County Durham during the 1984 miners’ strike. Young Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) becomes fascinated with the ballet lessons which are being held in the same hall as his boxing class. The ballet teacher, Mrs Wilkinson (Julie Walters), recognises his potential and encourages him to join her class.
As his talent gradually reveals itself, it becomes clear that Billy should be attending the Royal Ballet School in London, but with his father’s (Gary Lewis) opposition and the extreme poverty which descends on the area during the strike, Billy’s future is far from certain.
A life-affirming story of self-actualisation, as well as an unflinching portrait of North East life in Thatcher’s England, this marvel of British cinema from director Stephen Daldry (The Hours) and screenwriter Lee Hall (Rocketman) – developed from his Live Theatre play Dancer – is an affectingly authentic underdog story and a vital reflection on the history of the region.