Jamie Bell came from nowhere and danced his way to box office glory in Brit musical Billy Elliot (2000). His real-life success draws parallels with the story of his on-screen alter ego, a humble northern lad who beats the odds to win a place at the Royal Ballet School. But the film also announced the arrival of director Stephen Daldry. He made his feature debut with this "engrossing, funny," and "very uplifting" tale that went on to bag a few BAFTAs and a clutch of Oscar nominations too.
Frills And Spills
With a stage version of Billy Elliot having just opened in London, this seems an opportune time to release a Special Edition DVD. In fact this two-disc package contains more insight into the making of the musical than it does the film. In 'The Movie' section, Breaking Free finds Daldry et al spend the bulk of 20 minutes outlining the plot with just a quick word on the casting of Jamie Bell before a jarring cut to the London premiere. In contrast the musical is dealt with in two very comprehensive featurettes.
The Real Billy Elliot Diaries traces the story of three boys and how they came to be cast in the stage show. Meanwhile From Screen To Stage focuses on the process of adaptation that began when Elton John first saw the film in Cannes and pitched the idea to Daldry. He compares the dynamic between Billy and his dad with the relationship he had with his own father, admitting that, "I had to be helped sobbing from my seat when it ended!" Daldry is also on hand to explain why the stage version is in many ways more complete than the movie.
En Pointe
Daldry fills in some of those gaps with over 30 minutes of deleted footage for which he also provides commentary. "The biggest sacrifice we made to time and length was the character of Tony [Jamie Draven]," says the director. "In these deleted scenes he has much more depth and sympathy." Of course Tony is Billy's macho older brother who is indeed more likeable as he's seen hauling Billy in tow on a night-time coal raid and to spy on a girl he fancies. In a section of extended scenes, you'll also find a subplot involving Billy's grandmother (Jean Heywood) who causes all sorts of strife when she goes walkabout.
Elsewhere there's a showcase of nine musical sequences from the movie. In an optional commentary, Daldry explains why he chose such ditties as T: Rex's I Love To Boogie and The Jam's Town Called Malice.
Altogether this package of extras is interesting as far as it goes, but there's very little behind-the-scenes access. Matters as fundamental as choreography and the choice to set the story against the miner's strike in 80s Newcastle are dealt with only fleetingly. It'll keep your toe tapping, otherwise this Special Edition DVD isn't worth making too much noise about.
EXTRA FEATURES
