British cinema once again has a lesson for Hollywood.

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2001)

I always enjoy reading the comments other folks leave for movies like this one. Usually, I'm left pondering whether the odd dismissive comments that demonstrate their author's ignorance are amusing or tragic. "This is a movie about a boy who wants to dance, and his father doesn't want him to." Really? And Casablanca is about a night club, The Maltese Falcon was about a bird, and Rosebud was a sled. Have we really numbed our minds to such a sorry state?
Billy Elliott is about how even the most improbable dreams can flourish, and even in a world where not even survival can be taken for granted. It affirms the power of the human spirit and explores the generational chasms that can exist within families, and forces us to confront stereotypes of working class values, frustrated aspirations, and even homophobia. Through it all, Billy Elliott is an uplifting story of the triumph of a young boy's will over staggering obstacles. It is an exquisite delicacy in a heap of fodder, and if you've spoiled your appetite by gorging on garbage then shame on you.
Julie Walters was my pick for Best Supporting Actress, but Americans don't like actors, they like stars. Jamie Bell's performance was far better than that of Haley Joel Osment, nothing against Haley, who was magnificent, but since the good parts weren't all underlined for us, most Americans will miss the rich lodes of gold in a film like Billy, preferring to pan for nuggets in a torrent of trash.
The soundtrack was brilliant, and there are some dance scenes that are overflowing with complex and beautiful symbolism. There's also fun, pathos, despair and hope. And above all, there is the glorious ascent of the human spirit. British cinema once again has a lesson for Hollywood.