Billy Elliot Movie Review 2000

Eleven-year-old Billy (Bell) is trying to survive in a Durham County town during the 1984 miners' strike that is affecting his family. His widowed dad (Lewis) wants Billy to take boxing lessons but the boy is more interested in the ballet class taught at the same gym by hard-living Mrs. Wilkinson (Walters), whose daughter Debbie (Blackwell) taunts Billy into trying to dance. Billy's natural talent is so great that Mrs. Wilkinson encourages him to audition for the Royal Ballet School in London. Of course, when his dad finds out what's been going on, there's trouble. The unfortunate rating is due to language but the film has all-around appeal and some fine performances. Stage director Daldry makes his film debut as does Bell.

Distribution

Universal Studios Home Video, 100 Universal City Plz., Universal City, CA 91608-9955, Phone: (818)777-1000, Fax: (818)866-1483, URL: http://www.universalstudios.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 111 minutes.
Originally from British.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Period Piece: 1980s, Dance Fever, Dads, Great Britain, Miners & Mining, Childhood Visions, Family Drama

Screenplay

Lee Hall

Cast

Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Gary Lewis, Jamie Driven, Nicola Blackwell, Jean Heywood, Stuart Wells, Adam Cooper

Cinematography

Brian Tufano

Director

Stephen Daldry

Music

Stephen Warbeck

Producer

Universal Pictures

Awards

British Acad. 2000: Actor (Bell), Film, Support. Actress (Walters).