Billy Elliot
Rent & Buy
County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London.
What critics thought
Billy Elliot lands as a broadly well-liked crowd-pleaser, with strong ensemble performances and a feel-good story carried off with genuine warmth. The central debate among critics was whether the film's blend of kitchen-sink social realism and feel-good fantasy holds together, or whether the dance sequences tip into theatrical overreach that sits uneasily against the grittier material.
“This is a film with a lot of charm, a lot of humour and a lot of heart. Daldry's direction and the screenplay by Lee Hall distinguish themselves further in the discreet, intelligent way ... Billy Elliot has a freshness that makes it a pleasure to watch; it's a very emphatic success”
Peter Bradshaw·The Guardian
“It's a simple tale but one that is extremely well told and acted. Fittingly for a story about dance, it doesn't put a foot wrong and is engrossing, funny, very sad, very moving and very uplifting.”
William Gallagher·BBC
“Daldry overuses the dance as a metaphor for escape and frustration, and choreographer Peter Darling's grandstanding ballet numbers sit a little uneasily, given the realist comedy pitch”
Timeout
“odd, unsuccessful mix of theatrical whimsy and social realism”
Mark Holcomb·IndieWire
“patches of thinness and predictability”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
Accolades
Parents guide
- Violence
- mild
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- severe
- Substances
- mild
- Intensity
- mild
Genres
Drama, Music
Cast & Crew
Stephen DaldryDirector
Jamie BellBilly Elliot
Gary LewisJackie Elliot
Julie WaltersMrs Wilkinson
Jean HeywoodGrandma
Jamie DravenTony Elliot
Stuart WellsMichael Caffrey
Mike ElliotGeorge Watson
Joe RentonGary Poulson
Colin MacLachlanMr Tom Wilkinson
Stephen WarbeckComposer
Lee HallWriter
Brian TufanoCinematographyFrom the studio
Billy Elliot
County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London.
What critics thought
Billy Elliot lands as a broadly well-liked crowd-pleaser, with strong ensemble performances and a feel-good story carried off with genuine warmth. The central debate among critics was whether the film's blend of kitchen-sink social realism and feel-good fantasy holds together, or whether the dance sequences tip into theatrical overreach that sits uneasily against the grittier material.
“This is a film with a lot of charm, a lot of humour and a lot of heart. Daldry's direction and the screenplay by Lee Hall distinguish themselves further in the discreet, intelligent way ... Billy Elliot has a freshness that makes it a pleasure to watch; it's a very emphatic success”
Peter Bradshaw·The Guardian
“It's a simple tale but one that is extremely well told and acted. Fittingly for a story about dance, it doesn't put a foot wrong and is engrossing, funny, very sad, very moving and very uplifting.”
William Gallagher·BBC
“Daldry overuses the dance as a metaphor for escape and frustration, and choreographer Peter Darling's grandstanding ballet numbers sit a little uneasily, given the realist comedy pitch”
Timeout
“odd, unsuccessful mix of theatrical whimsy and social realism”
Mark Holcomb·IndieWire
“patches of thinness and predictability”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
Accolades
Parents guide
- Violence
- mild
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- severe
- Substances
- mild
- Intensity
- mild
Genres
Drama, Music
Cast & Crew
Stephen DaldryDirectorJamie BellBilly ElliotGary LewisJackie ElliotJulie WaltersMrs WilkinsonJean HeywoodGrandmaJamie DravenTony ElliotStuart WellsMichael CaffreyMike ElliotGeorge WatsonJoe RentonGary PoulsonColin MacLachlanMr Tom WilkinsonStephen WarbeckComposerLee HallWriterBrian TufanoCinematographyFrom the studio
Rent & Buy