Billy Elliot

This article is about the film. For the musical, see Billy Elliot the Musical. For other uses, see Billy Elliot (disambiguation).

Billy Elliot
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Stephen Daldry
Produced by	Greg Brenman Jon Finn
Written by	Lee Hall
Starring	Jamie Bell Julie Walters Gary Lewis Jamie Draven
Music by	Stephen Warbeck
Cinematography	Brian Tufano
Editing by	John Wilson
Studio	BBC Films Tiger Aspect Pictures StudioCanal WT2 Productions
Distributed by	Universal Focus
Release date(s)	September 29, 2000 (2000-09-29)
Running time	110 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£3 million ($5 million)
Box office	£72,853,509 ($109,280,263)

Billy Elliot is a 2000 British drama film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry. Set in northern England during the 1984-5 coal miners' strike, it stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, an aspiring dancer dealing with the negative stereotype of the male ballet dancer; Gary Lewis as his coal miner father; Jamie Draven as Billy's older brother, and Julie Walters as his ballet teacher.

In 2001, author Melvin Burgess was commissioned to write the novelisation of the film based on Lee Hall's screenplay. The story was adapted for the West End stage as Billy Elliot the Musical in 2005; it opened in Australia in 2007 and on Broadway in 2008.

When the film was released in the United States, the Motion Picture Association of America gave it an R rating due to language. When released on video, it was re-cut to a PG-13 rating for "some thematic elements"; this version edited out many uses of profanity.

Plot

The film is set in fictional Everington during the 1984–1985 UK miners' strike, and centres on the character of 11-year-old Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell), his love of dance and his hope to become a professional ballet dancer. Billy lives with his widowed father, Jackie (Gary Lewis), and older brother, Tony (Jamie Draven), both coal miners out on strike, and also his invalid Nan (Jean Heywood), who once aspired to be a professional dancer in Durham.

Jackie takes Billy to the Sports Centre to learn boxing, but Billy dislikes the sport. He happens upon a ballet class that is using the gym while their usual basement studio in the Sports Centre is temporarily being used as a soup kitchen for the striking miners. Unknown to Jackie, Billy joins the ballet class. When Jackie discovers this, he forbids Billy to take any more ballet. But, passionate about dancing, Billy secretly continues lessons with his dance teacher Sandra Wilkinson's (Julie Walters) help.

Mrs. Wilkinson believes Billy is talented enough to study at the Royal Ballet School in London, but due to Tony's arrest during a skirmish between police and striking miners, Billy misses the audition. Mrs. Wilkinson tells Jackie about the missed opportunity, but fearing that Billy will be considered a "poof", both Jackie and Tony are outraged at the prospect of Billy becoming a professional ballet dancer.

Over Christmas, Billy learns his best friend, Michael, is gay. Although Billy is not, he is supportive of his friend. Later, Jackie catches Billy dancing in the gym and realises his son is truly gifted; he will do whatever it takes to help Billy attain his dream. Jackie attempts to cross the picket line to pay for the trip to London, but Tony blocks him. Instead, his fellow miners and the neighbourhood raise some money and Jackie sells Billy's Mam's jewelry to cover the cost and Jackie takes him to London to audition for the Royal Ballet School. Though highly nervous, Billy performs well, but he punches another boy in his frustration at the audition and the fear that he has ruined his chance of attaining his dream. He is sternly rebuked by the review board. Seemingly rejected, Billy returns home with his father. Sometime later, he receives a letter accepting him to the Royal Ballet School, and he leaves home to attend.

The film's final scene is set fourteen years later (approximately 1999): the mature Billy (dancer/actor Adam Cooper) takes the stage to perform the lead in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, as Jackie, Tony, and Michael watch in the audience.

Cast

• Jamie Bell as Billy Elliot
• Julie Walters as Sandra Wilkinson
• Gary Lewis as Jackie Elliot
• Jamie Draven as Tony Elliot
• Jean Heywood as Grandma
• Stuart Wells as Michael Caffrey
• Nicola Blackwell as Debbie Wilkinson
• Colin Maclachlan as Tom Wilkinson
• Billy Fane as Mr. Braithwaite
• Janine Birkett as Jenny Elliot
• Adam Cooper as Billy Elliot, age 25
• Merryn Owen as Michael Caffrey, age 25
• Stephen Mangan as Dr. Crane

Production

Just short of the patch of grass where Alnwick Street once stood. The street in view is Avon Street.

Street scenes were filmed in Easington, County Durham, a former mining village. Alnwick Street, on which the Elliot family lived, was one of several streets demolished in 2003 after becoming derelict. A green space now stands in its place. The faded-white brick wall of Wright's Prize Bingo, on Ashton Street, is still in situ. While the working men's club (Dawdon Miners' Welfare Hall) was filmed locally, the youth centre where Billy attends dance practices was filmed at Hanwell Community Centre in London.

As Easington Colliery closed in 1993, the mining scenes were filmed at the Ellington and Lynemouth colliery in Northumberland, with some filming in Dawdon and Newcastle upon Tyne. The producers used over 400 Easington people as extras. School scenes were filmed in Langley Park Primary School County Durham.

Awards and nominations

2000 British Independent Film Awards

• Best British Independent Film (Won)
• Best Director – Stephen Daldry (Won)
• Best Newcomer – Jamie Bell (Won)
• Best Actress – Julie Walters (Nomination)
• Best Screenplay (Won)

2001 Academy Awards

• Best Director – Stephen Daldry (Nomination)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Julie Walters (Nomination)
• Best Original Screenplay – Lee Hall (Nomination)

2001 British Academy of Film and Television Arts

• Best British Film (Nominated)
• Best Actor in a Leading Role – Jamie Bell (Won)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Julie Walters (Won)

2001 Golden Globe Awards

• Best Motion Picture – Drama (Nomination)
• Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture – Julie Walters (Nomination)

2001 Young Artist Awards

• Best International Family Film (Won)
• Best Young Actor in an International Film – Jamie Bell (Won)

Other awards

• Amanda Awards, Norway – Best Foreign Feature Film (Won)
• American Cinema Editors – Best Edited Dramatic Feature Film (Nomination)
• Angel Awards – Best Feature Film (Nomination)
• Art Directors Guild – Feature Film (Nomination)
• Australian Film Institute – Best Foreign Film (Nomination)
• London Critics Circle Film Awards – British Actress of the Year, Julie Walters (Won)
• Propeller of Motovun, Croatia (Won)

In 2004, the magazine Total Film named Billy Elliot the 39th greatest British film of all time.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released on March 11, 2002, and includes several well-known rock and punk songs. The soundtrack also contains pieces of dialogue from the film.

1. "Cosmic Dancer" – T. Rex
2. "Boys Play Football"
3. "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" – T. Rex
4. "Mother's Letter"
5. "I Believe" – Stephen Gately
6. "Town Called Malice" – The Jam
7. "Sun Will Come Out"
8. "I Love to Boogie" – T. Rex
9. "Burning Up" – Eagle-Eye Cherry
10. "Royal Ballet School"
11. "London Calling" – The Clash
12. "Children of the Revolution" – T. Rex
13. "Audition Panel"
14. "Shout to the Top!" – The Style Council
15. "Walls Come Tumbling Down" – The Style Council
16. "Ride a White Swan" – T. Rex

See also

• Billy Elliot the Musical
• The Stars Look Down

External links

• Official website
• Billy Elliot at the Internet Movie Database
• Billy Elliot at AllRovi
• Billy Elliot at Box Office Mojo
• Billy Elliot at Rotten Tomatoes
• MusicalTalk podcast episode featuring a discussion on Billy Elliot
• Billy Ellioton on Centr-crm.ru- Russian web site