live with a homophobic father

Rating: 7/10 (4 November 2016)

Billy Elliot is about a fairly ordinary boy, his authoritarian homophobic father, a loutish brother, and a down at the heels dance instructor. I expected Billy to be effeminate, maybe even camp. However, he is a played by an ordinary sassy 11-year old who likes to move, to dance, and to do ballet.
It is heartbreaking watching the poor kid trying deal with his adamant father.
The father comes around almost instantly on seeing Billy dance. This left me reeling.
The movie leaves out all of Billy's formal education and early professional career.
By the end Dad is proud of his son, even if he dances, dances ballet, is gay and belongs to a travesty ballet company. This just seems a little too "happy ever after" at the cost of realism.