Would anyone like to discuss this movie?
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen it, but sure.
It’s currently showing on Showtime, and I hadn’t seen it before. I was amazed to discover that it was the director’s feature film debut. What stunning directing! Everything about it is first class — the acting, the photography, the editing, the screenplay. I love the film.
Unfortunately, the accents are undecipherable in places, and I’d like to know what they’re saying. In case you know, please tell me:[ul][li]In the tunnel, what are Billy and Michael talking about?[/li][li]What does Billy’s brother say to him that night in the bedroom just before all the fund raising begins?[/li][li]And finally, what is a “puff” (“poof”?)? Is it a homosexual?[/li][/ul]
A transcript of the movie is available billyelliot.tv for your perusal.
I don’t know the film well enough to help on the first two, but you are correct on the third.
The answers to your first two questions can be found in don’t ask’s link.
For the third one: Yes, poof ( or more rarely poofter) is a ( male) homosexual. It is a farly mild word and is commonly used by gay men themselves.
On the more general points, it was Stephen Daldry’s first film but he was already a celebrated theatre director before that. There’s a brief biog here. While Daldry’s socialism certainly influences the movie, I don’t think it can be classed as simply a socialist film. Billy’s success is a triumph of individualism over local and class prejudices. I agree that the acting was excellent. I think Gary Bell ( Billy’s father) got an Oscar nomination.
I had to read Libertarian’s second post several times before I realized that this thread wasn’t about Billy MADISON. I thought at first it was some bizarre sort of sarcasm.
Wow! Thanks for the answers about the poof. And thanks so much for the link to the screenplay. A couple more questions, please. What is an “owt”? And what is a “mam”?
Mam - mum - mother. Affectionate term.
Owt - that’s trickier. Best to illustrate by example: “can’t do owt about that” - “can’t do anything about that”. I guess “owt” is often used for “anything” and “nowt” for “nothing” (“that’s nowt to do wi’ me”).
‘Owt’ is Northern-speak for ‘anything’, as in ‘have yer bought owt’? It’s similar to the old-fashioned ‘aught’. Similar story with ‘naught’ and ‘nowt’. And I imagine ‘mam’ is ‘mom’. Lib, have you ever seen ‘Kes’? It’s got a similar setting (and similarly indecipherable accents 
and story and is great.
No, I haven’t seen Kes. But I’ll watch for it, thanks.
Good movie! I love how they talk. I like how Billy’s dad says ballet as “bally.”
Stephen Daldry’s next film is the upcoming The Hours with Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman. I can’t wait.
I have remembered one other point where linguistic clarification might be helpful. In one scene the girl says to Billy “I’ll show you my fanny.” In British slang, “fanny” means vagina.
Damnation! 
My very favorite moment from the movie is Billy’s father’s face when he sees Billy leap onto the stage. Everything comes together — the acting, the directing, the score, the photography — at that moment. Oh, and incidentally, the movie has some of the best foley work I’ve ever seen.