Billy Elliot (2000) User Reviews

Sheer magic

[Geofbob · 9/10 · 22 December 2005]

Billy Elliott is a moving, uplifting, and often exuberant, drama about motherless young Billy (Jamie Bell) fulfilling his dream of becoming a ballet dancer, in the process overcoming the objections and prejudices of his father and brother (Gary Lewis and Jamie Draven).

It is also a piece of magic realism, with political overtones. By setting their near fairy tale in the context of a close-knit mining community, and more specifically against the backdrop of the 1984/5 miners' strike - a defining moment of modern British economic and social history - writer Lee Hall and director Stephen Daldry are able to refer to gender and class issues, without turning their work into a political tract, and without losing focus on the central human drama.

The film is realised near flawlessly. Bell achieves a convincing blend of adolescent bewilderment and defiance; if his dancing is not quite as good as we might expect, the storyline explains this away by saying that at this early stage his attitude and drive are more important than his technique. The dancing set pieces, clearly inspired more by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly than by Nijinksky, are performed with gusto, mainly to pop songs by T-Rex.

Lewis and Draven put gritty realism and passion into their roles of a father and son committed to their community and to the miners' cause. They make us feel their despair as they realise that this cause is lost; but also their endurance as they come to terms both with Billie's aspirations and their own uncertain futures - within a few years most UK coalmines would be closed. (The colliery in Easington, the real-life location of the film, closed in 1994.). The scenes of violence between strikers and police are presented uncompromisingly and authentically, but with the occasional touch of humour.

Julie Walters provides an outstanding performance as Mrs Wilkinson, the dancing teacher who recognises and fosters Billie's talent; and helps him resist his own and his family's inhibitions. She is perfect as the chain-smoking, straight-talking mentor, who has her own personal disappointments and hurts, which she hopes Billie's success will help heal. To we outsiders watching the movie, Mrs Wilkinson appears as an integral part of the local community; but it is made clear that in the mid-80s, as far as Billie's family and friends are concerned, she is a middle class outsider, almost as alien as another species.

One issue which the film tackles head-on is traditional heterosexual male abhorrence of homosexuality. This attitude clearly underlies the shock of Billie's father and brother when they discover his interest in ballet. They would be even more horrified if they realised that his best friend was discovering gay tendencies in himself. It is typical of the sensitive direction that without labouring the point the film indicates by its close that attitudes towards gays changed radically during the 1980s and 90s along with the industrial landscape.

Wonderful!

[cooper-29 · 9/10 · 20 January 2001]

I had seen the commercials and they emphasize the dancing aspect of the story which is great but there is so much more to this movie. It deals with death and it touches on Mens feelings of loss and what a Man is and even deals a bit with homosexuality. Theres not many times where I sit though the end credits anymore but I was mesmorized. I laughed in this movie and I cried too. The dance scenes were terrific too. The boy who played Billy should get an award hands down for this movie. I watched the emotion on his face and it was amazing. This is the best breakout performance by a young boy since haley Joel Osmant in Sixth Sense. I have to say I just loved Julie Walters too. Where has she been since Educating Rita. Inspite of the swear words this is a movie that families should see. Its hard to believe this gets an R rating and movies like Scary Movie get...only R ratings. I dont get it. Strange that two of my favorite recent movies are from the British...This and Croupier. Word to Hollywood, make more movies like this or at lease import more like this. Dont miss this one!

A nearly flawless drama

[pumpkinland2000 · 9/10 · 18 November 2000]

This is one of those really great dramas that only come around maybe once a year. This is my pick for the best drama of 2000. Filled with amazing characters, a great plot, and circumstances that seem too real, the wonderfully underplayed value of it takes precedence over anything set against it.

There are some great performances here, so let's get to ‘em.

Jamie Bell plays the lead role, in an astonishing performance. Amazing dance routines done in perfect sync, I can just imagine the time he had memorizing all the steps. A knockout performance, with some of the most dramatic scenes played out with perfect honesty and realism.

Another notable performance comes from Julie Walters, who plays Mrs. Wilkinson, the dance instructor in the mining town where Billy lives. Once a great dancer but now forced to work in the bottom floor of a boxing hall, she plays her part wonderfully, showing the lack of compassion and jadedness without words but only through expressions, deep hurt lying beneath all that scorn, but love shining through as she sees Billy's true talent.

Finally, performance wise, we have Gary Lewis, who plays Billy's father. With wonderful scenes that play themselves out with harsh reality, I never tire of seeing the hurt in his eyes when he sees that his little boy isn't going to be a boxer or a football player, but a dancer, then seeing him again with the love and appreciation for his dancing son. Some things must be experienced, and the deep hurt he carries about the death of his wife is one of those. Greatness all around.

The one problem I did have with this movie is that it is first of all rated R. Why?! If it weren't for the few (and very effective) uses of the 'F' word, it would've gotten a PG-13 rating. It so strongly needs the 'F' word, yet it needs to be seen by a PG-13 audience! This is a move that truly should be shown to middle schoolers all over the country, showing that you should believe in yourself and no one else. Follow your dreams. Not only is this message not shoved down your throat (as some other movies shamelessly do), but it is done in such a way that you truly believe it. You want good things to happen, and you get that, but not spotless and clean. Nothing is done easily, and there will always be someone who will try and stop your dreams from coming true.

Another (and the only other problem) are the accents. The British definitely have a style of speaking all their own, and it sometimes took a moment for all the dialogue to register. Sometimes I'd miss half a scene, trying to decipher out exactly what was said. However, the tones and emotions of most scenes were enough to let you know what was said. Everything didn't have to be spelt out, but I can imagine that after I get this DVD I will sit down with the captions on, just to know I didn't miss anything. This is one of the only complaints I have for another favorite of mine, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Billy Elliot is a true rag-to-riches story that unfolds amazingly well without pulling your heartstrings shamelessly as other movies love to do. I recommend this to all, expect to be entertained with great plot twists as well as interesting characters, wonderful dialogue, and a story that can never grow old: Follow your dreams.

Simply excellent

[Juni78ukr · 10/10 · 22 November 2004]

I have been looking for Billy Elliot for more than two years. I heard that it should be very good or even excellent film and another reason for watching it was that I have seen several Working Title films before (About a Boy, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral) and I found all of them much more sincere and emotional than average Hollywood products. Also these British films have something to offer that you rarely can find in Hollywood movies: a charming heartwarming mixture of sweet and funny comedy and inspiring and touching drama. Last month, finally, I found the tape. From very first moments of the movie my eyes were riveted to the screen and when the movie ended feelings and emotions overflowed me. Billy Elliot in my opinion Billy Elliot is a brilliant movie, easily one of the best movies of the year and most likely of the current decade.

Director of the movie Stephen Daldry brought to us an exceptional, truly inspiring and moving, emotional and poignant movie. The entire story and all the characters are completely believable and the atmosphere of small provincial town somewhere in North-Eastern England skillfully captured and transmitted to us. Sometimes the movie is sad, sometimes it's funny but Stephen Daldry's work never leave you indifferent. The story occurs in a small coal-mining town in 1984 and there are signs of a severe depression all over the town. You can see all around a shadow of distress and even poverty. Some simple but incredibly powerful scenes bring to us sad feeling of hopelessness and even despair. There is a big coalminers strike in the town but it's easy to see that it's also the hopeless strike. But all this is only a masterfully recreated background for main story of the title character, a twelve years old boy. He recently lost his mother and both his father and elder brother are striking coalminers. Billy is forced by his father to attend boxing classes and one day accidentally he see the girl ballet classes that occur in same room and he find ballet much more interesting than hated stupid boxing. So he attends those ballet classes instead the boxing and there is nothing surprising that after a few weeks his father suddenly finds out that Billy didn't attend boxing and worst of all he is attending the ballet classes. The main conflict occurs.

Billy must fight for his choice, fight against his own family. There are two stereotypes against him. First one is that ballet for girls, not for boys (lads do football... or boxing... or wrestling). And second sounds even worse: all male ballet dancers are gays. Billy is not but no one from his family except aged grandma want even heard about ballet. There are only two people in the whole town, who support him – middle-aged ballet teacher Mrs. Wilkinson and his friend Michael, who is the same age as Billy and who found that he is possibly a gay. This gay subplot easily became for conservative audience a very controversial question. But the fact is that such stereotypes are not invented by the director of the movie and if you would try to learn more about this terrific picture you will found that Jamie Bell, who took dance lessons from age six, suffered from similar sneers and taunts. Billy's problem is that he must fight not only against bad obstacles and misunderstanding but also against strong social stereotypes. Several brilliant come scenes and bright humor greatly emphasize the struggles of the main hero.

Jamie Bell playing Billy has on of the best performances ever among young actors. His performance (and particularly dance sequences) is so genuine, bright and sincere that all the time we can easily feel an expression of a young boy, not a director, choreographer or writer. BAFTA award for best actor of the year is well-deserved and it is pity that conservatism of the Academy too often becomes an insuperable obstacle for many great movies. Julie Walters (an Academy nomination for best supporting actress) as Billy's ballet teacher also did a great job as a talented woman as a talented women who forced to teach in small provincial town for pitiful salary. The chemistry between teacher and student is another great line in Billy Elliot. Two other important supporting characters – Billy's father and elder brother Tony are also excellent and their evolution is perfectly showed by Stephen Daldry's direction. The beautiful soundtrack is a perfect combination of a classic (including a nice reference to great Swan Lake) and modern music.

The original "R" rating shouldn't mislead you. Except for strong language it should be easily a PG-13. But this is a very rare case where some strong language and profanity are necessary for authenticity and characters understanding. The movie is suitable for teens and it definitely is able to give some good lessons for them.

10 out of 10 looks well deserved. Thanks for reading and sorry for my bad English

a pleasure from start to finish

[off.rails · 21 August 2000]

With a seemingly run-of-the-mill storyline - that of an 11-year-old schoolboy wanting to be a ballet dancer - it is quite a feat to have made a movie as warm and entertaining as this.

Quite simply, this is the best British movie in years. All the characters are intriguing, and the acting is flawless, most notably from 14-year-old Jamie Bell whose acting is utterly convincing, filled with humour and insight beyond his years. He is also a fantastic dancer, and some of the dance sequences are reminiscent of the dance-filled musicals of the old black and white movies.

The backdrop of the historic miners' strike of the mid-1980s, it brings the story down to the earth and adds the necessary tension to make this film truly believable and a worthy story to tell.

I find it hard to see how anyone would not like this film. 9 and a half out of 10.

Masterful coming of age drama without sugar and soap.

[hitchcockthelegend · 10/10 · 4 March 2008]

After revisiting this film again recently, I stick my chest out and state proudly that the film touches me on so many levels that my emotions go all over the shop. For a film that is in essence a feel good coming of age drama it is mightily impressive that the film never veers down that street known as sickly boulevard.

Set against the grim backdrop of the English Coal Miners strikes the film tackles an array of subjects, class struggles, fear of homosexuality, youthful adventure in discovering potential adulthood, and the universal joy that music and dance can bring to us all, even in the most trying of circumstances. So many great scenes here that are both happy and sad, Billy's father feels he has to break the strike to give Billy a chance in life, this leads to a truly heartbreaking scene between him and his eldest son, I weep unashamedly at the realism of it all, the dancing is just wonderful, with too many great scenes to only pick just one out, the film is a seamless classic that ticks every box that I personally require from a film like this.

The cast are magnificent, Jamie Bell perfectly layers the lead role of Billy by fusing confusion, joy, fear, hope, and sorrow into one almighty performance. Julie Walters is up to her usual standard of greatness, whilst Gary Lewis as the father is nothing short of tremendous, they all can take a bow for making such a wonderful movie. The soundtrack is music gold, you can never have enough T-Rex in your life, ever, and I ask if there has ever been a more appropriate use of music than the use of The Jam's-Town Called Malice? Paul Weller's up tempo beat belies it's sombre lyrics, the song is about a town besieged by unemployment, a great scene accompanies the song as Billy dances out his frustrations down the street; "you either cut down on the beer or the kids new gear, it's a big decision in a town called Malice".

Brilliant! Maybe I'm biased because I remember the miners strikes, a sad and desperate time for the industry that was about to go under, perhaps I love it for the sheer sympathy the characters garner, or could it just be that it's an incredibly human story that is laid out fantastically well with an ending that demands a positive response from the viewer? Either way it rates 10/10 for me and it always will.

Film instantly evoked memories of Ken Loach

[tonypeacock-1 · 7/10 · 23 June 2019]

As the title of this review suggests this film quickly evoked comparisons to your typical Ken Loach film.

Directed by Stephen Daldry it follows the highly unlikely topic of ballet in a 1984 County Durham mining village in Northern England amidst the backdrop of the miners strike of the time.

That is one typical Loach trait. The left leaning political climate of the film. The second is the older brother character to the lead Billy Elliot. It reminded me a little of the Jud character in the classic film Kes.

The plot concerns a young boy who instead of following the usual route of the local boxing gym ends up being taught ballet by Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters).

I have never been disappointed with a Walters performance to be fair. She just has this comedic, down to earth manner.

The film has an excellent soundtrack from the 1970s vinyl of the Elliot family, a bit of The Clash and 'London Calling'.

The film was the springboard for the acting career of a young Jamie Bell in the title role of Billy Elliot. A commercial success leading to spin offs such as the customary musical show.

Billy Elliot - The Class of 2000

[robmillrs · 10/10 · 10 December 2000]

To say that Billy Elliot is the best movie of 2000 is to damn it with faint praise, since this year's crop is pretty uninspiring. Better to compare it to movies of the past few years, and even then it would stand out. It is a phenomenally good film, and perhaps even groundbreaking in its own way, since it goes against the trend of quirky, violent, sex-obsessed moviemaking that's become so popular recently. We've finally been given a film with a good, almost mythic story, complicated yet believable characters, a masterful blend of emotional intensity and critical restraint, and a series of dance scenes that are authentic, inspiring and completely integral to the plot.

No wonder critics have been falling over themselves in heaping praise on Billy Elliot. No wonder it's been holding its own in the box office despite being shown in a mere handful of theatres (one-quarter to one- sixth as many as the big Hollywood blockbusters) and despite its receiving hardly any promotion at the moment. Its success is being driven by word of mouth. And what is the word? Here is a movie that appeals to your heart, head, funny bone, eyes and ears, and last but not least your feet, for the music and the movement will have you wanting to get up and dance. And it achieves all of this without insulting the intelligence. I sometimes wonder how the movie would have been done by Hollywood: Billy would have been made a more pathetic figure; the people in his life rendered more black and white; characters would have either remained caricatures, or made to develop in the blink of an eye. All such excesses are avoided in Billy Elliot, where the characters develop in a totally believable way, where Billy invites admiration instead of pity, and where the silences, looks and gestures all leave so much to the imagination. The dictum "Less is more" is clearly the guiding principle behind the film.

The buzz for Billy has been so positive that people sometimes come away disappointed that their lives haven't been changed. So don't go expecting a "knock 'em dead" Hollywood rollercoaster. Billy Elliot is far more subtle, though the emotional moments are all the more powerful because of that. You can however believe everything that has been said of Jamie Bell. He has an outstanding screen presence and carries the movie on his little shoulders with breath-taking naturalism. His dancing is honest and powerful, and very masculine. He makes you forget that all the other actors give the performances of their careers in support. If the Oscar were awarded without consideration for age, career, box office draw or Hollywood clout, Jamie and his movie would win hands down.

This enjoyable and charming movie has all-around appeal and some fine acting .

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 12 November 2021]

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 .

Beautiful, honest, touching, poignant- a truly remarkable film

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 2 February 2010]

This movie is such a good film for a number of reasons. As a study of daring to be different in the fact of intractable tradition, Billy Elliot is beautiful, touching, poignant and very honest. It does start off slowly, but the film does have a lot of heart. Firstly, I liked the story, a young boy who wishes to ballet dance against the the backdrop of the 1984 miner's strike, it was a nice one and is likely to evoke some emotion. Stage director Stephen Daldry makes his feature debut here, and succeeds pretty much brilliantly. Another strong asset was the writing, while funny in places, it is also quite touching. Then the music, I loved hearing the music Tchaikovsky's timeless ballet "Swan Lake", such a melancholy yet enchanting and haunting score. But really the best asset of the film is the acting. Jamie Bell gives a really believable performance in the lead role, while Gary Lewis is marvellous as his dad. The acting honours though go to the brilliant Julie Walters as Billy's chain smoking dance instructor, that role especially proves what a fine actress Walters is. In conclusion, I loved this film. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

Finding beauty

[delibebek · 7/10 · 27 August 2009]

"Billy Elliot" isn't about a boy wanting to dance. It isn't about a miners' strike in the mid-1980s. These are only the elements which happen to be chose to tell this story. The story is about finding beauty in the world, finding it despite the chaos and conformity that surrounds youth.

Billy, through the course of the movie, struggles to find his own direction in life at a very young age. It's quite easy to understand this because of the choices of setting and character made for the sake of the story.

Billy is relatively young, making him subject to the pressures of his father and older brother. The time and place of the story, with police riot squads being a fixture on the streets, underscores the difficulty in being drawn to ballet, an activity not considered fitting among his family and peers. Still he pursues his passion.

The performances paint the picture perfectly. They are convincing and compelling renditions of the characters in this light, enjoyable drama.

Truly Amazing!

[gardnerj-3 · 10/10 · 26 March 2006]

This film came out, when I was younger, I was too young to understand and relate to the movie- I was only 10. Now I am 15, it was on TV last night; I was in aw throughout the whole movie. I couldn't believe that this movie existed when I was alive-- and it was out on the selves in the DVD shop down the road. I think I was living under a rock.

I forgot how to cry before I watched this movie.

I come from a wealthy, high class family in Australia. I go to a private school and I am not usually around people with broken homes or around people in a low socio-economic area. I am blinded by the people around me about the depression and horrible taunts of people with limited needs. Very few movies actually make me think- this is a testament to that, showing that this movie has motivated me to write a comment on this website, so the whole world can see views.

This movie moved me in ways that I never thought something could. Since I am only young, I haven't experienced much in my life, while I am growing and I discovering new feelings and this movie has triggered one—it's become apart of me.

Showing that he came from a poor and broken family, and relished in his dream to become a ballet dancer and escape his born destiny to become a miner—it's just unbelievable.

Since I come from a wealthy family, with so many opportunities around me, it made me think about what I am taking for granted, this movie has changed me-- since Friday night I have watched it about 6 times over and over again. I am now taking in my life—this movie has showed me that, whatever I am in, or whoever I am, I can do anything that want to be-- a true genius movie

A late kitchen sink movie

[frankde-jong · 7/10 · 24 May 2020]

In the end of the 50's and the beginning of the 60's there was a wave of "Kitchen sink" films in England. These films are set in a working-class environment and are often located in Northern England. Not only are working man the main protagonists in these films, the film often also takes their side. Laborers are seen as the victims of the capitalist system. Important directors are Tony Richardson ("Look back in anger" (1959) and "A taste of honey" (1961)) and Lindsay Anderson ("This sporting life", (1963)).

In the '80s the Thatcher era seems to provide a vertile soil for Kitchen sink type of movies, but only a director as Stephen Frears made them. Today, in the gig economy, we have Ken Loach who is still going strong with movies such as "Sorry, we missed you" (2019) and "I, Daniel Blake" (2016).

Stephan Daldry ("The Reader", 2008) is not a typical "Kitchen sink" director and he made his film about the England of Margaret Thatcher only in 2000. Nevertheless "Billy Elliot" is a kitchen sink film, and not a bad one. It plays in Northern England in 1984. It is the time of the coal mine strikes (Arthur Scargill versus Margaret Thatcher). There are beautiful images of industrial landscapes and working class neighborhoods.

One of the strongest points of "Billy Elliot" is that it has a working class setting, but it does not idealize the characters (as Ken Loach tends to do in the above mentioned pictures). They are not only honest people who are the victims of a cruel system, they have faults of their own. In "Billy Elliot" there is a macho culture, in which introverted people with an unusual hobby not always have an easy life. Billy's preference of ballet above boxing is frowned upon by his father and his older brother.

The struggle of Billy in defence of his passion makes for a fascinating picture. The U-turn the character of his father makes towards the (happy) end is however not entirely credible. In my opinion this is the weak spot of this movie. Ken Loach, whom I accused of idealizing laborers in "Sorry, we missed you" and "I, Daniel Blake", did a better job in "Kes" (1969).

Contains a gay stereotype that's so tired it's at home and in bed...

[hippiedj · 5/10 · 1 June 2004]

Sure, Billy Elliot can be considered an endearing drama, and you do want to root for Billy to succeed. The story of a boy going against the male-ego dominated society in Northern England and fulfilling his dream of becoming a dancer is charming indeed. BUT...a subplot involving Billy's gay friend is ridiculous. While so many on here have gone sugary over Billy Elliot's charms, I'm concentrating here on a major problem:

The writers in movie-world have this idea that all gay male characters (in this case, Billy's friend) HAVE to be cross-dressers and have a desire to be like women. That whole subplot was unnecessary and just takes a huge step backward for intelligence. They must be listening to too much Howard Stern. Yes, we know Billy is heterosexual, and in order to have him pursue his "non-masculine" dream of dancing and come off looking respectable, the actual gay character is portrayed as a stereotype, dressing up in his mother's clothes (shades of that character of Billy Crystal's in "Soap"). By the end of the film he shows up at Billy's big dance debut looking straight out of Queer Eye with an equally prissy black man, who has an expression on his face like he just dined on a very sour lemon. Face the facts, movie writers: the majority of cross-dressers are heterosexual, not gay. If you're going to establish that the young boy is going to be gay as an adult, show us other things instead of the usual tired stereotypes. If the character were a lesbian instead, you can bet she'd be "hot," talk like any other woman, and not have any butch mannerisms. I don't know who the writers keep learning what they know about gay culture from, but all the gay men I know are quite blue collar and definitely not FABulous. I'm really sick of filmmakers and TV folks who only know how to show things ONE way, instead of showing the truth or at least showing a variety.

If the ridiculous gay subplot were not in the film, I'd have highly recommended Billy Elliot to friends. Sorry though, I just get annoyed with his friend's portrayal as a cliché stereotype, so many points are taken off for that one. Think of it this way, any youngster that might have thoughts he/she might be gay and see this portrayal in the film, it would really screw up his idea of what being gay is.....

OK, now you folks can read all the other reviews of praise on IMDb, just understand how little things in a film like what I mentioned can hold back any true progress for some people overall.

Simply Fantastic

[gershwin-3 · 6 January 2001]

I went into this movie expecting to hate it, and found myself instantly smiling at the playful opening credits with Billy jumping on a trampoline. From there on it just got better and better. The wasn't even a minor character that I could say needed work. The cast as a whole was brilliant - and surprising at times. The father and brother come off as these one-sided brutal characters in the beginning and then as you watch, they become two of the most well constructed and acted characters this year and for who knows how long. Jaime Bell is brilliant for a first-timer and his dance is wonderful. There are also so many layers to the film. From brilliant cinematography to wonderful symbolism both in the script and in the music (listen for the tune Billy is playing on piano in the main score during the big moments). The music on a whole was brilliantly picked and I don't think a single element was overlooked or addressed. If you haven't seen this movie - GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND INTO THE THEATER! It is truly an experience that everyone should have and I hope to see more from this writer, director and a brilliant new face in Jaime Bell.

Magnificent movie

[loveution · 10/10 · 20 December 2008]

Honestly, I really can't believe that the current rate is only 7.7! Somehow I've overlooked this movie for 8 years. In my opinion "Billy Elliot" is a masterpiece. Breath taking photography, scenery. Excellent cast specially by young Jamie Bell (Billy) and Gary Lewis (Billy's father). Above all I enjoyed the story which becomes so alive due to a director's talent. It's a moving love story between a boy and his father, a story field with emotions like despair, anger, sorrow and love. All inspired by an excellent choice of music. This is the first movie that made me login and rate it with a perfect 10!

Tarig

A wonderful example of good quality writing, acting and art

[asalzman · 10/10 · 7 January 2001]

Billy Elliot is a wonderful story of a young boy overcoming obstacles to participate in the one activity that takes him away from his troubled family life. By dancing, Billy unleashes his frustrations, yet also receives much criticism by participating in a less than macho sport. Every aspect of this movie was well done: the acting was superb, the characters were complex but believable, but the cinematography alone takes the cake. The cameras look at things from some very interesting and unusual views. Every shot was well planned out and every item in the background had importance.

This is one of the best movies I've seen recently and one that definitely shouldn't be missed by anyone that believes in following his or her dreams.

Jamie Bell and Julie Walters show us a very British vision of the world of dance.

[FilmCriticLalitRao · 6/10 · 28 January 2009]

Billy Elliot is a film for those people who have faced or face problems in choosing what is good for them.Young minds are at a loss to decide for themselves as they have neither knowledge nor experience to opt for whatever that is good for them.For them, it is not so easy to make a choice as there are times when they have to take into consideration the feeling of others around them.This is some kind of a universal phenomenon but for most young boys it is sometimes difficult to choose dance instead of boxing.This might be because boxing is a symbol of strong male character whereas dance is mostly associated with feminine world.This is precisely the case in the life of our film's young protagonist named Billy Elliot.With this film British director Stephen Daldry has succeeded in revealing the feminine aspects of young boys. The best lesson one can learn from this film is that one should strive to achieve what one has in mind instead of crumbling under pressure. Billy Elliot is a fine film which will surely appeal to all but it has also its share of some minor glitches.The fact that it is too British might be seen as an impediment for those viewers who crave for universal themes without any notion of national identity.

Outstanding!

[Sir-Galahad · 10/10 · 15 March 2001]

What else can be said about this film? I just would like to thank God for letting me watch it. It's one of those films that might be considered "soul food". I don't want to talk about all the acting stuff; my only intention is to set my feelings here, and I must be honest: I'm not the same since i watched it. Something has changed inside of me. I wouldn't be able to say exactly what, or how, but my soul has been shaken, and I can see things different, as if "Billy Elliot" had opened my eyes. It's very hard for me to put it in words, my intention is to show people that when things are made with all our hearts, they cannot be but rejoicing and delightful. And this film is the best proof of that, fulfilling all the possible expectations. Thank God again (and, of course, thank the cast and all the staff!), and if you haven't watched it yet, your life is incomplete, sure it is!

Moving Human Story

[JamesHitchcock · 7/10 · 9 November 2022]

"Billy Elliot" is the story of an 11-year-old working-class boy, a coal miner's son from County Durham, who nurses the ambition to become a ballet dancer, and the obstacles he faces in realising that ambition. The main obstacle is that he comes from a social background where such an ambition is regarded as incomprehensible. In British working-class communities, which place a high premium on loyalty to one's class background and to traditional ideas of masculinity, there is a widespread stereotype that ballet is only for the well-to-do middle classes and that male ballet dancers are all effeminate homosexuals. Billy's widowed father Jackie and his older brother Tony both hold these views strongly and are horrified when they discover that Billy has secretly been taking dancing lessons. Even when Billy's passion for ballet has won Jackie over, there are still obstacles to be faced. The film is set at the time of the 1984-1985 miners' strike. Jackie and Tony are on strike and facing hardship, and there is no money to pay for Billy's lessons.

There are certain similarities between this film and "Brassed Off" from four years earlier, another film about the miners' strike and about working-class people finding fulfilment through cultural activities. There are, however, also a couple of differences. "Brassed Off" was about the members of a brass band; unlike ballet the brass band movement has always been regarded as part of the working-class culture of Northern England. "Brassed Off" is also more overtly political than "Billy Elliot", which never makes an overt statement about the rights and wrongs of the strike or of the programme of pit closures which provoked it. "Brassed Off" is much more overtly on the side of the miners, possibly because when it was made in 1996 the Tories were still in power; by 2000 Britain had a Labour government which showed no interest in reopening the mines which the Tories had closed, and little interest in saving the few which were still left. Trying to refight the battles of fifteen years earlier probably seemed a vain endeavour, especially as growing concerns about global warming meant that fossil fuels like coal were becoming increasingly unpopular.

My main complaint about the film would be with the large amount of swearing in the script and the violent confrontations between striking miners and the police- not because I am a prude about bad language and violence but because I feel that a movie like this one, with its eleven-year-old hero, should be available to younger viewers. In Britain it was given a certificate restricting it to people aged 15 and over.

Young Jamie Bell, however, is excellent in the leading role touching story. The two other performances which stood out for me came from Julie Walters, who was nominated for a "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar, as his ballet teacher, and from Gary Lewis as his father. Lewis plays Jackie with his native Scottish accent rather than a Durham one, but this is not necessarily inappropriate. When times were hard in the mining industry, miners would often move from one coalfield to another in search of work. I have never been a great ballet lover- I have probably been to the ballet about three times in my life- but I must admit that some excellent films have been made about the subject, in particular Powell and Pressburger's "The Red Shoes" and Darren Aronofsky's more recent "Black Swan". I wouldn't rank "Billy Elliot" quite as highly as those two masterpieces, but it is nevertheless a highly enjoyable film with a moving human story. 7/10.

Unforgettable

[harrietgate · 10/10 · 25 June 2003]

Does anyone else weep unashamedly at the climactic leap of "Swan Lake" at the end? Watching this in North America makes me homesick for the high standard of British films, including magnificent editing. What a lovely change from a lot of the overhyped violent/offensive rubbish and other drivel that is foisted on us...

Coal miner's son

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 21 November 2008]

Can a boy from a macho background overcome all obstacles and go to be a star in the Royal Ballet company? Well, that is the premise of this feel good film that we saw when it first came out, but didn't comment. Watching it for a second time, recently, didn't produce the same effect as when initially seen on the big screen. Something was lost, but it is still an inspirational story.

Billy, a young boy from a poor background in the coal country in the North of England, realizes he has a passion for dancing. Since he doesn't know how to channel his desire for becoming a classic dancer, he has to get all the help he can get. With the guidance of Mrs. Wilkinson, a local dance coach, Billy finds the inspiration he needs to go on into that world, so foreign to a young boy of his class.

In a way, we couldn't help comparing "Billy Elliot" to "Educating Rita", not that they are similar in any shape, or form. Maybe the presence of the irrepressible Julie Walters, who appears in this case as the teacher, was the link and the basis of comparison. Her work in the film doesn't dominate the action, but her contribution to the overall success of it is an undeniable factor. Young Jamie Bell endears himself to the audience with his take on the would be dancer that wants to expand his own talent.

Stephen Daltry directed with panache the screenplay by Lee Hall. Mr. Daltry's work with the two principals wins us over. This small film couldn't have worked as a Hollywood production, which probably would have blown the action out of proportion and would have turned the story into something else.

Good film

[michellewindynam · 9/10 · 2 February 2012]

To say that Billy Elliot is the best movie of 2000 is to damn it with faint praise, since this year's crop is pretty uninspiring. Better to compare it to movies of the past few years, and even then it would stand out. It is a phenomenally good film, and perhaps even groundbreaking in its own way, since it goes against the trend of quirky, violent, sex-obsessed movie-making that's become so popular recently. We've finally been given a film with a good, almost mythic story, complicated yet believable characters, a masterful blend of emotional intensity and critical restraint, and a series of dance scenes that are authentic, inspiring and completely integral to the plot.

No wonder critics have been falling over themselves in heaping praise on Billy Elliot. No wonder it's been holding its own in the box office despite being shown in a mere handful of theatres (one-quarter to one- sixth as many as the big Hollywood blockbusters) and despite its receiving hardly any promotion at the moment. Its success is being driven by word of mouth. And what is the word? Here is a movie that appeals to your heart, head, funny bone, eyes and ears, and last but not least your feet, for the music and the movement will have you wanting to get up and dance. And it achieves all of this without insulting the intelligence. I sometimes wonder how the movie would have been done by Hollywood: Billy would have been made a more pathetic figure; the people in his life rendered more black and white; characters would have either remained caricatures, or made to develop in the blink of an eye. All such excesses are avoided in Billy Elliot, where the characters develop in a totally believable way, where Billy invites admiration instead of pity, and where the silences, looks and gestures all leave so much to the imagination. The dictum "Less is more" is clearly the guiding principle behind the film.

The buzz for Billy has been so positive that people sometimes come away disappointed that their lives haven't been changed. So don't go expecting a "knock 'em dead" Hollywood roller-coaster. Billy Elliot is far more subtle, though the emotional moments are all the more powerful because of that. You can however believe everything that has been said of Jamie Bell. He has an outstanding screen presence and carries the movie on his little shoulders with breath-taking naturalism. His dancing is honest and powerful, and very masculine. He makes you forget that all the other actors give the performances of their careers in support. If the Oscar were awarded without consideration for age, career, box office draw or Hollywood clout, Jamie and his movie would win hands down.

Sheer brilliance

[AKS-6 · 7/10 · 22 November 2000]

When you walk out of the cinema after having seen a film like Billy Elliot, you can't help but have a wide grin on your face. Sure, you may look like an idiot, but who cares after a movie experience like this one? Billy Elliot is without a doubt the best film I have seen this year at the cinema (even better than Fight Club, and we all know [I hope] that FC is a brilliant film). It's a typical British film, and I mean that in the best way possible. Brilliant actors, a great story, great production design (feels like you're there), great direction, sadness and jokes and that special mood and tone of a British comedy/drama. And Jamie Bell is magnificent as Billy. I just have one thing to say to director Stephen Daldry and all the actors and everyone else who worked on Billy Elliot: thanks for making this film! (10/10)

Simplistic patronising nonsense.Proof that P.T.Barnum was wrong.

[ianlouisiana · 4/10 · 6 March 2006]

Working Title Films have produced some of the most twee movies ever made. At least Hugh Grant isn't in "Billy Elliot",nor is that bloke famous for having a nice bum in "Pride and Prejudice". "Billy Elliot" could be a "New Labour" production.I'm sure it must be one of our Dear Leader's favourite films.It represents everything he and his woolly-minded Armchair Socialist chattering-class cronies hold dear. The Third Way,Non-Judgementalism,Inclusivism,Moral Equivalence,One Nationism,every cliché of the Limp Left,every slightly pathetic belief of the "It's grim oop North London" brigade is regurgitated in this fairy (no offence) story about a little boy who'd rather be a ballet dancer than have his brains scrambled in the boxing ring. Unless you've been living on the Planet Zarg for the last five or six years you'll know that the film is set in the tim e of the Miners' Strike (Hooray for Arthur Scargill - Yah boo sucks to Maggie Thatcher).Young Master Elliot's father and brother are striking miners (there's daring for you)and involved in scuffles with the police(scum) and neither are impressed when he reveals his ambition.His teacher(that nice Julie Walters - she's so good on the telly - and so often) believes in him and gets him an interview at Ballet School. Despite,in a rare macho moment,beating up a posh kid(that's all right then) he gets accepted. Saying goodbye to his best(and only,as far as I could make out) chum he discovers that this 11 year old pal is gay (the way 11 year old working class Geordies so often are),but doesn't hold it against him(if you'll pardon the expression). At the end,Dad and brother proudly go to see Billy in "Swan Lake".In the audience are Billy's ex-best mate and his black friend(there's daring for you).Billy,looking a well-preserved 30,leaps onto the stage and that's it.The only sound is people sniffling into their Kleenex and me snoring. Simplistic patronising nonsense then ,but proof that Mr P.T. Barnum ,actually,was wrong.