The movie is set against the backdrop of the 1984-1985 UK miners' strike and revolves around the journey of 11-year-old Billy Elliot, portrayed by Jamie Bell, who has a deep passion for dance and dreams of being a professional ballet dancer. Billy's life is influenced by his widowed father, Jackie (played by Gary Lewis), his older brother Tony (Jamie Draven), and his ailing Nan (Jean Heywood), who once dreamed of dancing professionally in Durham. Both Jackie and Tony, being coal miners, are deeply involved in the strike.
Initially, Jackie encourages Billy to follow in family tradition by learning boxing, but Billy struggles with the sport. One day, he stumbles upon a ballet class that is temporarily using the gym while their usual studio is repurposed as a soup kitchen for strikers. Unbeknownst to his father, Billy decides to enroll in the ballet class. When Jackie discovers his son's new passion after the boxing coach brings up Billy's absence, he bans him from attending ballet lessons. However, with the encouragement and support of his dance teacher Georgia Wilkinson (Julie Walters), Billy continues to pursue his love for dance in secret.
Georgia sees immense potential in Billy, believing he has what it takes to audition for the prestigious Royal Ballet School in London. Unfortunately, due to Tony's arrest during a confrontation between the police and the striking miners, Billy misses his chance at the audition. Georgia visits the Elliot household to inform Jackie about this lost opportunity, but instead of understanding, both Jackie and Tony worry about the implications of Billy pursuing ballet, fearing he will be judged harshly for it.
During the Christmas season, Billy's best friend Michael shares a kiss with him, highlighting the strong bond they share. Although Billy identifies as straight, he remains supportive of Michael. Eventually, when Jackie witnesses Billy’s talent firsthand while dancing, he realizes the depth of Billy's gift and is determined to support him in fulfilling his aspirations. Overcoming opposition from Tony, Jackie strives to find ways to finance Billy’s training, yet he initially cannot cross the picket line to do so. Instead, the local community and fellow miners organize a fundraiser to help Billy.
When they finally make it to the audition for the Royal Ballet School, Billy experiences nerves but manages to perform impressively. However, a moment of anger leads him to punch another auditionee, resulting in a reprimand from the review board. In a pivotal moment, they ask Billy how he feels when he dances, to which he passionately responds, > “like electricity.” After his audition, he returns home with Jackie, and not long after, he receives the thrilling acceptance letter from the Royal Ballet School, prompting him to leave his family to pursue this new chapter in London.
The film culminates fourteen years later, around 1999, where we see a grown-up Billy, now played by dancer/actor/ Adam Cooper, dazzling audiences as the lead in Matthew Bourne's rendition of Swan Lake, with Jackie, Tony, and Michael proudly watching him from the audience.
