What struck me the most about the film Billy Elliot was Billy’s perseverance and his determination to dance. This is because despite his family’s current economic situation and their moral views, he does not let it prevent him from pursing his passion for dancing. Billy and his family are of the middle class, and are going through very hard times due to the strike at the mines, which is where his father and older brother used to work. They were unable to make any money for a long period of time, which caused tension among the family members. Billy’s father and brother also do not accept the idea of Billy dancing. They believe that dancing is inappropriate for boys and should be left for girls. His father pushed Billy to take boxing classes at the local gym, but Billy ditched them in order to attend his ballet class. I thought that Billy’s perseverance and determination to dance showed how much it meant to him and how far he would go to be able to dance.
I can empathize with a few aspects of Billy’s situation because I too experienced somewhat similar circumstances as he did. I too was determined to pursue something that was against my parents’ wishes. I wanted to be able to row for a team, but my parents believed that it would be too time consuming and I would not be able to fully commit to it. Despite their initial opposition, they decided to give me a chance to row for one season. During that season, I got the chance to prove to them that even though it was a very time consuming sport, I was able to fully commit myself to crew.
I am also able to relate to Billy because he is a bit of an outsider among his family and community. This is because he wanted to pursue dancing, which was not a traditional pastime for boys. I sometimes feel like an outsider myself. When I am in school, or amongst large groups of people, I tend to keep to myself because I am shy by nature, and this leads people to believe that I am different. In reality, it is not that I am different, but rather that I am just misunderstood based on people’s initial perception. I am sure that if Billy’s father and brother had not judged him based on his hobbies, they too would understand and be more supportive of him.
I think that people need to put aside stereotypes and open their minds to different ways of thinking. This would lead to better relationships among families and friends. This would also create a more open minded and accepting society.