20 Most Inspiring Movies Of All-Time
9. Billy Elliot
In the past fourteen years since the films original release, Billy Elliot has become an inspiring and heartfelt UK film which has taken on a life of its own both on screen and on stage. Playwright/screenwriter Lee Hall and first-time film director (but long-time theatre stalwart) Stephen Daldry crafted a political film with both heart and fire as one boys dream drags him out of the violent shell of the miners strike.
Billy lives with his widowed father, older brother and invalid grandmother in the North East (fictional) town of Everington. The town has been hit hard by the impending mine closures and the strikes have become a demoralising everyday occurrence. Billy is sent to the local gym for boxing lessons but one day happens upon a ballet class run by Mrs Wilkinson (Julie Walters).
Without telling his father, Billy starts taking ballet classes and discovers a passion for dance which sits very awkwardly with the violence others see every day on the picket line. When his family finds out, obviously, they try and stop him as they dont want him to be labelled a poof but, after much arguing and soul-searing, Billy is allowed to audition for the Royal Ballet School thanks to money raised by the people of Everington.
When the plot is written like this, it seems like an atypical inspirational film but so many scenes make you tingle as tears well in your eyes and none more so that Billys confrontational dance in front of his father as he both defies him but also convinces him that anyone should be allowed to chase their dreams. In fact, like nearly every movie on this list, there is scene after scene which is inspiring and should also make any young person wanting to challenge the perceived notion of who they should be chase their dreams too.