Inspirational but never maudlin, "Billy Elliot" practically soars with
unforgettable characters and compassionate storytelling. Working-class
11-year-old Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell), whose family and home life is
directly affected by the striking miner's demands for better pay,
discovers his passion for dance when he is at a boxing lesson (which he
hates) and stumbles upon a ballet class.Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters), a chain-smoking, tough old broad, becomes aware of Billy's talent during their many secret lessons together and encourages him to try out for the royal ballet school, but first Billy must fight the disapproval of his hard-headed, disciplinarian father (Gary Lewis) and the traditional English community.
All of "Billy Elliot"'s characters act and feel like real people, and instead of demonizing the people opposing Billy, the film sensitively portrays their point of view. Jamie Bell gives a great performance here as Billy, who will be the first to tell you that he's NOT a "poof," but the real stand-out is Gary Lewis as the dad, Jackie Elliot.
