LL-L "Language varieties" 2005.09.11 (09) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 11.SEP.2005 (09) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language varieties

Folks,

Today I had the pleasure of watching a DVD version of the British movie 
(2000) "Billy Elliot" -- at last.  It's a splendid work, but I have one 
linguistic nit to pick.  ;-)

The story is set in an economically depressed mining town in England's 
northeast during the 1984 mining strikes (a.k.a. Lady Thatcher's triumphal 
union bust).  In other words, we are talking about what is generally 
considered the homeland of "Geordie," of Northumbrian and Tyneside dialects. 
By his accent, Gary Lewis, playing "Dad" (Jackie Elliot), can be clearly 
identified as Scottish, even by me -- with a fairly obvious difference 
between his "accent" and the "accents" of his sons.  I checked just now and 
found that Lewis hails from Glasgow.  I was the only person in the party to 
notice this though, the others being born and raised Americans who wouldn't 
have known his accent from a bar of green soap, needing my interpreting 
services for all characters except for that of Mrs. Wilkinson's (Julie 
Walters), who hails from Birmingham and obviously experimented with a 
Geordified accent of someone born elsewhere -- which is fine.  ("Ron, what 
did he say?" -- Thank goodness for stop and replay functions!)  Perhaps it's 
the result of my having dealt with and being exposed to Scots during the 
past few years, which makes Geordie a breeze.

This only nit I have to pick ... is it with Gary who didn't try hard enough 
doing Geordie, or is it with the cast director?  Maybe it was a compromise, 
because the guy made such a good "Dad" and carried off the emotional parts 
splendidly.  A sign that even in British film-making with its renown 
attention to detail standards a slipping, perhaps?  What's the problem? 
Well, in one scene, Billy asks his dad what London (["lUndIn]) is like, and 
his dad replies, "I don't know, son. I never made it past Durham" -- and 
that with a Scottish accent ...

However, the movie is definitely worth watching for many reasons, not only 
for linguistic ones.  I am sure the story and the way it is related will 
resonate with many or most of us.  The basic story is that of a boy dealing 
with the disintegration of his family in a tough, depressed working-class 
environment, and being drawn to dancing, encouraged by a "washed-up" 
part-time dance instructor and discouraged by everyone else (as can be 
imagined).  (The story is partly inspired by Royal Ballet dancer Philip 
Marsden, who is from the North of England, from a family with a militant 
mining background.)  Jamie Bell (born 1986 in Billingham) does an absolutely 
fantastic job as the boy, Billy.  I haven't seen such convincing, poignant 
child acting ever.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A//www.imdb.com/title/tt0249462/&ei=dLokQ6yEMM3qYPDQ9LkH

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249462/

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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