Rating: G
Genre:
Adventure
Release Date: 09/10/1997
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French/Espanol
Sound: 2/1
Run Time: 117 Minutes
Flags: Child Classic, Excellent For Children
Distributor/Studio: MGM
This beautifully mounted adaptation of
Walter Farley's story for children tells the tale of Alec (
Kelly Reno), a young boy touring the world with his adventurous salesman father (
Hoyt Axton). While travelling back to the United States by ship, Alec discovers a wild, beautiful Arabian stallion being brought along in the cargo hold. When disaster strikes at sea, the ship sinks, and Alec and the stallion are the only survivors. Alone together on a nearby island, the boy and the horse develop a relationship; wary of each other at first, they learn to trust each other, and they become close friends. When a rescue party finally finds Alec, he refuses to leave the island without the stallion, and the horse goes with Alec to the small town that is his home. Alec's mother (
Teri Garr) is at a loss about what to do with this remarkable but difficult animal. Henry Dailey (
Mickey Rooney), an elderly horse trainer who lives in the neighborhood, senses a special connection between the boy and his horse; he's soon convinced that with the right training, and the boy as his jockey, the horse could be a champion on the race course. First-time director
Carroll Ballard captures the mysterious relationship between humans and animals, treating the stallion with the same intelligence and respect as the rest of his cast; he also draws fine, understated performances from
Kelly Reno and
Mickey Rooney, and
Caleb Deschanel's photography makes this a feast for the eyes.
The Black Stallion is that rare contemporary family film that will fascinate adults as much as their kids, if not more so.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
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