Characters

Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot is the main character in the film of the same name. Billy is an eleven-year-old boy from a small mining town in the north of England. He lives with his father Jackie, his older brother Tony, and his grandmother. His mother passed away when Billy was younger. Both Billy’s father and older brother work as miners, which is the job Billy is also expected to take up when he grows up. 

From the beginning of the film, Billy seems to enjoy music. He takes Tony’s records to listen to them (00:01:27), and he is seen playing on his mother’s piano (00:05:27). This hints at Billy’s connection to the arts, which later transforms into his interest in ballet dancing. Despite this, Billy feels the pressure to conform, which is seen by how he takes boxing lessons even though he does not enjoy them, simply because that is what the men in his family are expected to do (00:17:36).

Once he finds himself in the middle of the ballet class, Billy joins in and seems to enjoy dancing. It also appears that Billy possesses innate talent as a dancer, as Mrs. Wilkinson remarks arly (00:12:09). His ability to express himself through movement is natural, and as he receives further training, his skills flourish. 

Dancing becomes a form of emotional release for Billy, allowing him to channel his emotions and express himself in ways that words cannot. This is best seen in the scene after Mrs. Wilkinson confronts Billy’s family, and Billy starts dancing to get his frustration and anger out (01:03:23).

Billy shows great courage in pursuing his dreams, especially in the face of opposition from his family and societal norms. He faces considerable resistance, particularly from his father, who initially disapproves of his interest in ballet. Despite this, Billy continues to train and attend ballet classes, displaying resilience in the pursuit of his passion. Billy even becomes able to defend ballet in front of his father and to argue for his passion: “It’s not just poofs, dad. Some ballet dancers are as fit as athletes. What about Wayne Sleep? He was a ballet dancer.” (00:28:23). 

In this way, Billy also shows that he is a lot more open-minded than many in his community. This is also shown...