This is one of my favourite films of all time. Just wanted to state that right off the bat, so you’ll know that I may be a bit biased in the opinions that follow. 🙂
The film is partly inspired by Royal Ballet dancer Philip Marsden, but is not a true story. It was released in 2000, after a long search to find the perfect boy to play Billy. They chose Jamie Bell, and he does a fantastic job. His performance as Billy is a big part of why the movie is so emotionally successful. I also love Gary Lewis as his dad. The relationship between Billy and his family, and particularly between Billy and his father is the real heart of the film, as far as I’m concerned. The scene where he gets on the bus at the end has me in tears every time!
The film struck a chord with audiences around the world, and with critics as well. It was nominated for 3 Oscars, including Best Screenplay, Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Julie Walters as Mrs. Wilkinson. It won a ton of other awards, including the BAFTA Awards for Best British film, and performance awards for Julie Walters and Jamie Bell.
If you haven’t seen the film yet, I can’t recommend it highly enough. I’ve shown it to tons of people who wouldn’t normally be interested in a “dance film”, but it’s so much more than that. There’s really something for everybody.