His elder son is seemingly heartbroken by seeing his father head on across the picket line to the mines, with other strike-breakers in an overly and brazenly sentimentalised moment in this dire political backdrop that really hits home.ĭaldry received top plaudits for his direction and he really approaches this gushed and emotive film with some resolute assurance without over-sentimentalising affairs, picking his spots seamlessly. You really have to understand the union miners of that time to really appreciate the difficult step he takes, breaking the strike to support his son. Billy’s dad sees him dance for the first time and is ostensibly blown away by his son’s talent and potential, so much so that he becomes a strike-breaker to pay for the audition. There are numerous political ramifications connected to the whole coal miners’ strike that I will not pretend to understand, but whatever it meant, it wasn’t more important that Billy’s dream as far as Jackie Elliot is concerned and things are really put in perspective for him. Mrs Wilkinson recognises his potential and tries to get him to audition for a Royal ballet school.īilly's dad, Jackie (Gary Lewis) and brother (Jamie Draven) are staunch supporter of the union strike and his brother and some other strikers get quite hostile with strike-breakers in the community, hurling insults and more as they make their way across the picket line. Inevitably, Billy’s dad finds out about his sons new hobby and forbids his son continue dancing any longer, but Billy’s passion for ballet has been building up and he persists and gets better. Still on the item of sexuality, Billy’s friend, Michael, is gay and a cross-dresser who also thinks Billy might also be gay, and is indeed attracted to him due to his newfound pass time. And at times we feel Billy himself questioned his own sexuality till probably a curious moment during a pillow fight with his friend, Debbie, reassures him that is new found hobby and his sexuality are not mutually exclusive. He has to keep his ballet interest secret, because his father and probably the community equate male dancers negatively with homosexuality.
On the other side of the gym, ballet lessons organised by Mrs Wilkinson (Julie Walters) catch young Billy’s eye and before long Billy switches boxing gloves for ballet slippers. The problem is, it is ballet he developed an interest in, something viewed as an art form for “puffs” or girls in this society and Daldry, here also addresses some issues about sexuality and identity in a cleared and subtle manner.īilly (Jamie Bell) attends 50 pence boxing lessons, which do not appear to be working because he is rubbish at the sport. Billy Elliot tells the simple story of a young boy who discovers in he has a talent for dance. Director Stephen Daldry uses the coal mining town of amidst the British miners’ strike of 1984 as the staging ground for this story filled with charm, boldness and most of all heart. DelaliBessa CriticI’ve never been one for sentiment, but Billy Elliot still gets me truly welled up each time I see it.
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