National Velvet1944National Velvet
1944
Twelve-year-old Velvet Brown of an English village wins a spirited horse in a raffle and becomes convinced he can win the Grand National. With the help of a young drifter, Mi Taylor, and her wise mother, she sets out to try.
The default: films the whole family can watch together; any scary or intense moments for the littlest viewers are flagged in the Context Notes.
Why it’s here
A horse-mad girl and her wise mother; a dream pursued with courage and then held with humility. Mrs. Brown is one of film's great mothers.
Context notes
For parents, before you press play.
Velvet disguises herself as a boy jockey to enter the race; she is disqualified, which the film presents as fair, so it's a good talk about rules. Mi gets drunk in a pub, shown as his weakness, and he grows out of it.
National Velvet (1944)
Discussion questions
When the credits end, go around the room. Each person gives the film a score out of ten and says why.
- What did Mrs. Brown teach Velvet about dreams?
- Was Velvet right to ride in disguise?
- How did Mi change?
- Why did Velvet turn down the offers afterward?
Content advisory
Common Sense Media 7+: horse falls with no injuries; a young man gets drunk in a pub; pipe smoking.
Trailer
Best edition
The disc comes first.
National Velvet Blu-ray (Warner Archive Collection)
Blu-ray · November 16, 2021
Coming later
Where to stream
Streaming services are not listed yet. When they are, this note stays secondary to the disc.