Rating: 
Summary: Read the book and forget the movie
Review: I see that many people adore this movie and consider it a classic, and I admit I was ready and willing to love it as well. It is one of my all time favorite books, and I have read it so many times that I have lost count. It is a wonderful tale, but the movie hacks it to peices, the dredges the managled corpse of the book in sugar, and serves it to veiwers. I was heartbroken when I watched it, and could not bring myself to finish it. Hopefully someday someone will make a movie that does justice to the complexity of the characters since this movie did not deliver in any way. My advice is save money and aggrivation and forgot that they even made a movie and just read the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie, Dumb ending
Review: I think over all the movie was fantastic. But the ending was horrible! The hole movie hints that Mike and Velvet will fall in love, then it just ends with Mike leaving.
Rating:
Summary: National Velvet
Review: I thought that I wouldn't like this movie when my grandmother reccomended it. I WAS WRONG! I loved this movie so much! National Velvet is the story of Velvet Brown, a young girl who is obsessed with horses. On the way home from school one afternoon, Velvet runs into a boy named Mi Taylor. He comes home with Velvet, and Mrs. Brown says that he can stay and work with Mr. Brown. Velvet is delighted! One day while delivering meat with Mi, Velvet sees their neighbor's new horse jump the fence. Mi is astonished! The neighbor's horse that Velvet calls 'Pie' has jumped a six foot fence! This is the perfect horse for the Grand National race! Velvet wins the horse and she and Mi train him for the Nationals. This movie is so exciting and I love it! If you like horses, you'll love National Velvet!
Rating: 
Summary: A Fantastic Movie
Review: I'm ten and I got the movie " National Velvet" for a Christmas present. I am horse crazy- well you know I love horses. I watched the movie and I loved it! I thounght Velvet Brown (Elizabeth Brown)was a great character. The mother, Mrs.Brown was a good mother to Velvet. I thought Donald Brown, (Mrs.Brown's son)was very funny. I watched the movie twice already and I'm sure I'll watch it much more!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful film; average DVD release
Review: It had been years since I'd watched National Velvet starring Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney, until picking up this DVD recently. The film was as good as I remembered, if not more so now that I can view it with some measure of nostalgia for youthful innocence and the power of dreams. As Velvet Brown, an 11-year-old Elizabeth Taylor glows on screen and brings to the role of a girl in love with horses all the wistfulness and energy that could be desired. Mickey Rooney is also excellent as a young wandering man (Mi Taylor) whose tragic backstory eventually reveals itself in an emotional, if somewhat overwrought, scene between these two characters. The chemistry between Rooney and Taylor is unmistakable and gives weight to the trust and friendship that develops between Velvet and Mi. Although Velvet is too young to be concerned with boys in a romantic sense, the viewer gets the sense that these two are equals and truly respect each other. It's refreshing to see a friendship between a boy and girl portrayed so well. This film succeeds in telling a heartwarming and life-affirming story of how a dream come true can change a life forever. For Velvet's mother, it was swimming the English Channel as a young woman. For her daughter, Velvet, it is winning a spirited horse, the Pie, and training him (with Mi's guidance) to race in the Grand National Steeplechase. In fact, some of the film's most poignant and graceful scenes occur between Velvet and her mother, played by Anne Revere. Mrs. Brown is a fount of wisdom for Velvet and shows great love and support for her daughter's dream by supplying the needed entry money for the horse race from her own winnings from her swim across the Channel years before. This is a film to love for its many pleasures, such as a memorable cast (including a young Angela Lansbury as Velvet's older, boy-crazy sister), pastoral setting, and beautifully told story. It's a true classic and not one to miss. However, this DVD release is not quite worthy of the film. It deserves a cleaner transfer. One scene in particular is out of focus. There are no extra features or commentary that would make viewing the film a richer experience. But, for the price, it is worth picking up to watch for now, while we hope and wait for a better release someday.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful film; average DVD release
Review: It had been years since I'd watched National Velvet starring Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney, until picking up this DVD recently. The film was as good as I remembered, if not more so now that I can view it with some measure of nostalgia for youthful innocence and the power of dreams. As Velvet Brown, an 11-year-old Elizabeth Taylor glows on screen and brings to the role of a girl in love with horses all the wistfulness and energy that could be desired. Mickey Rooney is also excellent as a young wandering man (Mi Taylor) whose tragic backstory eventually reveals itself in an emotional, if somewhat overwrought, scene between these two characters. The chemistry between Rooney and Taylor is unmistakable and gives weight to the trust and friendship that develops between Velvet and Mi. Although Velvet is too young to be concerned with boys in a romantic sense, the viewer gets the sense that these two are equals and truly respect each other. It's refreshing to see a friendship between a boy and girl portrayed so well. This film succeeds in telling a heartwarming and life-affirming story of how a dream come true can change a life forever. For Velvet's mother, it was swimming the English Channel as a young woman. For her daughter, Velvet, it is winning a spirited horse, the Pie, and training him (with Mi's guidance) to race in the Grand National Steeplechase. In fact, some of the film's most poignant and graceful scenes occur between Velvet and her mother, played by Anne Revere. Mrs. Brown is a fount of wisdom for Velvet and shows great love and support for her daughter's dream by supplying the needed entry money for the horse race from her own winnings from her swim across the Channel years before. This is a film to love for its many pleasures, such as a memorable cast (including a young Angela Lansbury as Velvet's older, boy-crazy sister), pastoral setting, and beautifully told story. It's a true classic and not one to miss. However, this DVD release is not quite worthy of the film. It deserves a cleaner transfer. One scene in particular is out of focus. There are no extra features or commentary that would make viewing the film a richer experience. But, for the price, it is worth picking up to watch for now, while we hope and wait for a better release someday.
Rating:
Summary: Young Liz Shines
Review: It's not hard to see how Elizabeth Taylor became such a big star when you see her as Velvet Brown in National Velvet, her first important role. Besides already being very pretty, she is endearing as the young girl who dreams of her horse winning the Grand National Steeplechase, discovering that she herself may have to be the jockey. The rest of the cast are terrific, with special praise for the understated performance by Anne Revere as Velvet's wise and understanding mother. The sequences at the race are well filmed, the Technicolor beautiful, and the story hits all the right notes. Children, especially young girls who love horses, will enjoy the film a lot.
Rating:
Summary: Not to be missed
Review: National Velvet is a sweet, inspiring film that will forever be a wonderful classic. Elizabeth Taylor (Velvet Brown) and Mickey Rooney (Mi Taylor) did an incredible job portraying their characters. Elizabeth Taylor only twelve years old, plays the part of a horse crazy little girl who is bound and determined that her horse (Pie) can when the Grand National Steeplechase. Although Pie was not originally her horse, it was enduring to watch how Velvet acquired the 16 hands, 6 foot jumping horse and how small of chance she had to win him. Mickey Rooney played a wonderful role of a frighten ex-jockey who in the beginning did not want any part of the horse business after an accident early in his career. With a spirited young girl, a wonderful horse that was thought to be no good, and an ex-jockey that tried too hard to stay away from horses, a winning story was sure to be produced. Velvet's family also played an important role as her mother (Academy Award winner Anne Revere), the quick tongue lady who could always convince her husband otherwise and Velvet's siblings, that put an emphasis on typical sibling relationships. For it's time, when this film was produced, it was outstanding (Academy Award winning) and now it is even more outstanding. People of all ages can enjoy this film because it's heartwarming with a touch of comedy that seeps into the heart of everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Horse Crazy!
Review: National Velvet is a sweet, inspiring film that will forever be a wonderful classic. Elizabeth Taylor (Velvet Brown) and Mickey Rooney (Mi Taylor) did an incredible job portraying their characters. Elizabeth Taylor only twelve years old, plays the part of a horse crazy little girl who is bound and determined that her horse (Pie) can when the Grand National Steeplechase. Although Pie was not originally her horse, it was enduring to watch how Velvet acquired the 16 hands, 6 foot jumping horse and how small of chance she had to win him. Mickey Rooney played a wonderful role of a frighten ex-jockey who in the beginning did not want any part of the horse business after an accident early in his career. With a spirited young girl, a wonderful horse that was thought to be no good, and an ex-jockey that tried too hard to stay away from horses, a winning story was sure to be produced. Velvet's family also played an important role as her mother (Academy Award winner Anne Revere), the quick tongue lady who could always convince her husband otherwise and Velvet's siblings, that put an emphasis on typical sibling relationships. For it's time, when this film was produced, it was outstanding (Academy Award winning) and now it is even more outstanding. People of all ages can enjoy this film because it's heartwarming with a touch of comedy that seeps into the heart of everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding movie!
Review: National Velvet is an outstanding movie that I will remember for all time. My family and I all loved it. A young Elizabeth Taylor (12) portrays the role of Velvet Brown excellently, and Mickey Rooney is very effective as Mi Taylor, her jockey-turned-trainer friend. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves horses or loves good, wholesome movies. Definitely a timeless classic!
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