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Rating: 5 out of 5
Growing up, I lived with my grandparents every summer in Kansas City. One of the summer’s highlights was seeing the greyhound racing at the Woodlands. I used to have some of the best fun watching the greyhounds run. I always wanted to watch the horse racing, but they always happened late. Side note: The Woodlands held an annual Wiener dog race that was fun to watch. You were entertained watching the Dachshund run down the track.
As I got older, I learned about the big three of horse racing: the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness. I always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby and dress up to the fullest. When I moved to Southern California, I learned about the world of Del Mar Racetrack. My dream of dressing up and watching horse racing had come true. Even though I don’t go to the track that often, when I do, I don’t dress up, but I place my $2 quinella bet. It is all about that $2 quinella bet.
I brought this up because I watched National Velvet. If you don’t know about this film, you’re not alone, but the movie was entertaining and filled with a big cast that was all baby-faced. I am talking about a young Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury, and Elizabeth Taylor. Those were some legends in their lifetime, and it was fun to see them in their early days.
Let’s ride with Velvet in this film. The film revolves around Velvet Brown (Taylor), a twelve-year-old who is OBSESSED with horses. Homegirl breathes and loves horses so much that she dreams of them and prays daily for a horse. Velvet lives with her family, including her older sisters, Edwina (Lansbury) and Malvolia (Quigley), in Sewels, a small village in Sussex, England. One day, after the last day of school, Velvet meets a young drifter named Mi Taylor (Rooney), who is passing through before they go on summer vacation. As Velvet and Mi talk, her horse obsession is tickled when she sees one of the most beautiful but wild gelding being chased by her own. Homegirl almost faints at seeing the horse as she gets heart-shaped eyes. Mi manages to calm the gelding and show his knowledge of horses. Velvet quickly invites Mi to her home for dinner with her family.
At the family home, Mrs. Brown (Revere), the calm one who holds the power in the family, asks Mi about why her name is written in his address book, but she knows Mi’s pops who has passed away and keeps the secret to herself, allows Mi to stay. One day, Velvet’s life completely changes. During a town raffle, the gelding that Velvet and Mi saw is auctioned. Velvet prays her little heart out but loses. That evening, she learns she won the raffle and names the gelding “The Pie.”
After some adventures and seeing that The Pie has impressive jumping abilities, the film takes a fun and inspirational turn, with Velvet trying to enter the famous Grand National Steeplechase. Mi gives Velvet the whole, “Gurl! You must be crazy” look and talk but decides to help her train for it. Mrs. Brown puts up the entrance fee after listening to Mi, stating that The Pie has a chance, along with her saying that she was one of the first women to swim the English Channel with the help of Mi’s dad as her trainer. Mi rolls up to London to try and find a jockey or trainer, but no one will help. Velvet decides and persuades Mi to train her and The Pie. Seeing Mi have conflict with himself is funny, but when he agrees, he goes into “We going to win this shit” mode. Mi sends Velvet and The Pie through one of the toughest training periods you could imagine. If I were a horse, I would throw up the middle finger at Mi.
The most entertaining part of the entire film has to be the horse racing scene. At first, Mi wants to race but Velvet dons the jockey uniform and cuts her hair. Even though she knows she will be disqualified if she wins, she still goes through it. You know what we call this? A badass girl! Mi puts his negotiation skills to the test. He convinces the officials that Velvet doesn’t speak English and he is her translator. When the race is about to begin, The Pie is at one-hundred-to-one odds.
I was fully invested in the race, and you will be too. It is so fun and good to watch. It is intense and thrilling and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I want to say that some of those jumps were insane. Some of the horses were like, “Naw, I ain’t jumping that shit. You better use your own legs to jump.” As the race progresses, horse after horse starts dropping like flies. Some of the funny scenes deal with Mi, who is standing with a rich man and always asking how The Pie is doing. He starts off calm, but as the race progresses, he loses his freakin mind. Steadily, The Pie and Velvet go from the back and win the whole damn thing, but in the end, Velvet is disqualified as she falls from The Pie in exhaustion. The track doctor discovers that she is a female.
The film hits the final and heartwarming stage of the film. Velvet is proclaimed a hero throughout England and named “National Velvet.” Like today, sometimes fame isn’t that cool or good. Velvet is bombarded with offers, but her horse-loving obsession tells everyone that she wants The Pie to live a simple life. This pisses off her pops, but her level-headed mother sees the care in her heart and agrees. The sad part was when Mi bounced. Mi and Mrs. Brown have a moment where she states she didn’t trust him but is proud to know him and what he did like his pops did for her. Mi leaves without even saying goodbye to Velvet, but Velvet manages to catch up with him and have a heartfelt moment.
I want to take a moment to give it up to several people. Mickey Rooney was entertaining as Michael “Mi” Taylor. I haven’t watched much of Rooney’s work, but he was great in this film. I enjoyed him every time he was on screen. What about the young and future queen, Elizabeth Taylor, as Velvet Brown. I don’t know much about Taylor’s life besides the fact that she was married eight times. Seeing her as an adolescent was a shock because I didn’t know she started acting at a young age. She played Velvet brilliantly as the horse-obsessed girl who decided to risk everything to be a champion. You go gurl! Finally, I want to give major props to Anne Revere as Mrs. Araminty Brown. She won the Academy Award for this role as Best Supporting Actress. She wasn’t over the top or even mean. Not one time, she raised her voice. She was the supportive, calm, but wise mother that any child would want.
Next time, the big three in horse racing come around, and you are about to watch Seabiscuit for the thousandth time. Take around two hours of your day to watch National Velvet. You will not be disappointed. Plus, you get to see a young Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury, and Elizabeth Taylor at the beginning of their careers.
