Julie Walters and Gary Lewis

Rating: 6/10 (19 July 2014)

It's Durham Coalfield, North East England 1984. There is a violent strike against Thatcher and the scabs working the coal mines. Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) lives with widower father Jackie (Gary Lewis) and older brother Tony. Both of them are former miners who would take a dim view of Billy's love of dance. His Grandma is losing her mind. Instead of boxing, he starts going to Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters)'s all girls ballet class.
Director Stephen Daldry is trying too hard to cute this one up. Billy doesn't have to dance in the boxing ring. He just has to be pathetic. Jamie Bell is a good little actor but he looks too angry to be funny. His jumping around is quirky but not hilarious. He's better to be quietly hiding instead of confronting his father. I wouldn't call this feel-good. It's Julie Walters and Gary Lewis who elevates the material. They're are a couple of veteran actors who bring substance to this fanciful tale.