It didn't totally meet my expectations, but it was worth seeing

Rating: 8/10 (24 April 2001)

The storyline worked for me although I was somewhat distracted by the less-than-stellar acting (except from Billy's dance instructor, who I thought did a great job). Nor could I accept the apparent change in relationships (father-son, brother-brother) that occurred near the end of the movie (could the settling of a bitter mining strike really re-engender such family love?). Also, I did not see the relevance of the minor homosexual sub-theme, which I felt was a distraction. But the soundtrack was good (well, the music was excellent - the northern English accent required some translation for me by my British-born wife). And I laughed a lot, sometimes almost to the point of tears, and that must be the ultimate test of a comedy.