KidNews doesn’t typically report on R-rated movies. But every now and then one comes along that we think has a lot to offer despite the R rating. In such a case, we think it’s a good idea to give you and your parents some idea what you’ll be getting into if they decide to take you to see it.
That’s the deal with “Billy Elliot,” which opened Friday. It’s the story of an 11-year-old boy growing up poor in northern England who trades in his boxing gloves for ballet slippers. His dad, a coal miner on strike, gives Billy money to box, but Billy isn’t very good or very interested. But when he stumbles upon a dance class, he’s intrigued — and when the teacher takes him in and encourages him to dance, he soars.
Pretty compelling story, isn’t it? And according to Tribune movie writer Mark Caro, it works. He writes: “Such crowd-pleasing tales are deceptively tough to make; most filmmakers wind up pushing predictable buttons to elicit predictable audience reactions.” But this movie, Caro writes, powerfully shows the boy overcoming rough circumstances. He adds: “It’s enough to inspire you to go home and jump on your bed.”
Caro also calls “Billy Elliot” “a triumph that deserves a broad audience.” So what’s with the R rating? It’s not for sexual content or violence — it’s because there’s bad language (a lot of it, some viewers say). So if you’re jumping to see this flick, fill the folks in on the facts and let them decide.
— For Mark Caro’s entire review of “Billy Elliot,” go to www.metromix.com.
