected his wives, especially Kittie Tipton, and his children, namely Billy Jr. One of the most remarkable things we notice about the archival talk show appearances Kittie and Billy Jr. is how they stand up for Billy, and more importantly, do not misgender him. I cannot imagine how they felt in private, but to the world, it’s inspiring to see how they stood up for the husband and father they knew. Eventually, a biography was written (with much input by Kittie), but listening to many of the interviewees discuss it, while it is solid in the research it does, it’s less so in terms of presenting Billy’s truth. In present day interviews, Billy Jr. offers as honest a reflection of what a struggle it is still to deal with the whirlwind at the time of his father’s death; he is now the only one alive to present his father’s story, and I cannot help but think his father is smiling down at him.
Since the truth was hidden from everyone while Billy was still alive, we are left to speculate on what it must have been like for him, living his truth, but in a way that hid that truth from the world, which surely would have gotten him killed. This is where the re-enactments, in addition to the interviews of trans people inspired by Billy, help immeasurably. There’s one, in particular, that catches both us, and the performers. One of the scenes involves Billy meeting a radio personality for the first time. The direction the performers are given reveals that Butch, the DJ, was trans, as well. When it clicks for the performers that, in this moment, Billy is to be played as a rare moment of him seeing himself, what he could be, in another person, the performances feel like they are autobiographical about the actors themselves, as they either imagine- or remember- what such a moment might be like for them. As much as this is a documentary about Billy Tipton, it’s also about the idea of trans representation, and how being seen impacts people. One of the ways “No Ordinary Man” stands out is how it allows the truths of its interview subjects to reflect not just on their experiences, but Billy’s, as well. This is one of the most honest and emotional documentaries in recent memory because of how it tells its stories. All of its stories. Billy Tipton was an inspiration; this documentary is inspired, and inspiring in its own way.
