Post by Groundhog Phil on Sept 2, 2021 7:30:03 GMT
Written by Lee Hall and dirtected by Stephen Daldry is a masterclass classic in UK films, you must be living under a rock of you don't know this film. Chances are you've heard of the film or the theatre version.
Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) is a young boy living in County Durham, England with a desire and passion to learn ballet dispite everyone seemingly being against him doing it, and in a time of politcal and social upret. Set in the 1980's Billy lives with his father, older brother and grandma, a family still grieving over the loss of the wife/mother of them family with both father and brother working hard down the local coal mines with the threat of being laid of work. Billy, much against his will takes regular boxing lessons, but would rathewr be doping anything but, but to please his dad nevertheless goes along with it.
In real life during the 1980's, our UK goverment, then Margaret Thatchewr was trying to cloase down all the local coal mines as not being as profitable fuel source any more, and putting many hundreds of thousands of mine workers out of as job. This is the backdrop the film is set to, hard working families in the 1980's struggling as their potential livelyhood is to be taken away. Back to the film and when Billy skips boxing (Done in a same community hall as a bunch of girls learning ballet), he gets curious about doing the ballet. With some training needed, but obvious raw talent the teacher of the ballet (The superb Uk female comedian Julie Walters) encourages him and says he has enough raw talent that she's offering to teach him in private lessons. Enough to try and get into the Royal ballet school.
Despite keeping it hush, hush from his Father and Brother, Billy is also encouraged by best friend and closeted gay (Stuart Wells), Billy also starts to nice his friend dresing up in female clothes and having very obvious feelings for his best friend Billy. Peer pressure to toughen up (Boys play footbal not ballet etcetc), resentment from his father, Billy is deteremined to succeed.
This is a wonderfilm, not just about ballet, but growing up (He has a friend in the ballet class and she has a crush on Billy), family turmoil, the social scene/ecomics at the time as a backdrop, closet friends with feelings for him. Suceeding when everthing seems to be against him or hi m learning ballet, let along the family still getting over the loss of the wife mother. It is a feel good film with GREAT chemistry between the teacher (Walters) and Billy (Jamie Bell) with humor, emotion and an uplifting film with a great soundtrack. I also love how his friend Stuart's story is just fitted in there. You can't really call it a sub-plot as it doesn't go anywhere, but it doesn't feel shoe-horned in and feels very natural with a very understanding Billy realising his friend is a bit different and has feelings that run deep. It's really sweet.
If you still haven't seen it, please watch it as I watched it many years ago and still love it today, it is an uplifting film of class and family struggle, and all the things mentioned set to an 80's backdrop in a troubled time of social/economic times and is well worth your watch!
Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) is a young boy living in County Durham, England with a desire and passion to learn ballet dispite everyone seemingly being against him doing it, and in a time of politcal and social upret. Set in the 1980's Billy lives with his father, older brother and grandma, a family still grieving over the loss of the wife/mother of them family with both father and brother working hard down the local coal mines with the threat of being laid of work. Billy, much against his will takes regular boxing lessons, but would rathewr be doping anything but, but to please his dad nevertheless goes along with it.
In real life during the 1980's, our UK goverment, then Margaret Thatchewr was trying to cloase down all the local coal mines as not being as profitable fuel source any more, and putting many hundreds of thousands of mine workers out of as job. This is the backdrop the film is set to, hard working families in the 1980's struggling as their potential livelyhood is to be taken away. Back to the film and when Billy skips boxing (Done in a same community hall as a bunch of girls learning ballet), he gets curious about doing the ballet. With some training needed, but obvious raw talent the teacher of the ballet (The superb Uk female comedian Julie Walters) encourages him and says he has enough raw talent that she's offering to teach him in private lessons. Enough to try and get into the Royal ballet school.
Despite keeping it hush, hush from his Father and Brother, Billy is also encouraged by best friend and closeted gay (Stuart Wells), Billy also starts to nice his friend dresing up in female clothes and having very obvious feelings for his best friend Billy. Peer pressure to toughen up (Boys play footbal not ballet etcetc), resentment from his father, Billy is deteremined to succeed.
This is a wonderfilm, not just about ballet, but growing up (He has a friend in the ballet class and she has a crush on Billy), family turmoil, the social scene/ecomics at the time as a backdrop, closet friends with feelings for him. Suceeding when everthing seems to be against him or hi m learning ballet, let along the family still getting over the loss of the wife mother. It is a feel good film with GREAT chemistry between the teacher (Walters) and Billy (Jamie Bell) with humor, emotion and an uplifting film with a great soundtrack. I also love how his friend Stuart's story is just fitted in there. You can't really call it a sub-plot as it doesn't go anywhere, but it doesn't feel shoe-horned in and feels very natural with a very understanding Billy realising his friend is a bit different and has feelings that run deep. It's really sweet.
If you still haven't seen it, please watch it as I watched it many years ago and still love it today, it is an uplifting film of class and family struggle, and all the things mentioned set to an 80's backdrop in a troubled time of social/economic times and is well worth your watch!