Billy Elliot

A skinny but scrappy 11-year-old boy from a haggard blue-collar English town discovers a talent for ballet and has to fight convention and his ill-tempered, roughneck father in order to pursue his new passion in this ruddy comedy that isn't as sappy and contrived as it sounds. Outstanding newcomer Jamie Bell--a dancer since he was 6--plays to perfection Billy's childhood charm, his angry toughness and his great love for dance (which isn't an art to Billy, but rather something to be conquered). Set against the backdrop of the 1984 coal miner's strike, Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry's camera captures the town's bleak tension while maintaining a mirthful, incidental sense of humor, turning Billy's dancing into an expression of his personality with perfectly-integrated dance scenes (not production numbers) that serve the story as naturally as dialogue. Also landing nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Julie Walters as Billy's mom), Billy Elliot is a feel-good film that is warmly recommended. (R. Blackwelder)