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In Praise of “Billy Elliot”: Part II
What does it take for men to change?
When I first saw the film Billy Elliot (2000) many years ago, I saw it as a charming story of a boy learning how to be true to himself. After watching it again more recently, I saw something else: the story of what it takes for an old school male to change — in this case, Billy’s father, Jackie. As his 11 year-old son’s gatekeeper, Jackie has to change first before Billy can follow his dream of becoming a dancer.
I found myself re-watching the film with new questions: What does it take for men to change? How does someone who has lived his entire life with one conception of masculinity have a change of heart about what means to be a man?
How does that happen?
What does it take for men to change?
Old School Masculinity
Jackie is a middle-aged, working class coal-miner who lost his wife the year before. He lives with Billy, his elder teenage son, Tony, and his aging mother in County Durham in Northern England, where he has lived his entire life. The local male culture Billy is growing up in can be summarized succinctly by the following exchange between Billy and Tony early in the film. Lying in bed one night thinking about his deceased mother, Billy asks…
