Billy Elliot
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| Billy Elliot | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Stephen Daldry |
| Produced by | Jonathan Finn |
| Written by | Lee Hall |
| Starring | Jamie Bell Julie Walters Gary Lewis Jamie Draven |
| Music by | Stephen Warbeck |
| Cinematography | Brian Tufano |
| Editing by | John Wilson |
| Distributed by | Universal Focus(USA) Working Title Films Studio Canal |
| Release date(s) | 13 October 2000 |
| Running time | 111 min. |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million |
| Gross revenue | $21,995,263 |
| Official website | |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Billy Elliot is a 2000 film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry. Set in the fictional town of 'Everington' in the real County Durham, UK, it stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, an aspiring dancer, Gary Lewis as his coal miner father, Jamie Draven as Billy's older brother, and Julie Walters as his dance instructor. In 2001, author Melvin Burgess was commissioned to write the novelisation of the film based on Lee Hall's screenplay. The story was adapted to the West End stage as Billy Elliot the Musical in 2005.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Billy (Jamie Bell) is a boy living in County Durham. His father, Jackie (Gary Lewis), and older brother, Tony (Jamie Draven), work during the UK miners' strike (1984–1985).
Billy's father is an admirer of real life world boxing champion Ken Buchanan, and hopes that Billy would become a champion boxer. Billy, however, is more interested in music, a passion he inherited from his late mother.
Billy is taken to the boxing gym by his father, but he finds out that he doesn't really like the sport, and has no real talent for it. Part of the boxing gym is used by a ballet class because their usual studio in the basement of the sports center is being used as a soup kitchen for the striking miners. He is drawn in by the dance instructor (Julie Walters), and with her help, secretly starts taking ballet class.
As a consequence of Billy's brother being arrested, he misses an important audition for the Royal Ballet School. His dance instructor goes to their house to tell his father about the missed opportunity. Billy's father and brother, being men of their times and fearing that Billy will be seen as a "poof", become outraged at the idea of him becoming a professional ballet dancer.
Once having seen Billy dance however, his father understands that ballet is Billy's passion and he takes him to an audition in London himself. Billy is accepted and moves to London on his own at age 11 to attend the school.
The movie concludes with a scene that takes place years later, where his father and brother see Billy dancing. The film ends as the older and more mature Billy (dancer/actor Adam Cooper) takes the stage to perform the lead in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake.
The film may have been inspired in part by A.J. Cronin's novel, The Stars Look Down, which similarly focuses on an English mining community in the midst of a strike, as well as on a miner's son who breaks away from tradition in forging his own path.[1]
[edit] Cast
- Jamie Bell as Billy Elliot
- Julie Walters as Mrs. Wilkinson
- Gary Lewis as Jackie Elliot
- Jamie Draven as Tony Elliot
- Jean Heywood as Grandma Elliot
- Janine Birkett as Mrs. Elliot
- Stuart Wells as Michael Caffrey
- Mike Elliot as George Watson
- Billy Fane as Mr. Braithwaite
- Nicola Blackwell as Debbie Wilkinson
- Colin MacLachlan as Mr. Tom Wilkinson
- Adam Cooper as Billy Elliot, age 25
- Merryn Owen as Michael Caffrey, age 25
[edit] Awards and nominations
The film was nominated and won awards worldwide including the following.
[edit] 2000
- Won - British Independent Film Awards, UK - Best British Independent Film
- Won - British Independent Film Awards, UK - Best Director - Stephen Daldry
- Won - British Independent Film Awards, UK - Best Newcomer - Jamie Bell
- Won - British Independent Film Awards, UK - Best Screenplay
- Nominated - British Independent Film Awards, UK - Best Actress - Julie Walters
- Won - Propeller of Motovun, Croatia
[edit] 2001
- Nominated - Academy Awards, USA - Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Julie Walters
- Nominated - Academy Awards, USA - Best Director - Stephen Daldry
- Nominated - Academy Awards, USA - Best Writing in a Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen - Lee Hall
- Won - Amanda Awards, Norway - Best Foreign Feature Film
- Nominated - American Cinema Editors, USA - Best Edited Dramatic Feature Film - John Wilson
- Nominated - Angel Awards, - Best Feature Film
- Nominated - Art Directors Guild, - Feature Film
- Nominated - Australian Film Institute, - Best Foreign Film Award
- Won - BAFTA Awards, - Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film
- Won - BAFTA Awards, - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Jamie Bell
- Won - BAFTA Awards, - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Julie Walters
- Won - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Actress of the Year - Julie Walters
In 2004, the magazine Total Film named Billy Elliot the 39th greatest British film of all time.
[edit] Soundtrack
The soundtrack includes several well-known rock and punk rock songs:
- "Cosmic Dancer" - T. Rex
- "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" - T. Rex
- "Town Called Malice" - The Jam
- "I Love to Boogie" - T. Rex
- "London Calling" - The Clash
- "Children of the Revolution" - T. Rex
- "Shout to the Top" - The Style Council
- "Walls Come Tumbling Down" - The Style Council
- "Ride a White Swan" - T. Rex
- "Burning Up" - Eagle Eye Cherry
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official site
- MusicalTalk podcast episode featuring a discussion on Billy Elliot
- Billy Elliot at the Internet Movie Database
- Billy Elliot at Allmovie
| Preceded by East is East |
Alexanda Korda Award for Best British Film 2000 |
Succeeded by Gosford Park |
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