More than just a feel-good movie

Rating: 9/10 (25 November 2000)

At first glance Billy Elliot might seem like just the latest feel-good drama...but it is so much more this time. On the surface it is about a family trapped by poverty in a small mining town. It is from this "hell" that Billy is able to ultimately escape, unlike his father, brother or nana.
But looking deeper, this excellent film is about freedom of expression. Stephan Daldry marvelously juxtaposes Billy's ballet training against the fighting union members toward the scabs. It is about standing up for what you believe and expressing it in the only way you know how, which climaxes when Billy dances in front of his father in defiance...just as his father stands up against the scabs. I also thought they did a fine job of breaking down stereotypes. This is done through Billy's relationship with his friend Michael. The film makes it clear that a boy interested in dancing is not destined to be gay and that "manly" activities are nothing more than traditional and dead weight for people who fear change. In the end they all escape from the poor mining town: Billy literally; the rest of his family emotionally.
I'm sure we will see more of Jamie Bell (Billy), not because of his well-done dancing but because of the energy and pathos he brings to the role. This one isn't just another feel-good movie; rather it speaks to us about where we should be headed as a society.