"Boys don't do ballet.  They do football or boxing." -- Gary Lewis, as "Dad", telling his son Billy what's wrong with ballet.

After several British films that use the "troubles" in Ireland as the backdrop for wonderful stories, comes this film that deals with a serious problem in Great Britain itself as a backdrop.  Billy Elliot is set in a mining town in Northern England, where the miners are on strike and have been for some time.  Against this backdrop a very touching tale is told.  It manages to make the audience laugh, and shed a tear or two, while driving home some powerful messages.

Newcomer Jamie Bell is the title character, an 11 year old boy who is growing up in a world where his father and brother are miners, are on strike and have been for some time.  He is supposed to go to the gym and take boxing lessons, like his father did before him, carrying his grandfather's boxing gloves with him.

Times are hard for lots of people, so the proprietor of the boxing club is sub-leasing space to a ballet class, taught by Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Waters).

Her charges are plieing and spinning away while the boys box in the ring.

One minute, Billy is in the ring, and a moment later, he's in line with the ballet students.

Billy not only likes the ballet, but shows an immediate aptitude for it.  Knowing that his father would object, Billy tries to hide his new passion, but when Dad finds out, that's that.  Only it isn't.  His teacher is convinced that Billy is good enough to be admitted to the Royal Ballet in London and will work to get him ready for the audition.

This movie works quite well.  It moves fast, touches on the stereotype of the male ballet dancer as gay and discards it quite nicely, while making a statement that being a "pouf" doesn't make one a bad person.  It also handles the transition of Billy's father from totally opposed to his son pursuing ballet as an avocation to becoming his biggest fan quite nicely and more important, realistically.  It isn't until he sees his son dance that he truly understands the depth of Billy's desire.

A sweet, wonderful film, not to be missed.