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Actors: Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Anne Revere, Donald Crisp
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about National Velvet |
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On the last day of school, Velvet Brown runs into Mi Taylor, a young man who has been spending his time on the road. While they talk, they see a horse which has gotten loose from its owner, Mr. Ede. Velvet jumps in front of it, and calms it down. When she asks Mr. Ede what the horse's name is, he tells her its a pirate that doesn't deserve a name. Velvet has already fallen in love with the horse, and names it Pi. Mi says he has business with Velvet's mother, and Velvet takes him home. During dinner, Mi says he found Mrs. Brown's name in his father's papers when he died. Mrs. Brown doesn't say anything, but Velvet asks if Mi can stay with them and work in the butcher shop. Mr. Brown doesn't like the idea, but Mrs. Brown convinces him. Velvet goes to her mother later that night and asks if she knew Mi Taylor's father. Mrs. Brown confesses that she did, and that Mi Taylor trained her years ago when she became the first woman to swim the English Channel. She says it's not the right time to tell him about his father. Velvet goes to tell Mi that he can stay. He decides to stay, thinking he can find some way to take advantage of the family. Velvet tells him her love of horses, and he says he hates them.
One day, when Mi goes to make a delivery Velvet rides along so that they can stop and take a look at the Pi. While they're watching the horse, it gets loose again and jumps a wall. Mi measures the wall and says that it jumped "Beecher's Brook." He confesses that he used to ride, but took a spill. After Pi's escape, Mr. Ede decides the horse is worth too much trouble and decides to auction it off. Mr. Brown refuses to buy raffle tickets for the family, but Mi buys them. They don't call her number, and Velvet becomes sick with grief, but they find out later that nobody claimed the winning number and when they draw again, Velvet wins. Mi tells her that "Beecher's Brook" is one of the most difficult jumps in the Grand National Steeplechase. Velvet writes to the race course to get the official papers to enter the Pi. Mrs. Brown knows what it's like to have one big dream, and gives Velvet the money she won for swimming the channel for her entry fee. Mi and Velvet train the Pi, and when it gets sick and almost dies, Mi takes care of it and gets it well. He takes the money to London to pay, and although he's tempted to steal it, he does the right thing. They travel to London to meet the jockey who's going to ride the Pi. The jockey makes fun of the horse, and Velvet gets insulted and refuses to let him race. Mi is upset that they came all that way for nothing. Velvet asks why he can't ride, and he tells her that the spill he took killed another rider. He goes to see the Pi, and is so upset that the Pi is losing its chance, that he finds his courage and starts to ride. He goes to tell Velvet that he'll ride, but he sees Velvet wearing jockey clothes. She wants to ride herself. He cuts her hair, since girls aren't allowed to race, and tells her she'll be disqualified when they find out. But, Velvet wants to do it herself. The race starts, and Velvet manages to keep up with the other riders. She takes the lead, but before she crosses the finish line, she falls off. They take her to the doctor, who finds out she's a girl when he examines her. They disqualify Velvet, but she's still a hero when she comes back home, since the Pi did come in first.
Velvet and the Pi are so famous that an offer comes from Hollywood for both of them to come make movies. Velvet knows that the Pi won't understand movie making and decides that her time in the spotlight is over. Mi also decides it's time to move on, and Mrs. Brown agrees that now Mi deserves to be told about his father. Velvet runs to tell him and say goodbye.
--Angela Tircuit, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of National Velvet |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
elements, all of which are searchable (click here). |
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Animal Story
Yes
Kind of animal:
- horse
Kind of sports story:
- horse racing
Sports story?
Yes
Story of girl(s) doing boy sport?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- a kid
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Body type
- (woman) average
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
How much in movie?
- 90%-100%
Main Adversary
Identity:
- general circumstances
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- very happy
If this is a kid's movie...
- Ages 10-15
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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