Eleven-year-old Billy is attempting to survive in Durham County town during the 1984 miners' strike that is affecting his family . This kind family is formed by motherless Billy (Jamie Bell) , whose elder brother (Jamie Draven) and father are involved in the violent strike and Grandma (Jean Heywood) . The unfortunate widowed dad (Gary Lewis) wants Billy to take bossing lessons but the boy is more interested in the ballet class taught at the same gym by hard-living Mrs Wilkinson (Dame Julie Walters) whose daughter Debbie (Blackwell) taunts Billy into trying to dance . Mrs Wilkinson is a dispirited soul who finds as much genuine pleasure nurture the orginal talent and hope of this 11-year-old as he does in the discipline and support of her surrogacy . Young Billy finds he prefers joining in the girls' ballet class at the local hall to the boxing he's there for . The ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson , soon realizes he has real potential , and she encourages him to audition for the Royal Ballet School in London , but no-one , least of all his family, is likely to go along with a dancing boy . Inside every one of us is a special talent waiting to come out . The trick is finding it.
Amusing and entertaining musical dramedy set against the background of an increasingly bitter miners' strike , including an agreeable soundtrack by Stephen Warbeck and catching songs . Regrettably , the unsentimental depiction of the working class Northeast in Lee Hall's semi-autobiographical storyline has been tinged with ironical touches and caricature elements . Director Stephen Daldry non-officially adopted aspiring actor Jamie Bell whilst shooting this Billy Elliot (2000) , after auditioning for the role over two thousand boys . In fact , Bell was only one of the four main actors to actually come from the area where this film is set . Resulting to be Jamie Bell film debut , giving a natural talent as the stubborn boy who attempts to get a great dream : to take up dancing against the wishes of his collier father and older brother , and he will stop a nothing to get it . While Julie Walters is perfect as Mrs Wilkinson , providing the conventional dramatic arc and adding a real emotional feeling . Gary Lewis is first rate as the embittered father who surprisingly cheeks the tendency to a supposedly female dancing of his obstinate child . Along with other excellent secondaries as Jamie Draven , Jean Heywood , Stuart Wells , Patrick Malahide , Barbara Leigh-Hunt , Zoë Bell's debut and Adam Cooper , an actual dancer , as aged 25 Billy .
Stage director Stephen Daldry makes his film debut as does Jamie Bell . Daldry is a good director whose films often contain a character who tries to seek some form of redemption , and his roles usually progress with the help of another character generally focus on female ones , including interpretations honored with an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role by Nicole Kidman in The Hours (2002) and Kate Winslet in The Reader (2008) . Daldry has directed 6 actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Julie Walters, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, and Max von Sydow. Kidman and Winslet both won Oscars for performances in one of his movies. Rating : 7.5/10. Well worth watching . Essential and indispensable seeing .
Amusing and entertaining musical dramedy set against the background of an increasingly bitter miners' strike , including an agreeable soundtrack by Stephen Warbeck and catching songs . Regrettably , the unsentimental depiction of the working class Northeast in Lee Hall's semi-autobiographical storyline has been tinged with ironical touches and caricature elements . Director Stephen Daldry non-officially adopted aspiring actor Jamie Bell whilst shooting this Billy Elliot (2000) , after auditioning for the role over two thousand boys . In fact , Bell was only one of the four main actors to actually come from the area where this film is set . Resulting to be Jamie Bell film debut , giving a natural talent as the stubborn boy who attempts to get a great dream : to take up dancing against the wishes of his collier father and older brother , and he will stop a nothing to get it . While Julie Walters is perfect as Mrs Wilkinson , providing the conventional dramatic arc and adding a real emotional feeling . Gary Lewis is first rate as the embittered father who surprisingly cheeks the tendency to a supposedly female dancing of his obstinate child . Along with other excellent secondaries as Jamie Draven , Jean Heywood , Stuart Wells , Patrick Malahide , Barbara Leigh-Hunt , Zoë Bell's debut and Adam Cooper , an actual dancer , as aged 25 Billy .
Stage director Stephen Daldry makes his film debut as does Jamie Bell . Daldry is a good director whose films often contain a character who tries to seek some form of redemption , and his roles usually progress with the help of another character generally focus on female ones , including interpretations honored with an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role by Nicole Kidman in The Hours (2002) and Kate Winslet in The Reader (2008) . Daldry has directed 6 actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Julie Walters, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, and Max von Sydow. Kidman and Winslet both won Oscars for performances in one of his movies. Rating : 7.5/10. Well worth watching . Essential and indispensable seeing .