Billy Elliot

BILLY ELLIOT (15)

D: Stephen Daldry

Universal/Working Title/BBC/Arts Council/Tiger Aspect (Greg Brenman & Jon Finn)

UK 🇬🇧 2000

111 mins

Drama

W: Lee Hall

DP: Brian Tufano

Ed: John Wilson

Mus: Stephen Warbeck

PD: Maria Djurkovic

Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), Julie Walters (Mrs Wilkinson), Gary Lewis (Dad), Jamie Traven (Tony), Jean Heywood (Grandmother), Stuart Wells (Michael), Nicola Blackwell (Debbie)

Uplifting British drama set in County Durham during the mining strikes of 1984, while his dad and older brother are involved in strike action against their employers, 11-year-old Billy is learning ballet, much to the disgust of his father, who wants his son to learn boxing.

Young Jamie Bell is absolutely fantastic in this drama, torn between his love of dance and his dysfunctional family. Julie Walters is also brilliant as the teacher who inspires Billy, as is Gary Lewis as his stubborn father.

A slice of North East lives during a troubling period with a genuinely exhilarating feelgood factor. It's no surprise that a stage play was born off of the success of this movie.

8/10

Did You Know:

When Elton John first saw the film at Cannes he immediately pitched the idea of making a stage musical of it to director Stephen Daldry.