Billy Elliot (2000)

Score: 8/10

This is another beautiful movie that encourages you to follow your dream no matter what others think. It teaches you to stand up for yourself and keep moving forward. It also shows a family life that seems to be fragile, but in its core there is a strong bond and support between its members.

Billy Elliot follows the life of an 11-year-old boy who lives in a difficult time. Billy (Jamie Bell) lives with his dad (Gary Lewis), older brother, and grandmother. They are trying to pull their lives together after the loss of Billy’s mother. Billy’s father and brother work as coal miners and the family struggles financially because of the miners’ strike.

Despite the financial difficulty, Billy’s father still manages to spare some money for Billy’s boxing lesson. Billy does not have any passion towards boxing though and secretly he uses the money to pay for ballet practice instead. It is sweet to see how Billy braves himself to enter the practice among girls at the first time. This is where he meets his mentor, Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters).

As predicted, Billy’s father finds out about Billy’s unusual interest. The relationship between father and son becomes disagreeable because dad thinks that ballet is not for normal boys. Mrs. Wilkinson thinks differently though. She sees a great potential in Billy. She enrolls him to Royal Ballet Academy in London. It becomes clear that the problem is not about ballet, but about Billy’s courage to move forward and stand up to his father.

We can see that Billy’s father actually loves him dearly and in the end he supports him as much as he can to earn money so Billy can go to London. Even his tough brother is soften up and also supports him to pursue his dream. It is a wonder to see what people can do for their loved ones. Billy’s success in the movie is not because of his passion and talent alone, but also because of loving supports from everyone around him.

This is a movie that explores various aspects of human lives. If you are different than others, it does not mean that you are a freak. Instead you have to be courageous and become something special because of your differences. Another side story shows Billy’s close friendship with his gay and cross-dressing friend, Michael. We can learn a lot from him on how to accept others as what they are. Friendship and family’s supports of each other are other aspects that we can learn because they can create something precious in the future.

There are many dancing sequences in the movie. Perhaps they are not technically advanced, but Jamie Bell supplies them with energy, soul, and passion. It is a joy to see him jumping, leaping, and performing all those moves. His acting throughout the movie is superb. Other casts also support the movie successfully. Julie Walters is on the mark as cigarette-smoking Mrs. Wilkinson, while Gary Lewis gives strong performances as a grumpy looking, but loving father.

The plot runs smoothly from low to bottom to hope and to victory. The musical score also carries the movie from scene to scene beautifully. I have a slight negative comment though. The ending of the movie is strong and the anticipation to this last scene is perfect. However, I just feel that it could be better and grander. In overall, I still recommend this movie highly. It is always good to see how hope and hard works can produce something beautiful.

For more information on Billy Elliot, you can visit these links:
- IMDB: Billy Elliot
- Billy Elliot Official Site

"Don't fall in front of girls, don't fall in front of girls"