National Velvet (1944)
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National Velvet Movie Review
National Velvet is a 1944 Technicolor family sports drama film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Mickey Rooney, Elizabeth Taylor, Donald Crisp and Anne Revere. It’s a charming, but overly sappy movie.
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“What’s the meaning of goodness if
there isn’t a little badness to overcome?“
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A jaded former jockey helps a young girl prepare a wild but gifted horse for England’s Grand National Sweepstakes. This is one of those family dramas that were abundant during this period. ‘Lassie Come Home’ was also an animal-child story starring Taylor and it was much better than this overly slow and forgettable flick.
My main issue with this particular movie is its overemphasis on schmaltz. It was just too much watching the characters be overly emotional and deliver these inspirational and heartwarming speeches that would never end. Some of them did work, especially the mother’s speeches, but most were overlong and too maudlin.
With that being said, the flick has such a big heart that it’s difficult not to like it. The third act has a horse race that is overlong and boring, but the first half fared much better as it was richly drawn in its characters and very charming in their wonderfully portrayed relationships. I just wished for more emphasis on horses themselves as they were ridiculously sidelined in a story that was supposed to be at least somewhat equestrian in nature.
Mickey Rooney here delivered one of his best performances. I am usually not a fan of his as I find him mediocre and over-the-top, but as this jaded jockey he was well cast and his dynamic with Taylor was stupendous. Speaking of her, this was one of the first roles of Elizabeth Taylor and she was just wonderful in it. She was radiant and a true movie star even as a child. A lot of the movie’s heart and charm comes directly from her character’s innocence and positivity.
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But the standouts in National Velvet are the adults. Donald Crisp was very well cast and he delivered a stellar performance, but it is Anne Revere who was superb in the motherly role. She delivered her lines with so much conviction and grace that it’s easy to see why the Academy honored her with an Oscar. The movie is slow and not particularly engaging, but it looks and sounds great and it’s suitably charming, so it’s worth seeing overall, though it never reached family classic territories.
National Velvet isn’t a family classic by any means. The slow pace, overly extended runtime and an overemphasis on schmaltzy dialogue hurt it in the long run. But the film looks and sounds great, it has a lot of heart and charm, plus it benefits from excellent performances from Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp and particularly Anne Revere in an Oscar-winning performance and Elizabeth Taylor in one of her best child roles.
My Rating – 3.5
Results
#1. National Velvet won which of these Oscars?
Select all that apply:
How do you think ‘National Velvet’ compares to modern-day sports films in terms of its portrayal of determination and ambition, especially considering its historical context? Sure it has it’s flaws, but it captures the essence of human spirit and dreams in a way that resonates across generations. I think its unmatched by most modern sports films.
I agree with you for sure about the spirit of the movie. In that way, it is miles better than most sports movies today, which are usually not my cup of tea. What are your favorite sports movies?
Well, I love the first Rocky movie (obviously), but The Champ (1931) is also a great boxing movie. Chariots of Fire (1981) is interesting too. Can’t think of a good horse-racing movie though – other than National Velvet of course.