Stream it now Billy Elliot Reset Status Want to Watch Already Watched Don't Want to Watch

Writing about Billy Elliot, Roger Ebert wrote that anyone who believes that a coal miner would have broken a strike in 1980's England doesn't know a union worker.

I know nothing about this event in British history, and have wondered for a long time whether this plot device in the movie is honest, or if it is just one of those only-in-the-movies sort of thing.

The Good
Its gives you a nice fuzzy feeling. Good for the whole family. Decent Acting

The Bad
The typical cliched story. Kinda boring, pace lacking at times. Seriously do you REALLY want to watch a kid doing ballet (yawn).

Absoloutely amazing movie that is sure to inspire anyone. It is unbelievable to see how such a young actor, such as Jamie Bell, can be so talented at such a young age. No doubt he acts like a veteran, and he for sure will be one of the best actors in the later future. Billy Elliot is about a young boy who goes against his father's wishes and becomes a ballet dancer. With a family that looks down upon ballet, a mentally ill grandmother, and the strike that is greatly affecting his family, Billy Elliot tries to search for some hope through his dancing. He greatly misses his mother, and it is such a delight to watch Jamie Bell dance on screen. He acts almost like an adult, it is quite funny. It is also interesting to note that gayness is displayed positively. Music goes great with the movie, fun to watch.

In the tradition of lightweight British fare such as The Full Monty, Stephen Daldry's Billy Elliott uses whimsy, comedy and a touch of social realism to present a feel-good story about a young boy who loves ballet and wishes to pursue his passion without disappointing his family. Set in Thatcher's England, at a time when striking workers were so vehement that crossing Scab workers were in serious danger, Billy Elliott presents a working-class family's struggles, particularly those of the 11 year-old boy whose name provides the title. Billy begins as working as a young amateur boxer, but he soon finds that he is more drawn to ballet dancing than anything. Predictably, his rather close-minded father can not comprehend this idea and strongly discourages it. The strength of Billy Elliott is that, despite some of the rather familiar character types, the movie never spills over into using caricatures to tell its story. The supporting performers seem alive and multi-dimensional, particularly Gary Lewis as Billy's father. Julie Walters is also solid as Billy's ballet instructor, and young Jamie Bell has some raw energy in the lead role (although he sometimes borders on annoying overacting). Less successful is Billy Elliott's attempt to provide us with an understanding of the coal mining situation. While the politics of this subplot are admirable, many of the scenes are unnecessary, and the actions of Billy's father relating to this plotline border on unbelievable. Billy Elliott never comes close to being as enjoyable as The Full Monty, but it still manages to be a passable feel-good movie with quite memorable characters.

(BASIC)

...so i just finished Billy Elliot and was completely entranced by it...such an amazing film...i'm really too tired to critique it in any way, so i'll just say this: if you haven't seen it, rent it now....its well worth it...

....RENT was amazing...i went on thursday with my two good friends, and altho it was snowing heavily we did make the hour trip (which actually ended up taking over 2 hours due to the weather) through the snow and sleet and made it on time to see it (and have dinner before-hand)....altho i felt that the first time i saw it the cast did a better job, it was still amazing....i do see now, tho, how some say it is dated...the AIDS issue, of course, is the main one, but that doesn't make it any less magnificent....

Another day, another movie about someone who discovers his special talent.
It would actually be easy to call this the ballet version of Rocky, but it's more than that.
Because of the inclusion of the coal miner's strike in the 80's, Billy Elliot feels a lot more realistic, and therefore the often predictable scenes work.
Fine acting all around, especially by Bell and Lewis. Both share some powerful scenes.

8.4/10

Where: DVD

one line review: One of those movies that appeals to everyone.

This is a good movie that I would have enjoyed much more if I hadn't waited so long to see it and been subjected to so much hype. It reminded me of 'Waking Ned Devine' and 'Seducing Doctor Lewis', although with less emphasis on humour, and more on drama.

It's one of those classic tales of a boy who faces adversity and overcomes. He comes from a miner's town where the miner's have all been on strike for some time. He is following his father's and grandfather's footsteps and practicing boxing as a hobby, but he's horrible at it. Instead he is drawn to the nearby ballet class.

It's pretty predictable, and that was the only flaw I found with it. The acting, plot, story, background and directing were quite good... it was just so, well, it's exactly what you would expect from this film. He doesn't face any truly horrible adversity, there weren't any dark undertones. Just a boy who is "different" growing up in a society that is intollerant of him. Standard fare.

Still, it's well done. I just didn't feel like it stood out. I still recommend it. I have it on good authority that the ballet parts are quite good, and anyone who has studied ballet will get a lot more out of it.

sooo... This is like Molly's favorite movie of all time. I thought it was good. It hasn't changed my life (like some people I know), but it was very much worth seeing.

"Billy Elliot" is a great, touching movie full with grittiness and passion. As a kid, Billy became interested in ballet despite of his family's opposition. Having lost his mother at young age, he managed to live his life with his father, older brother and grandma. Instead of taking boxing lessons, he sneaks to the ballet room and devote his time in learning ballet. And with the help of his great teacher and his arduous effort to learn, he got recommendation to go to a prominent ballet school in London and luckily, he got accepted. Sure, his moving at the age of 11 is painful but in the end, he earned his family's respect and support for him. Above all he became a proffesional ballet.

As a movie, its full of emotion and laughters and it never ceases to amaze through the casts's unconventional and convincing acting. The script is full of wit and they blended the tint of sentimentality impeccably. In, the end, all you could fill is awe and wonder.

--Well luckily for me i found this great movie to put in my most favorate list.

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