Billy Elliot

2000
R
1h 50m

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

146K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,046

525

Joining forces with IMDb and the United Nations Refugee Agency, the longtime friends and former "Sex and the City" co-stars reunite to discuss their favorite uplifting dramas and gripping documentaries that inspire hope. They also raise awareness for refugees and other vulnerable communities who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. If you can help, please make a donation at Covid19ResponseFund.org.

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Watch Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon Share Their Films of Hope for Difficult Times

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Coming-of-Age Period Drama Showbiz Drama Drama Music

A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family.A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family.A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

146K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,046

525

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 55 wins & 71 nominations total

Videos1

Clip 8:09

Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon Share Their Films of Hope for Difficult Times

Photos140

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Jamie Bell was going through puberty at the time of filming. Some of his dialogue had to be post-synched as his voice had broken. And the opening scene in which he jumps up and down on a bed to T. Rex's "Cosmic Dancer" was shot over a lengthy period of time. For the latter takes, Bell had acquired hair on his legs and had to have them shaved.

Goofs
Billy's brother listens to music in his room (at around 42 mins) while wearing headphones but in cuts to the father and grandmother in other rooms in the house they hear the music as well. Some stereos allow the use of headphones and speakers together.

Quotes
Tutor 1: What does it feel like when you're dancing?
Billy: Don't know. Sorta feels good. Sorta stiff and that, but once I get going... then I like, forget everything. And... sorta disappear. Sorta disappear. Like I feel a change in my whole body. And I've got this fire in my body. I'm just there. Flyin' like a bird. Like electricity. Yeah, like electricity.

Alternate versions
An edited version was released in the USA rated PG-13 that tones down the language.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Remember the Titans/The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen/Under Suspicion (2000)

Soundtracks
Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails
Performed by Fred Astaire
Courtesy of Turner Entertainment Co.
Composed by Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin Music Corp.
By kind permission of Warner/Chapplel Music Limited

User reviews502

Review

Featured review

a pleasure from start to finish

With a seemingly run-of-the-mill storyline - that of an 11-year-old schoolboy wanting to be a ballet dancer - it is quite a feat to have made a movie as warm and entertaining as this.

Quite simply, this is the best British movie in years. All the characters are intriguing, and the acting is flawless, most notably from 14-year-old Jamie Bell whose acting is utterly convincing, filled with humour and insight beyond his years. He is also a fantastic dancer, and some of the dance sequences are reminiscent of the dance-filled musicals of the old black and white movies.

The backdrop of the historic miners' strike of the mid-1980s, it brings the story down to the earth and adds the necessary tension to make this film truly believable and a worthy story to tell.

I find it hard to see how anyone would not like this film. 9 and a half out of 10.