The acting is of consistently high quality, and is one of the reasons why the movie is as effective as it is. The most effective scene concerning the strike is one in which Jackie, a lifelong union supporter, crosses the line because he needs the money to support his family.
To his credit, he finds a tone that allows him to weave more serious issues into a lighter fabric without jarring the viewer. It's clear what his stance on the issue is, but he avoids most of the obvious melodramatic traps. While lacking the powerful-yet-subtle approach of a master like Ken Loach, first-time director Stephen Daldry gets his points across without becoming overly preachy. The sense of poverty and social injustice that this brings to the film increases Billy Elliot's dramatic heft. Wilkinson's daughter, Debbie (Nicola Blackwell) and his interaction with the sexually ambiguous Michael (Stuart Wells) - are developed in a believable manner.īilly Elliot's secondary plot deals with the struggles of the coal miners to obtain fair wages and benefits. Even the movie's tertiary relationships - such as Billy's friendship with Mrs. It's about a father making the necessary sacrifices to re-connect with his son, and about a boy finding the courage to pursue his dreams. Wilkinson and her classes.Īlthough the film contains a few unpolished dance sequences, Billy Elliot is about characters and family relationships, not about the craft of dancing. When Jackie finds out what his son has been up to, he explodes with the expected testosterone-induced reaction: "Lads do football, boxing, or wrestling - not friggin' ballet!" He questions Billy's sexuality and demands that he immediately cease having anything to do with Mrs. Unfortunately, while dancing may be Billy's dream for himself, it's not his father's. Wilkinson (Julie Walters), puts her students through the moves, but it isn't long before he's paying fifty pence per lesson and learning that he may have the raw ability to succeed in an audition for the Royal Ballet School. At first, Billy simply watches as the teacher, Mrs. But Billy is inept in the ring, and he soon finds his attention wandering to a ballet class that is being taught within the walls of the same gym. His own mother is recently deceased and Billy, who visits her grave regularly (with scissors in hand to trim the grass around the headstone), misses her more deeply than he is willing to admit.īilly Elliot begins in much the same manner as many movies about amateur boxing providing a valuable outlet for youthful aggressions. While they're out manning the picket lines, Billy is left home to care for his senile grandmother. Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) is an 11-year old boy whose life has been turned upside down by the strike, since both his father, Jackie (Gary Lewis), and his brother, Tony (Jamie Draven), are among those currently not bringing home a paycheck. Scabs who cross picket lines are in bodily danger, and only the presence of numerous armed officers keeps the conflagration from exploding. That world is Thatcher's United Kingdom, where the coal miners are on strike and the police are mobilized daily to put down potential riots. The men, women, and children inhabiting the world of Billy Elliot come alive. Its appeal lies in the way it draws the audience into a bond with the protagonist and the manner in which it avoids painting the supporting players with one brush. Although neither revolutionary in its approach or subject matter nor seamless in its storytelling, Billy Elliot nevertheless manages to sketch the lives of characters we come to care about.
Taking its clue from recent British imports like Brassed Off! and The Full Monty, Billy Elliot combines whimsy, comedy, and socially-conscious drama into a crowd-pleasing whole.