Billy Elliot

Trivia: At one stage in the movie, Billy and his dance teacher travel across the Transporter Bridge, the only working cradle bridge in the world, which crosses the River Tees from Middlesbrough to Port Clarence, Stockton-on-Tees. At the time of the Miners Strike in 1984, when the film is set, neither Middlesbrough nor Stockton-on-Tees had an active coal field. Whilst the Transporter Bridge, now a grade 2 listed structure, is still working, it is not really a reguarly used entry or exit use from Teeside, if Billy and his teacher were going to an audition. Which raises the question as to why they were on the bridge, apart from giving the director the chance to show off a spectacular structure.

Jeff Walker

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: I think you've answered your own question. Presumably this entry was written before 2019. The bridge was closed in 2019 over safety concerns.

Factual error: In the scene where Billy's brother argues with a miner in the local shop, there is a plastic Polo dispenser that wasn't around in 1984.

More mistakes in Billy Elliot

Billy: Just because I like ballet doesn't mean I'm a poof, you know.

More quotes from Billy Elliot

Question: What is the music on which Billy dances when he is auditioning at the end of the film? It doesn't figure on the soundtrack.

Answer: It's called 'I Will Dance' by Stephen Warbeck.

More questions & answers from Billy Elliot

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