Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot is a 2000 movie starring Jamie Bell[?] as 11 year old Billy, an aspiring dancer, Gary Lewis[?] as his coal miner father, Jamie Draven[?] as Billy's older brother, and Julie Walters as his dance instructor.

Billys mother had died when Billy was younger, and his father, an admirer of real life world boxing champion Ken Buchanan, had dreams that Billy could help the family out of their economical situation by becoming a boxer. Billy, however, was more interested in music, a passion he inherited from his late mother, an he sometimes would play her piano when he felt he needed her by his side.

Billy is taken to the boxing gym by his father, but he finds out that he doesn't really like the idea of being a boxer once he steps into the ring for the first time. One day, he discovers that part of the boxing gym is used by a ballet school. He seeks for the dance instructor's help and secretly starts taking ballet class.

The plot is set against the backdrop of the 1984 miners' strike. When the Durham miners, including Billy's father and brother, go on strike, their economical situation grows worse. The family and their small town in general suffer many confrontations with the police, and Billy discovers that his best friend, Michael, is a gay cross-dresser when he confesses his orientation to Billy.

As a consequence of the riots, Billy has to miss several days of dancing school, and his teacher, not knowing that Billy kept the classes secret from his family, goes to his house and tells his father that he had missed an important audition for the Royal Ballet School[?]. Upon finding out about Billy taking ballet class, Billys father and brother become enraged and start expressing some views that could be interpreted as both machista[?] and homophobic. But Billy proves to be determined and keeps on dancing on every chance he gets.

Although Billys own sexual orientation is never defined in the movie, there is a scene where he is kissed on the lips by his best friend.

Having seen Billy dance for the first time, his father realises that dancing might be his son's future, and he decides to take him to an audition in London himself. Billy has never been far from his home town, and he and his father are awestruck by the size of London. Billy starts a fight with a boy from a rich background, but is accepted by the ballet school on the strength of his commitment to dancing.

The movie concludes with a scene that takes place in the future, where his father and brother are sitting at the ballet concert waiting for Billys performance to begin. They find themselves sitting next to a "lady", but they can't recognize her. It turned out to be Michael, who is there with his boyfriend and dressed as a woman, to see Billy perform in Swan Lake[?]. The film ends as he takes the stage.

Many have suggested that this movie is another attempt to try to help people see others with different views as equal.