Fluentiama
Perfect cast and a good story
Nessieldwi
Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.
Matrixiole
Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
Humbersi
The first must-see film of the year.
Hitchcoc
There are wonderful forces at work in this film. First of all, we have the young, fiery Elizabeth Taylor who becomes obsessed with entering a horse in the Grand Steeplechase. Of course, children and women are not supposed to be taking this on. There is Mickey Rooney, the trainer who assists her in following her dream. Then you have to have the horse that is capable of winning the thing. Throw in a society that is male dominated and unwilling to give a chance to a woman, and you have a great tale. But the main thing is that it rises above the typical horse story because the acting is very good, and the situations are very real. For some reason, young women seem to be most enamored with horses, so this take on the Enid Bagnold book was incredibly popular.
gkeith_1
Velvet so beautiful. Rest of family pretty plain. Mickey very smart. Smart father swimming coach. Mother stern, strong, loving. Father stern; heart of gold -- gruff curmudgeon. Lansbury almost overlooked. Ants got a pretty big part. 1940s movie family at dinner table. Older daughter boy-crazy. Yes! "Meet Me in St. Lewis". Copycats. Velvet movie circa late 1920s, though; St. Louis movie 1903-1904. Interesting. Fathers in both movies trying to disapprove of the children's behaviors. Butch the youngest in Velvet; ant fetish. Tootie youngest in St. Louis movie; dead dolls fetish and stupid Halloween segments. WC Fields would not like to have shared scenes with these little moppet attention-grubbers. Difference Margaret O'Brien second billing; Butch further down the list. Back to Velvet movie: The Pie so beautiful. No stereotypical English plough horse. So lithe. So daring. Jumped ever so gracefully. Or was that a stand in for the long shots? I imagine the same stand-ins for Liz and Mickey, too. Mickey loved Judy so much. I never heard him reminisce about Elizabeth Taylor. Brown's Meat Pies. Reminds one of Sweeney Todd. Father butcher for a trade...wanted Pie to be used for cat food. Horrible. Mother world class swimming champion. Looks like she hid that news forever. Elizabeth so beautiful, riding Pie alongside when Mickey was on the train. This is the scene remembered by a lot of people.Scenery looked like matte paintings, sets, etc. I know this is a way to control costs, plus the daylight. Racetrack buildings looked real.
mike-world1
I wonder why they no longer make such movies. This story had everything, humour, cast, dialogues, emotions, and above all simplicity. Truly, how faith can overcome anything! Now I know why Elizabeth Taylor was so famous. Mrs. Brown character is wonderful, if I've to remember this movie for anything, that would be her dialogues and learnings. Quite deep and old age wisdom. I thought I am a learned person, but she taught be many things. Mi Brown eventually goes, because until we leave there is no coming back! (as he says). The dialogues of the whole movie are quotable, didn't find the same with other movies. The photography is wonderful, Ireland is beautiful and the movie portrays the beauty well. "The Pie" made me start loving horses, may be one day I own one... I'll remember this movie for long...
truedesign18444
A classic all should see., 4 January 2012Author: truedesign18444 from United StatesThough some may dismiss "National Velvet" as overly sentimental and contrived, its undeniable appeal derives from the impeccably believable performances of the entire cast who quite capably bring the uplifting tale to life. Mickey Rooney is properly restrained yet exactly right. Donald Crisp is, once again, stern but lovable. Ann Revere might step off the screen and become a mother you remember from your childhood, perhaps your own. Even little Jackie Jenkins is stellar as the unapologetically, comically miscreant brother. And, of course, Elizabeth Taylor is both adolescently beautiful and perfect as Velvet. One cannot watch her in this film and not realize that here was someone with a gigantic soul, a person obviously able to love fully and unreservedly, perhaps to a fault. Since, previous to watching this film, I had not particularly been a fan of hers, I think I can objectively instruct you: "Watch this movie. She will capture you."
