Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 49 wins and 54 nominations
Yorkshire, during the endless, violent 1984 strike against the Thatcher closure of British coal mines. Widower Jackie Elliot and his firstborn, fellow miner Tony, take a dim view of 11 year-old second son Billy's poor record in boxing class, which worsens when they discover he sneakily transferred to the neighboring, otherwise girls-only-attended ballet class. Only one schoolmate, closet-gay Michael Caffrey, encourages Billy's desire, aroused by the teacher, who judged him talented enough for private lesson, to train and try out for the world-renowned Royal Ballet audition. Only the prospect of a fancy career unimagined in the pauper quarter may twist pa and big brother's opposition to indispensable support.
Taglines:
Inside every one of us is a special talent waiting to come out. The trick is finding it.
Runtime:
110 min
Billy Elliot Movie Soundtrack
Children Of The Revolution - T-Rex
Cosmic Dancer - T-Rex
Get It On - T-Rex
I Love To Boogie - T-Rex
Ride A White Swan - T-Rex
London Calling - The Clash
A Child Is Born - Douglas Corbin
I Believe - Stephen Gately
Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails
Town Called Malice - Paul Weller
Burning Up - Eagle Eye Cherry
Scène - Swan Lake, Op.20
Jingle Bells - James Lord Pierpont
Billy Elliot (2000) Trivia
Jamie Bell took ballet and other dance classes while in secondary school, which caused him to often be ridiculed by his peers. He used some of these experiences as inspiration while playing Billy Elliot.In the final scene, the ballet in which Billy performs is Mathew Bourne's version of "Swan Lake" where all the Swans are played by men. Billy plays the part of the Swan, the same part he discusses with Mrs Wilkinson earlier in the film.
One of the great qualms of the entire film was whether Mrs. Wilkinson should be there in the final scene, where the older Billy Elliot performs Swan Lake. Eventually, it came down to the fact that 'Julie Walters' wasn't available for filming.
Billy Elliot's original title was 'Dancer', but when they took the film to the Cannes Film Festival, there was another film called Dancer in the Dark (2000), which won the Palmes D'Or, prompting confusion; indeed, Universal Studios called the directors, producers and writer up and congratulated them. They then realized they had to change the name and settled ('rather lamely', joked the writer) on 'Billy Elliot'.
The musical version of the film, which hit the West End in 2005 to rave reviews and numerous awards and nominations, reportedly cost £5.5 million to make: around £3 million more than the film version. Furthermore, the Broadway production cost $18 million to make, over three times as much as the original film's budget. All three were a financial success.
Jamie Bell is the only one of the four principals to actually come from the area where the film is set.
Jamie Bell was going through puberty at the time of filming. Some of his dialog 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.
![Billy Elliot [Quiero Bailar]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGOXJzHr4rzZl1jjGOX7phiEtB3j3Eo2DFjaNCxRoSgyh3sMdnQfgFKl0b2JhNS5tD_iX2Tw40L8_p8qAue6R5zzGiS3ArmYQSIUdBMdEfFMRxJdGqcHCgOHzpyDsIvYWtsH63DjtwzA/s400/billyel2.jpg)
Goofs forBilly Elliot (Quiero bailar)
- Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Billy's brother listens to music in his room (at 00:42:07) 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.
- Continuity: When Jackie is inside the bus leading to the mine, an egg hits his window (at 01:14:40), but when the bus is viewed from outside, the window is clean (01:14:44).
- Continuity: When Billy visits Debbie at her house, he has his school bag with him (at 00:29:37), but he doesn't have it any more when he is driven home (00:35:35).
- Continuity: The punch-bag in the dimly lit shot of the gymnasium when Mrs Wilkinson is talking to Billy is moving in one shot (at 00:39:15), then stationary in the next (00:39:21), then moving again (00:40:20).
- Continuity: When Billy goes to visit his mother's grave, her gravestone describes her as "wife of Peter" (at 00:13:31). However, later in the film, Billy's dad is referred to as Jackie (at 00:22:51, 00:68:59 and 00:73:49).
- Continuity: Right after Mrs. Wilkinson slaps Billy on the face, at the locker room, we see her from behind with her hands on her face (at 00:47:33 with fingers as if praying). In the next shot, her hands are in a totally different position (at 00:47:34 with clasped hands on her face).
- Continuity: When Jackie is on the bus taking him back to the mines, the strikers pull the protective cage off the window of the right side of the bus. Moments later when the bus pulls into the coal yard, all the windows on the right of the bus have the protective caging.
Memorable quotes forBilly Elliot (Quiero bailar)
Dad: Listen, have you noticed anything weird about our Billy lately?
Tony: What are you after like, a list?
Mrs. Wilkinson: Right, Mr. Braithwaite, "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow".
[to herself]
Mrs. Wilkinson: Fat chance!
Billy: So what about your mother? Does she have sex?
Debbie: No, she's unfulfilled. That's why she dances.
Billy: She dances instead of sex? Your family's weird!
Billy: I don't want a childhood. I want to be a ballet dancer.
Billy: Miss, you don't fancy me do, do you?
Mrs. Wilkinson: No, Billy. Funnily enough, I don't. Now piss off!
Billy: [smiling] Piss off yourself
Debbie: If you want, I'll show you me fanny.
Billy: Nah, I'm all right.
Mr. Braithwaite: You look like a right wanker to me, son.
Mrs. Wilkinson: This'll sound strange, Billy, but for some time now I've been thinkin' of the Royal Ballet School.
Billy: Aren't you a bit old, miss?
Mrs. Wilkinson: No, not me... you! I'm the bloody teacher!
Billy: So, what's it like, like?
Dad: What's what like?
Billy: London.
Dad: I don't know, son. I never made it past Durham.
Billy: Have you never been?
Dad: Why would I want to go to London?
Billy: It's the capital city!
Dad: Well, there are no mines in London.
Billy: Jesus Christ, is that all you think about?
Michael: Oi, dancing boy!
[Billy runs to Michael]
Dad: We'll miss the bus, Billy!
Tony: Will you stop being an old fucking woman?
Gary Poulson: What are you deeing man? This is hand to hand combat not a bloody tea dance!
Billy: I think I'm scared, Dad.
Dad: That's okay, son. We're all scared.
Billy: Well... if I don't like it, can I still come back?
Dad: Are you kidding? We've let out your room.
[straight face then laughter]
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.
Mrs. Wilkinson: She must've been a very special woman, your mother.
Billy: No she was just me mam.
NCB Official: Can you tell us why you first became interested in ballet?
Billy: Don't know.
[pauses]
Billy: Just was.
NCB Official: Well was there any particular aspect of the ballet which caught your imagination?
Billy: The dancin'.
Source: IMDb.com
