Billy Elliot Movie Trailer

The film is set during the 1984–1985 UK miners' strike, and centres on the character of 11-year-old Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell), his love of dance and his hope to become a professional ballet dancer. Billy lives with his widowed father, Jackie (Gary Lewis), and older brother, Tony (Jamie Draven), both coal miners out on strike, and also his invalid Nan (Jean Heywood), who once aspired to be a professional dancer in Durham. Jackie takes Billy to the Sports Centre to learn boxing, but Billy dislikes the sport. He happens upon a ballet class that is using the gym while their usual basement studio in the Sports Centre is temporarily being used as a soup kitchen for the striking miners. Unknown to Jackie, Billy joins the ballet class. When Jackie discovers this, he forbids Billy to take any more ballet. But, passionate about dancing, Billy secretly continues lessons with his dance teacher Sandra Wilkinson's (Julie Walters) help. Mrs. Wilkinson believes Billy is talented enough to study at the Royal Ballet School in London, but due to Tony's arrest during a skirmish between police and striking miners, Billy misses the audition. Mrs. Wilkinson tells Jackie about the missed opportunity, but fearing that Billy will be considered a "poof", both Jackie and Tony are outraged at the prospect of Billy becoming a professional ballet dancer. Over Christmas, Billy learns his best friend, Michael, is gay.Billy Elliot Movie Trailer