- S: Other than the obviously far-fetched success of Billy at the dance school, only one moment feels forced: a moment between the dad and his older son where they both come to realize hard truths.
- C: Beatifully shot and surprisingly strong sense of style throughout. Shot choice is probably the highlight of the film. Only negative is the attempt to age some actors in the end sequence.
- E: Great uplifting story that's not too corny, great acting, and great pacing make this hard to look away. Only lulls briefly in some moments between Billy and his friends and, in my opinion, runs a bit too long. There were multiple moments near the end that I thought could have captured a great ending, but the story kept going.
- N: It's a classic going the wayward path story that doesn't land too hard on any tropes. The story isn't afraid to let the main character fail repeatedly, which makes it even more enjoyable
when he succeeds.
- T: The film received three bonus points: one for a great opening sequence, one for a great transition to winter, and one for a great comparison sequence of Billy on a bus, the dance/boxing studio, and the miner's descending into the pit.
This is one of those classics that really holds up. It's a motivational story that avoids many of the pitfalls of most coming of age stories.
Number of Watches: 1
