Billy Elliot
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| Billy Elliot | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Stephen Daldry |
| Produced by | Charles Brand |
| Written by | Lee Hall |
| Starring | Jamie Bell Gary Lewis Jamie Draven Julie Walters |
| Music by | Wayne Hector Stephen Warbeck |
| Cinematography | Brian Tufano |
| Editing by | John Wilson |
| Distributed by | BBC films |
| Release date(s) | 3 October 2000 USA |
| Running time | 111 min |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide 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' (assumed to be Easington) in the real County Durham, 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.
- Tagline: Inside every one of us is a special talent waiting to come out. The trick is finding it.
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[edit] Plot
Billy's mother had died when Billy was younger, and his father, an admirer of real life world boxing champion Ken Buchanan, has dreams that Billy could help the family out of their economic situation by becoming a boxer. Billy, however, is more interested in music, a passion he inherited from his late mother, and he sometimes plays her piano when he feels he needs her by his side.
Billy is taken to the boxing gym by his father, but he finds out that he doesn't really like the idea of boxing once he steps into the ring for the first time. One day, he discovers that part of the boxing gym is used by a ballet school. He seeks the dance instructor's help and secretly starts taking ballet class.
The plot is set against the backdrop of the 1984 miners' strike. When the miners of County Durham, including Billy's father and brother, go on strike, their economic situation grows worse. The family and their small town in general suffer many confrontations with the police.
As a consequence of the riots, Billy has to miss several days of dancing school, and his teacher, not knowing that Billy kept the classes secret from his family, goes to his house and tells his father that he had missed an important audition for the Royal Ballet School. Upon finding out about Billy taking ballet class, Billy's father and brother become enraged and start expressing some views that could be interpreted as both machista and homophobic. But Billy proves to be determined and keeps on dancing with every chance he gets.
Having seen Billy dance for the first time, his father realizes that dancing might be his son's future, and he decides to take him to an audition in London himself. Billy has never been far from his home town, and he and his father are awestruck by the size of London. The school fees are paid for by selling as many valubles as the local community can find and Billy feels that the audition went badly; frustrated at these two facts Billy starts a fight with a boy from a rich background, but is still accepted by the ballet school because of the situation and the strength of his commitment to dancing.
The movie concludes with a scene that takes place in the present day, where his father and brother are sitting at the ballet concert waiting for Billy's performance to begin. They find themselves sitting next to Michael, Billy's childhood friend, who is there with his boyfriend to see Billy perform in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. The film ends as Billy takes the stage in a final leap.
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] 2000
- Won - Austin Film Festival, USA - Best Distributed Feature Film
- 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 - Castellinaria International Festival of Young Cinema - Stephen Daldry
- Won - Dinard British Film Festival, UK - Audience Award
- Won - Dinard British Film Festival, UK - Golden Hitchcock
- Won - Edinburgh International Film Festival, - Audience Award
- Nominated - European Film Awards, - Best Actor - Jamie Bell
- Nominated - European Film Awards, - Best Actress - Julie Walters
- Nominated - European Film Awards, - Best Film
- Won - Flanders International Film Festival, - Audience Award
- Won - Flanders International Film Festival, - FIPRESCI Prize Special Mention
- Won - Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, - Youth in Film - Jamie Bell
- Nominated - Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, - Best Picture
- Won - Molodist International Film Festival, - Best Full-Length Fiction Film
- Won - Molodist International Film Festival, - Best Young Actor Award - JAmie Bell
- Won - Motovun Film Festival, - Propeller of Motovun
- Won - National Board of Review, USA - Outstanding Young Actor - Jamie Bell
- Won - Norwegian International Film Festival, - Most Enjoyable Film
- Won - Oulu International Children's Film Festival, - Starboy Award
- Won - Stockholm Film Festival, - Audience Award
- Won - Stockholm Film Festival, - Best Directorial Debut
- Won - Stockholm Film Festival, - FIPRESCI Prize
- Nominated - Stockholm Film Festival, - Bronze Horse
- Won - São Paulo International Film Festival, - International Jury Award
- 3rd Place - Toronto International Film Festival, - People's Choice Award
- Won - Valladolid International Film Festival, - Best New Director
- Nominated - Valladolid International Film Festival, - Golden Spike
[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
- Nominated - BAFTA Awards, - Best Cinematography
- Nominated - BAFTA Awards, - Best Editing
- Nominated - BAFTA Awards, - Best Film
- Nominated - BAFTA Awards, - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
- Nominated - BAFTA Awards, - Best Original Screenplay
- Nominated - BAFTA Awards, - Best Sound
- Nominated - BAFTA Awards, - Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer
- Nominated - BAFTA Awards, - David Lean Award for Direction
- Nominated - BRIT Awards, - Best Soundtrack
- Won - Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, - Best Child Performance - Jamie Bell
- Nominated - Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards - Best Picture
- Nominated - Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, - Best Supporting Actress - Julie Walters
- Nominated - David di Donatello Awards, - Best Foreign Film
- Lost - Sony Ericsson Empire Awards, UK, - Best British Actress - Julie Walters
- Won - Sony Ericsson Empire Awards, UK, - Best British Film
- Won - Sony Ericsson Empire Awards, UK, - Best Debut - Jamie Bell
- Nominated - Sony Ericsson Empire Awards, - Best British Director
- Won - Evening Standard British Film Awards, - Best Actress - Julie Walters
- Lost - Evening Standard British Film Awards, - Most Promising Newcomer - Jamie Bell
- Won - Flaiano Film Festival, - Best Actor - Gary Lewis
- Lost - GLAAD Media Awards, - Outstanding Film
- Nominated - Golden Globes, USA - Best Motion Picture - Drama
- Nominated - Golden Globes, USA - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Julie Walters
- Won - Golden Trailer Awards, - Best Foreign
- Nominated - Golden Trailer Awards, - Best of Show
- Won - Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, - Best Director - Foreign Film
- Won - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Actress of the Year - Julie Walters
- Drew - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Director of the Year - Stephen Daldry
- Won - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Film of the Year
- Won - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Newcomer of the Year - Jamie Bell
- Won - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Producer of the Year
- Nominated - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Actor of the Year - Gary Lewis
- Nominated - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Newcomer of the Year - Stephen Daldry
- Nominated - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Newcomer of the Year - Lee Hall
- Nominated - London Critics Circle Film Awards, - British Screenwriter of the Year - Lee Hall
- Nominated - MTV Movie Awards, - Best Dance Sequence - Billy's first lesson.
- Nominated - Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA - Best Sound Editing - Foreign Feature
- Nominated - Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA - Best Sound Editing - Musical Feature
- Won - Nikkan Sports Film Awards - Best Foreign Film
- Won - Norwegian International Film Festival, - Best Foreign Film of the Year
- Nominated - Online Film Critics Society Awards - Best Cinematic Debut/Breakthrough - Jamie Bell
- Won - PGA Golden Laurel Awards, - Most Promising Producer in Theatrical Motion Pictures
- Nominated - PGA Golden Laurel Awards, - Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award
- Nominated - Satellite Awards, - Best Motion Picture, Drama
- Nominated - Satellite Awards, - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama - Jamie Bell
- Nominated - Satellite Awards, - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama - Julie Walters
- Nominated - Satellite Awards, - Best Original Screenplay - Lee Hall
- Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Awards, - Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Supporting Role - Julie Walters
- Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Awards, - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role - Jamie Bell
- Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Awards, - Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture
- Nominated - Writers Guild of America, USA - Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen - Lee Hall
- Won - Young Artist Awards - Best International Family Film
- Won - Young Artist Awards - Best Young Actor in an International Film - Jamie Bell
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
[edit] Trivia
- Worldwide, the film grossed near $110m.
- Set against the backdrop of the 1984-1985 miners' strike, filming for the movie took place in Seaham and Easington Colliery, both mining towns of the East Durham coalfield. However as a result of the strike, both towns had lost all of their coal mines by the early 1990s, so the crew had to travel to Ellington, in Northumberland, to find an operational pit to use for filming in 1999-2000.
