Billy Elliot

Released 2000
Stars Jamie Bell, Gary Lewis, Julie Walters, Jamie Draven, Jean Heywood, Stuart Wells, Nicola Blackwell
Directed by Stephen Daldry

Billy (Jamie Bell) is an 11-year-old who lives in a working-class English town. A strike at the local coal mine, where many of the residents work, has been dragging on for almost a year. Billy's rough-hewn father and hot-headed older brother are involved in the labor strife and don't pay much attention to the still-innocent boy, who misses his late mother terribly. His dad scrapes together just enough money for Billy to take boxing lessons, but when the leader of a ballet class is allowed to share the gymnasium, the boy finds himself drawn to the "sissy" activity instead. With the help of the no-nonsense teacher (played by the always-wonderful Julie Walters) Billy decides to switch from pugilism to ballet.

If I read that synopsis, I'd feel cocky about knowing exactly where the film is headed and how it's going to get there. I'd expect to see all the dramatic highlights in the preview trailer. The wonder of Billy Elliot is that it remains unpredictable from start to finish. It's not a cookie-cutter feel-good movie. It's a moving slice of working-class life with an irresistible hero at its core, and it knows how to make observations about love, work and pride without hitting us over the head.

Summary by Leonard Maltin