Sentimental and Manipulative

Rating: 7/10 (5 December 2009)

Against the wishes of his tough father, an 11-year old boy in an English mining town dreams of being a ballet dancer. There are fine performances from Walters as the local ballet teacher and Lewis as the father who thinks his son is a sissy. Bell does well as the little boy with happy feet. Daldry displays a visual elegance, but does not always succeed in balancing the parallel stories of Billy and the coal miner's strike. Ultimately the film becomes too sentimental and manipulative, grabbing every opportunity to tug at the viewer's heartstrings. It also advances the stereotype of male ballet dancers being gay. It's well made for what it is, but what is is sappy and predictable.