Billy Elliot (2000)

Best movie of this year hands down!

This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

A great heart warming film that touches the soul of its viewers. Billy Elliot is funny, and tender, the mother and son relationship between Billy and Mrs. Wilkinson is certainly endearing to any audience.

Billy Elliot is about a fairly ordinary boy, his authoritarian homophobic father, a loutish brother, and a down at the heels dance instructor. I expected Billy to be effeminate, maybe even camp. However, he is a played by an ordinary sassy 11-year old who likes to move, to dance, and to do ballet.It is heartbreaking watching the poor kid trying deal with his adamant father.The father comes around almost instantly on seeing Billy dance. This left me reeling.The movie leaves out all of Billy's formal education and early professional career.By the end Dad is proud of his son, even if he dances, dances ballet, is gay and belongs to a travesty ballet company. This just seems a little too "happy ever after" at the cost of realism.

This movie is about a boy who would like to practice ballet. The audience can learn tree things. First, British social situation. The main character is Billy Elliot. He wants to practice ballet, but to take ballet lessons needs a lot of money. His father doesn't agree with Billy. His father thinks Billy should practice boxing. Billy doesn't want to do it. Also, Billy's landscape is characteristic. In this way, the audience can see the British social system. Second, ballet. Billy's father think ballet is for girls, but actually, ballet needs boys and girls. Ballet duet dance is that boys and girls dance together. Some people don't know about ballet well. Third, family love. After Billy's family agree with Billy dancing ballet, father cooperates with Billy, and helps and cheers up Billy. All members of Billy's family wait for the result. Billy's family really love Billy. It is heartwarming by watching the movie. I think this movie is made very well.

It's Durham Coalfield, North East England 1984. There is a violent strike against Thatcher and the scabs working the coal mines. Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) lives with widower father Jackie (Gary Lewis) and older brother Tony. Both of them are former miners who would take a dim view of Billy's love of dance. His Grandma is losing her mind. Instead of boxing, he starts going to Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters)'s all girls ballet class.Director Stephen Daldry is trying too hard to cute this one up. Billy doesn't have to dance in the boxing ring. He just has to be pathetic. Jamie Bell is a good little actor but he looks too angry to be funny. His jumping around is quirky but not hilarious. He's better to be quietly hiding instead of confronting his father. I wouldn't call this feel-good. It's Julie Walters and Gary Lewis who elevates the material. They're are a couple of veteran actors who bring substance to this fanciful tale.