Billy Elliot
2000
****
Director: Stephen Daldry
Cast: Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Jamie Draven, Gary Lewis, Jean Haywood, Stuart Wells, Nicola Blackwell, Colin Maclachlan, Mike Elliott, Billy Fane, Janine Birkett
Billy Elliot, an 11-year-old boy in a working-class English mining town, discovers a passion for ballet despite his father's disapproval. Billy's story is set against the backdrop of the 1984–1985 miners' strike. This charming feelgood film is simple and heartwarming, but perhaps a bit predictable. Jamie Bell is terrific in his breakthrogh performance. The story was later turned into a stage musical.
