IMDb >
Billy Elliot (2000)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsBilly Elliot (2000) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 50 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 4) |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Lee Hall (written by)
Release Date:
29 September 2000 (UK)
more
Tagline:
Inside every one of us is a special talent waiting to come out. The trick is finding it.
Plot:
A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars.
Another 49 wins
&
54 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(254 articles)
Christmas and new year TV films
(From The Guardian - Film News. 18 December 2009, 5:30 AM, PST)
Christmas and new year TV films
(From The Guardian - TV News. 18 December 2009, 5:30 AM, PST)
(From The Guardian - Film News. 18 December 2009, 5:30 AM, PST)
Christmas and new year TV films
(From The Guardian - TV News. 18 December 2009, 5:30 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Billy Elliot - The Class of 2000
more (405 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Jamie Bell | ... | Billy Elliot | |
| Jean Heywood | ... | Grandma | |
| Jamie Draven | ... | Tony Elliot | |
| Gary Lewis | ... | Dad (Jackie Elliot) | |
| Stuart Wells | ... | Michael Caffrey | |
| Mike Elliot | ... | George Watson | |
| Billy Fane | ... | Mr. Braithwaite | |
| Nicola Blackwell | ... | Debbie Wilkinson | |
| Julie Walters | ... | Mrs. Wilkinson | |
| Carol McGuigan | ... | Librarian | |
| Joe Renton | ... | Gary Poulson | |
| Colin MacLachlan | ... | Mr. Tom Wilkinson (as Colin Maclachlan) | |
| Janine Birkett | ... | Billy's Mum | |
| Trevor Fox | ... | PC Jeff Peverly | |
| Charlie Hardwick | ... | Sheila Briggs |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some thematic material. (edited version)
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
110 min
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Malaysia:U |
Finland:K-8 |
South Korea:12 |
USA:PG-13 (cut video version) |
USA:R (theatrical release) |
Philippines:PG-13 |
Argentina:Atp |
Australia:M |
Canada:PG |
Chile:TE |
Denmark:7 |
France:U |
Germany:6 (bw) |
Netherlands:AL |
New Zealand:M |
Norway:11 |
Peru:PT |
Portugal:M/12 |
Spain:T |
Sweden:7 |
Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:15 |
Ireland:15 |
Singapore:PG |
Hong Kong:IIA |
Iceland:L
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Jamie Bell is the only one of the four principals to actually come from the area where the film is set.
more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Jackie is inside the bus leading to the mine, an egg hits his window (at 01:14:40), but when the bus is viewed from outside, the window is clean (01:14:44).
more
Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "Grim & Evil: Billy Idiot/Home of the Ancients (#4.13)" (2005)
more
Soundtrack:
I Believe
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (405 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Billy Elliot (2000) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Die Blechtrommel | Mysterious Skin | Valentino | Mio fratello è figlio unico | El diputado |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Comedy section | IMDb UK section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |













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.