Billy Elliot (2000)

A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family.

Director:

Stephen Daldry

Writer:

Lee Hall

Stars:

Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Jean Heywood

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 54 wins & 65 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jamie Bell	...	Billy
Jean Heywood	...	Grandma
Jamie Draven	...	Tony
Gary Lewis	...	Dad
Stuart Wells	...	Michael
Mike Elliot	...	George Watson
Billy Fane	...	Mr Braithwaite
Nicola Blackwell	...	Debbie
Julie Walters	...	Mrs. Wilkinson
Carol McGuigan	...	Librarian
Joe Renton	...	Gary Poulson
Colin MacLachlan	...	Mr. Wilkinson (as Colin Maclachlan)
Janine Birkett	...	Billy's Mum
Trevor Fox	...	PC Jeff Peverly
Charlie Hardwick	...	Sheila Briggs

Storyline

County Durham, during the endless, violent 1984 strike against the Thatcher closure of British coal mines. Widower Jackie Elliot and his firstborn, fellow miner Tony, take a dim view of 11 year-old second son Billy's poor record in boxing class, which worsens when they discover he sneakily transferred to the neighboring, otherwise girls-only-attended ballet class. Only one schoolmate, closet-gay Michael Caffrey, encourages Billy's desire, aroused by the teacher, who judged him talented enough for private lesson, to train and try out for the world-renowned Royal Ballet audition. Only the prospect of a fancy career unimagined in the pauper quarter may twist pa and big brother's opposition to indispensable support.

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Plot Keywords:

ballet | miner | miners strike | gay crush | gay kid | 

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Taglines:

Inside every one of us is a special talent waiting to come out. The trick is finding it.

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Universal

Country:

UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dancer

Filming Locations:

Ellington Colliery, Northumberland, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,541,109 (United Kingdom), 1 October 2000, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$215,681, 15 October 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$21,995,263

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$109,280,263

Company Credits

Production Co:

StudioCanal, Working Title Films, BBC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Billy Elliot's original title was 'Dancer', but when they took the film to the Cannes Film Festival, there was another film called Dancer in the Dark (2000), which won the Palmes D'Or, prompting confusion; indeed, Universal Studios called the directors, producers and writer up and congratulated them. They then realized they had to change the name and settled ('rather lamely', joked the writer) on 'Billy Elliot'.

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Goofs

The punch-bag in the dimly lit shot of the gymnasium when Mrs Wilkinson is talking to Billy is moving in one shot (at around 39 mins), then stationary in the next (00:39:21), then moving again (00:40:20).

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Quotes

[Billy is dancing while walking]
Dad: Is that absolutely necessary? Walk normal!

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Connections

Featured in Mary and Martha (2013)

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Soundtracks

Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails
Performed by Fred Astaire
Courtesy of Turner Entertainment Co.
Composed by Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin Music Corp.
By kind permission of Warner/Chapplel Music Limited

User Reviews

Billy Elliot - The Class of 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.