Billy Elliot Directed by Stephen

¶ … Billy Elliot directed by Stephen Daldry. Specifically it will discuss the psychological aspects of the film, including gender expectations and male psychology. "Billy Elliot" tells the story of an eleven-year-old boy (Billy), who defies the gender expectations of the time (the mid 1980s) in order to follow his passion. He wants to become a ballet dancer, while his father wants him to follow the more masculine sport of boxing.

Gender expectations are set very early in life and many of them come from society, rather than what is good for the child. In modern society, girls are expected to cook, clean, play with dolls, dance, and dress femininely, while boys are expected to play sports, be rough and tumble, and not be interested in anything feminine. Billy proves this is not the case, and it is extremely troubling to his family. They "buy in" to the gender expectations of the time. More importantly, they do not really care about Billy's wishes, they are more worried about what people will think of them and of Billy, which is another aspect of how society molds what people think and do. Because it might not be considered "normal" in society, Billy's family does not want him to pursue his ballet dancing aspirations.

Billy's father takes him to a boxing ring to help him become a "man," but Billy quickly discovers he really does not enjoy the sport. Instead, he is drawn to the ballet class forced to practice in the gym, because of the mining strike that has his brother and father unemployed. Billy is the only boy in the room of little girls in pink tutus, and he stands out and is the butt of jokes. However, he finds he loves the ballet, and he even aspires to grow up to be a legendary dancer. His father and brother are appalled, and try to stop him from following his passion. Throughout his journey he is mocked, misunderstood, and even suspected of being gay, all because of his love of ballet.

All this clearly illustrates how society views little boys and girls very differently, and how that can affect their psychology and self-esteem. Today, there might not be quite so many gender differences, but there are still those expectations that girls are the caregivers, nurturers, and mothers, while men are the breadwinners, strong leaders who leave the nurturing to their wives (along with most of the care for the home, too). Today there is a better understanding that women can do just about anything they want, and compete with men on many different levels, but there are still societal boundaries that people have to face. For example, no females in professional male-oriented sports, like football or baseball, even on the sidelines in coaching or referee positions. It may seem like we have come along way from the days of Billy Elliot and his dreams, but there are still many societal boundaries on gender and who people are and what they can accomplish in life.

The film clearly shows how society judges anyone who is different and what affect that can have on a child. Billy's father and brother, both union leaders, are "man's men." They are rough, crude, insulting, and unable to understand anything other than their own masculine tendencies. They bully Billy and cannot accept that he is interested in something as feminine as ballet. They want him to stop, never caring how much he loves the dance. Even worse, they fail to recognize that he is good, good enough to earn a spot at the Royal Ballet School. They try to stop his dreams because they are afraid people will think he is a "poof" (gay), which shows they care more about what society thinks than they care about their own family. This shows how strong gender expectations can be, and how they can affect a child from a very early age. Luckily, Billy's teacher and mentor convinces them that Billy really does have a chance at succeeding in his goals, and the family relents. The film ends happily with Billy achieving his dreams, and his family watching him on stage. However, it makes the viewer wonder how many other children have suffered as a result of gender expectations. How many other little boys could not follow their dreams because their families disapproved? How many other little girls could not participate in sports or other activities because they were too "boyish" or "manly?" The film is really an eye-opening look at how we, as a modern society, still place barriers in the way of children, just because they are born male or female. This has to affect them throughout the years, and has to affect their psychology.