The Portrait of Billy Joe

(2004)

Filmmaker Luciana Pedraza takes a penetrating look into the life of one of country music's behind-the-scenes talents, songwriter Billy Joe Shaver, who composed tunes for luminaries such as Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. From his troubled childhood in Texas, through a battle with substance abuse and finally to the death of his wife and son, this moving portrait chronicles the career of an artist with a rare gift for transforming tragedy into poetry.