Chasing Dreams ("Billy Elliot" film review)

          “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This famous line is from the Chinese philosopher Confucius himself. This saying meant nothing to me before. But now, it made a lot of sense.

            There was also this Billy Elliot (portrayed by Jamie Bell) guy from the movie “Billy Elliot” who seemed to live his life according to this saying. He was the youngest among the family of miners. His father, Jackie Elliot (portrayed by Gary Lewis) and his brother, Tony Elliot (portrayed by Jamie Draven), both miners in UK, were on a strike. Billy’s father forced him to take up boxing lessons and he sucked at it. Then, he discovered his passion for dancing, most especially ballet, when he fortuitously stepped in Georgia Wilkinson’s (Julie Walters) ballet class. He secretly attended her class without his father knowing and without even thinking that this might make him appear like a total “poof” in front of his friends and acquaintances. Georgia saw Billy’s potential and suggested that he audition for the Royal Ballet School in London. However, when Jackie found out about Billy’s secret dancing lessons, he was told to stop. Over Christmas, while Billy was with his gay friend, Jackie discovered that his son really had a gift in dancing. He decided to do everything to be able to enrol Billy in the Royal Ballet School. With the help of their neighbors and friends, they arrived in London. Billy almost failed the audition for punching another child but the board reconsidered and sent him a letter of approval. Billy’s dream started to bear fruit and fourteen years later, he was made to perform the male lead in Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake.”

            Some of the many symbols that were present in the movie were Billy’s boxing gloves and ballet shoes, the letter from the Royal Ballet School, and his invalid grandmother. The boxing gloves and ballet shoes symbolized two opposite things – Jackie’s dream of Billy becoming a boxer and Billy’s dream of becoming a ballet dancer. The letter from the Royal Ballet School represented the starting point of Billy’s dream. His grandmother who also loved dancing, on the other hand, performed a special role in the film by signifying a dream that did not come true because of some circumstances.

            Of all the films we’ve watched in this class, this was the most meaningful because I, too, encountered the same situation as Billy just a year and a half ago. I was an Accountancy student during my first year in Ateneo. I’ve made a lot of friends, became comfortable with my classmates and had good grades. However, after a semester of facing the calculator, worksheet, and journal, I realized that something was missing; I just couldn’t figure out what it was. Later, I discovered that this “something” had something to do with how I lived my past. I used to be so creative in elementary and high school. I was the imaginative type – I write stories, scripts, and songs. I write about anything that comes to mind. These talents seemed to be of no use in BSA. I thought that maybe I’m not on the right path; that I needed to change direction while it’s not too late. And I did. At first, my parents were doubtful of my choice, but after some time, they accepted and supported me on it.

            No matter how hard it was to leave friends behind and to start from scratch, I was still happy with the decision I made because it made me a better person. I discovered my potentials in Masscom. In fact, three of my stories got published on Sunstar. (I don’t know if it’s enough. “Enough” for me means just making my parents happy.)

             To all the dreamers out there, I highly encourage you to watch “Billy Elliot.”