Black Beauty (1994)

IMDb plot summary: The fates of horses, and the people who own and command them, are revealed as Black Beauty narrates the circle of his life.

Directed by Caroline Thompson. Stars Alan Cumming, Sean Bean, and David Thewlis.

Black Beauty is a film adaptation of the children’s book about a horse’s life as he goes through a variety of living situations and owners that are sometimes cruel, sometimes kind. Alan Cumming voices Black Beauty’s thoughts as a narrator. It’s been years since I read this book, but this film brought back a lot of warm fuzzy memories and was charmingly told. The language, particularly Black Beauty’s narration, is clearly targeted toward younger viewers, and I don’t mind it – it gives the story a wholesome sheen that ties the tone together and helps to offset the more disturbing pieces of the plot. I also appreciated the pacing, which is active enough to keep younger viewers engaged but slow enough to allow the quieter moments to land. This all sounds much more impressive than it perhaps is – it is definitely still a children’s film, just a pretty well-done one. I was more drawn into the story than I expected, and if I was a horse-obsessed child, I suspect this would be exactly what I wanted.

How it entered my Flickchart:

🎥 Black Beauty (1994)

📊 Ranked #1789/4055 on my Flickchart

🎯 Flickscore™: 56

beat In Search of a Midnight Kiss (#2024 → #2037)

lost to SubUrbia (held at #1010)

beat Oddity (#1517 → #1643)

lost to The Hunt for Red October (#1262 → #1220)

beat Hook, Line and Sinker (#1388 → #1537)

lost to Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (#1325 → #1187)

beat The Miseducation of Cameron Post (#1356 → #1390)

lost to The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (#1340 → #1338)

lost to The Zone of Interest (#1348 → #1341)

lost to Solaris (#1352 → #1347)

beat Triangle of Sadness (#1354 → #1971)

beat Dangerous Liaisons (#1353 → #1360)