I have been meaning to get around to seeing Billy Elliot for years. I have always heard good things about it, and was slightly curious if it would stand up to all the compliments. It not only lived up to the reviews, but far exceeded them.
Billy Elliot is an emotionally wounded 11 year old boy. His mother has recently died. He lives with his dad, older brother and senile grandmother in a mining town in northern England. His dad and brother work for the mine and are preoccupied with a strike. His dad forces Billy to take boxing classes at a local gym. An all girl ballet class is taught there as well. They get his attention, and he soon joins them, while pretending to still go to boxing lessons.
Billy's brother is a carbon copy of his dad. Both are slaves to the mine and traditions. Billy's mother had a love of music and Billy obviously took after her. Without his mom to support him, Billy hides his love for ballet, and his instructor, Mrs. Wilkinson, becomes his surrogate mother.
One day Mrs Wilkinson tells Billy, "This'll sound strange, Billy, but for some time now I've been thinkin' of the Royal Ballet School." Billy responds, "Aren't you a bit old, miss?" To which the irritated Mrs. Wilkinson answers, "No, not me... you! I'm the bloody teacher!"
With the auditions being in London, and his dad being out of work, Billy knows an audition is an almost impossibility. When his father discovers that Billy is doing ballet he of course objects. "All right for your Nana, for girls. No, not for lads, Billy. Lads do football... or boxing... or wrestling. Not friggin' ballet!"
All the odds are piled up against Billy. He almost gives up on his dream. In one of the best scenes, Billy and his best friend sneak into the gym at night, and Billy shows him how he dances. His dad walks in on them and Billy stops cold staring at him. Then he digs deep within himself to find his courage, and find it he does. He dances for his dad like his life depended on it.
Billy's dad, who up to this point has seemed like a cold bastard, decides to help Billy. He crosses the picket line to the anger of his co-workers and his elder son. I was in tears as his dad was going to such a length to help his son. This action could ostracize him from the whole town but he was doing for his love for his son.
Such is the enormous power of Billy Elliot. Rarely have I felt so much emotion watching a movie. I am not ashamed to admit that I laughed and I cried. Billy Elliot encompasses so much. It is a family drama, a coming of age film, a musical and a comedy. Above all else, it is one of the greatest feel good movies of all time. I came away form this movie feeling like a better person. Watching these people grow and love each other touched my soul like no movie has ever done
Much credit has to be given to Jamie Bell. He helps make Billy so damn likable, you have to root for him. He is slightly goofy and very expressive. Bell won a BAFTA (British Academy Award) for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, beating out Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, Geoffrey Rush and Michael Douglas.
The one and only forgivable mistake is that Billy incorporates lots of tap dance into his dancing. In real life it is Bell's preferred style, but never in the movie is Billy ever shown any tap steps. It is a minor quibble in one of the greatest films to ever come out of the United Kingdom.
