Reilly ’ 92 Develops Characters For Movie About The People Of Upper Darby
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For many insomniacs , watching TV or reading a book is a big help in falling asleep .
But when Billy Reilly 9W2 has trouble falling asleep , which is a problem he has had for years , he gets out of bed and writes stories . He finds this therapeutic and fun .
The Williamson painting and coatings technology graduate , who lived in Upper Darby most of his life , writes stories about the diverse people from his neighborhood he interacts with and hears about .
He has notebooks with hundreds of these stories gathered over the years and now they are being put to a different use than helping him fall asleep . The characters , mainly Irish who live in Upper Darby , are coming to life in a movie , “ Last Call ,” a comedy about the bluecollar denizens of Delaware County , better known as Delco .
The movie stars , Bruce Dern ( Coming Home , Nebraska ), Cathy Moriarty ( Raging Bull ), Jeremy Piven ( Grosse Pointe Blank ), comedian Jamie Kennedy , Taryn Manning ( Orange is the New Black ), Jack McGee ( Moneyball ), Zach McGowan ( The 100 ), and Cheri Oteri ( SNL ). Several of the actors grew up in Upper Darby and many of the extras still live there .
It was released by IFC Films on March 19 and is available for viewing on You- Tube , iTunes , Google Play , VUDU , XBOX , xfinity , DIRECTTV , Spectrum , and IFC Center at Home . To watch it at home go to : www . lastcall . movie .
Reilly got involved in the movie after sitting down with Greg Lingo , the executive producer of the movie and a successful real estate developer and businessman he has known since second grade . [ Lingo gives inspirational talks to encourage young people to pursue an education and some may remember him from a talk he gave in Williamson ’ s chapel not long ago .]
Lingo had an idea for a movie , but needed help writing the story of the life and times of his youth in Upper Darby .
As they talked , Reilly said he had the solution to filling out the script , he had 250 stories about the people of Upper Darby who would make interesting characters in a comedy about lifelong friendships .
After reading them , Lingo said they were just what he was looking for . He filled out the script based on these characters and some of his own and then had Paolo Pilladi , a professional screenwriter and director of the movie , finetune the script . Filming was completed in March 2020 , just before the pandemic hit . Some scenes were filmed in Upper Darby and Philadelphia , but most were filmed at Bayonne , N . J .
The story shows that the neighborhood you grew up in and the friendships you formed as a child stay with you for life . It also demonstrates the Urban Dictionary definition of Delco , “ Delco isn ’ t just a place to live ; it ’ s a way of life .”
It follows a man who left Darby Heights ( Upper Darby ) for bigger and better things and became a successful real estate developer . He returns after a long absence for his mother ’ s funeral and ends up staying longer than planned to save the family-owned bar that is failing . During his visit , he encounters an old friend who has an idea for making a lot of money by building a casino which would require tearing down the bar . He slowly comes to realize that his old hometown and friends still mean a lot to him .
Reilly , who grew up without a lot of money , often went to movies for the air conditioning because he didn ’ t have any at home , leading to an interest in movies .
While attending Monsignor Bonner High School he was an average student with no idea what he would do after graduation . He loved playing football and his coach , Delaware County legend John Waller ( who coached many years at Williamson ), talked him into going to Williamson .
He enrolled in the painting and coatings technology program and Williamson turned out to be just what he needed . He said , “ Williamson turned me around . It was a natural fit . It ’ s small , hands-on , and the teachers are always there for you . It was a community with the support I needed .”
He earned a 3.6 GPA every semester and was captain of the football team under Coach Waller .
He fondly remembers his instructors Glenn Stevick 4W0 , director of the painting program , Russ Harvey 5W0 , drafting instructor , Bruce Bellerjeau ’ s ( 6W9 ) metal shop , and Tim Burbage , who is still director of food services .
He adds , “ I ’ m proud to say , I only received eight hours my entire three years .”
After graduating , he worked in corrosion control for several years , then painted awhile , and then earned a bachelor ’ s degree in liberal arts at Neumann University evenings while working in medical sales . He points out that he earned his degree in one and a half years because Neumann accepted many of his Williamson credits . Since 2008 , he has worked in insurance services .
Lingo began working on the script in
2007 and Reilly says , “ I never thought we would get to this spot , with our stories incorporated into a movie that is released .”
Reilly says he has enough stories for several movies and he continues to write . His newest endeavor is trying to write a song . “ All my songs are terrible , but I keep trying .”
And , unlike the people in his stories , he has finally left Upper Darby for West Chester , where he lives with his wife Nicole , and children Shane and Sloane .
Williamson ’ s New Alumni / Student Mentoring Makes Meaningful Connections
This past October , Williamson piloted a new Alumni / Student Mentoring Program connecting current students with Williamson alumni . The mentoring program provides an opportunity for Williamson students to gain invaluable skills from alumni , as they prepare for their future careers . In turn , alumni have the opportunity to support Williamson students in an impactful way . The program is a new alumni volunteer opportunity administered through Williamson ’ s Institutional Advancement Office .
According to Laura Brown , director of alumni relations , “ The mentoring program is an opportunity for students to have a personal , one-on-one connection with an alumnus who can give encouragement , advice and guidance throughout the 1,000-day journey at Williamson . Students are also getting a head start in building their network of fellow Williamson Men . Additionally , the alumni mentors are growing their own leadership skills while also giving back to their college .”
The idea for a formalized alumni / student mentoring program was brought forward last winter by the Young Alumni Advisory Council . The council members felt students would greatly benefit from the opportunity to connect on a very personal level with an alumnus who is willing to share their experiences , skills , and connections . The pilot program brought on 16 alumni mentors ranging in graduate years from 1997- 2018 . The mentors completed an extensive application and interview process before being connected to students .
Brown shared , “ The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a bit of a challenge , in that we could not have the students meet the alumni in-person . Our alumni mentors were key in helping to think through how we could offer the program virtually and effectively .”
The pilot program kicked-off with a Zoom meeting in mid-October . Each participating student had a 20-minute one-on-one virtual session with their
Billy Reilly 9W2 writing a story in his notebook .
mentor . From there , mentors and students have been communicating by text , phone , and email .
Kevin Welde 9W7 , who serves as a mentor and was highly involved in the development of the program , said “ Mentoring is important at any stage in your life — having someone who has walked in your shoes to confide in can really make a difference . The opportunity to connect with alumni that truly have your best interest in mind and have years of experience to share is invaluable for the students , and the mentors can really learn a lot as well . It is an amazing opportunity to connect generations of Williamson Men each in different phases of their lives .”
Freshman power plant student Shamar Kerr , who is participating in the program , shares “ I have found it very insightful to be able to talk to people that have gone through the Williamson experience and are now successful . Being able to pick their brain and learn how they operate is an amazing opportunity . Your network is your net worth and I am glad I am finally starting to build mine .”
As the program moves forward into the next academic year , the mentoring team will work to grow alumni and student participation in the program , host more mentoring events , and find opportunities to collaborate with other departments on campus to provide a strong network of support and connection for Williamson students .
Brown adds , “ Our students and alumni all share a common connection — being a part of the Williamson brotherhood . This program is one way to celebrate that commonality and enable alumni and students to learn from one another and have a share in each other ’ s success .”
For more information on the Alumni / Student Mentoring Program , please visit www . williamson . edu / mentoring or contact Laura Brown at 610-566-1776 , ext . 420 or lbrown @ williamson . edu