International Velvet
Velvet Brown, who gained fame in her native England for winning the Grand National horse race at age 12, gains custody of her niece, Sarah Brown, after the girl's parents die in a tragic car accident.…
International Velvet
Velvet Brown, who gained fame in her native England for winning the Grand National horse race at age 12, gains custody of her niece, Sarah Brown, after the girl's parents die in a tragic car accident. Raised in Arizona, eleven-year-old Sarah moves to England to live with Velvet and her longtime boyfriend, John Seaton. Miserable, Sarah makes several unsuccessful attempts to run away. One day, she sneaks out of the house at dawn, provoking Velvet's panic. After calling the police, Velvet finds her niece in the fields, riding her beloved horse, "The Pie." Furious, Velvet warns that Sarah will be sent to boarding school if she runs away again. Over the next few months, Velvet laments her difficulty with the girl, who prefers to be left alone in her grief. Eventually, Sarah explains that her parents often traveled and left her alone, making her feel abandoned. She notes the irony that she is now alive because her parents left her behind to go on another trip. Observing that Sarah is passionate about horse riding, Velvet asks the girl to help care for The Pie. Sometime later, The Pie is officially "retired from stud" and Velvet takes Sarah to see the birth of his last foal. Smitten, Sarah watches the young horse grow and fantasizes about owning it. She works odd jobs around the house to earn enough money, but the foal's owner sells it. Later that day, Velvet and John surprise Sarah by revealing that they purchased the foal as a gift. Sarah names the horse "Arizona Pie." Over the next few years, Sarah and Arizona Pie grow and ride together and Sarah becomes obsessed with competing in the Olympics. Now a teenager, Sarah enters a local equestrian competition, hoping to impress the Olympic trainer, Captain John "J. R." Johnson. Sarah's smitten classmate, Alan Wilson, takes photographs, but she does not notice his attention because she is too disappointed about coming in second place. Later, Alan defends Sarah when his friends taunt her, calling her a "stuck up little cow." Alan refuses to join the boys when they chase Sarah and Arizona Pie with their car, and cause her to fall. The boys crash the vehicle and die in a fiery explosion. Despite the tragedy and her injury, Sarah is more determined than ever to make the Olympic team. Sarah cannot return Alan's affection, although she likes him as a friend. One day, Sarah asks Velvet why her aunt gave up riding, and Velvet mentions losing her nerve at the time her first marriage failed. Later, Sarah receives an invitation from Captain Johnson, inviting her to train as a possible candidate for the Olympic team. Impressed with Arizona Pie, Johnson informs Sarah she should start from scratch with her training, but warns that he is a tough coach, and expensive. Back home, Velvet and John promise to pay for Sarah's training, but privately struggle to find the means. Velvet later learns that John has been writing erotic novels under the pseudonym "Jack Delacroix" to earn money. During training, Sarah is lonely and worries that she is unable to make friends. One day, John tells Sarah that Velvet miscarried during her former marriage, when she fell from The Pie. Afterwards, she was unable to have children. Sometime later, Sarah is selected as an alternate on the British team for an upcoming U.S. competition in Ledyard, Massachusetts. On the airplane, "Gold Dust," the horse belonging to Sarah's teammate, Roger Peacock, becomes uncontrollable during severe turbulence, and they are forced to kill the horse. After the team lands, Scott Saunders, captain of the U.S. team, gives his condolences and impresses Sarah. The next day, Captain Johnson announces that Roger will ride Arizona Pie in the competition. Sarah objects, but the Captain reminds her that Arizona Pie is a team horse, and she has no say in the matter. That evening, as Sarah pouts in the stables, Johnson explains how important it is to sacrifice one's "vanity" for the good of the team. Johnson convinces Sarah to go to the dance given by their American hosts; there, Scott asks her to dance. At the competition, the British team loses. When Sarah returns home, she finds one of John's erotic novel manuscripts and expresses her disgust to Velvet, only to learn that the publications are paying for her training. A few months later, Sarah is selected for the Olympic team. At the age of eighteen, she is the youngest member to represent the British equestrian team. At the Olympics, Sarah learns that Johnson chose her to compete over one of her older teammates. Sarah runs into Scott in the Olympic village, tells him the good news, and they celebrate by spending the day together. During the competition, teammate Roger Peacock and his horse sustain injuries during the cross-country event and must withdraw, leaving Sarah solely responsible for scoring enough points to take the team into the finals. Velvet and John nervously watch the competition on television back in England. As Sarah runs through the course, she falls and injures her shoulder, but jumps back on the horse and completes the race in record time, earning enough points to send the team into the finals. Afterward, Sarah falls to the ground in excruciating pain. Sarah is later diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder and the doctor is unsure if she will be able to compete in the finals, which is several days away. That evening, Velvet urges Sarah not to push herself if it is too dangerous; the girl's health is more important than winning. On the day of the finals, Sarah begs Captain Johnson to allow her to compete in the jumping event, not wanting the whole team to be disqualified. Johnson reluctantly agrees, on condition that he will remove her from the event if her teammates do not place among the top three. When the team performs well, Johnson lets Sarah ride, and she earns the British team a Gold medal. Several months later, Velvet opines that Sarah never returned to England, but instead ran off to marry Scott Saunders. While Velvet walks on the beach, John arrives with a package from Sarah. Inside is Sarah's Gold medal with a letter. Sarah wishes to share her prize with Velvet because her aunt was disqualified from the Grand National for being female and underage. As Velvet cries, Sarah arrives unexpectedly with Scott, introducing Velvet and John as her "parents."
International Velvet
Drama,Family,Sport
Film Details
Velvet Brown, who gained fame in her native England for winning the Grand National horse race at age 12, gains custody of her niece, Sarah Brown, after the girl's parents die in a tragic car accident. Raised in Arizona, eleven-year-old Sarah moves to England to live with Velvet and her longtime boyfriend, John Seaton. Miserable, Sarah makes several unsuccessful attempts to run away.
One day, she sneaks out of the house at dawn, provoking Velvet's panic. After calling the police, Velvet finds her niece in the fields, riding her beloved horse, "The Pie." Furious, Velvet warns that Sarah will be sent to boarding school if she runs away again. Over the next few months, Velvet laments her difficulty with the girl, who prefers to be left alone in her grief.
Eventually, Sarah explains that her parents often traveled and left her alone, making her feel abandoned. She notes the irony that she is now alive because her parents left her behind to go on another trip. Observing that Sarah is passionate about horse riding, Velvet asks the girl to help care for The Pie.
Sometime later, The Pie is officially "retired from stud" and Velvet takes Sarah to see the birth of his last foal. Smitten, Sarah watches the young horse grow and fantasizes about owning it. She works odd jobs around the house to earn enough money, but the foal's owner sells it.
Later that day, Velvet and John surprise Sarah by revealing that they purchased the foal as a gift. Sarah names the horse "Arizona Pie." Over the next few years, Sarah and Arizona Pie grow and ride together and Sarah becomes obsessed with competing in the Olympics. Now a teenager, Sarah enters a local equestrian competition, hoping to impress the Olympic trainer, Captain John "J.
R." Johnson. Sarah's smitten classmate, Alan Wilson, takes photographs, but she does not notice his attention because she is too disappointed about coming in second place. Later, Alan defends Sarah when his friends taunt her, calling her a "stuck up little cow." Alan refuses to join the boys when they chase Sarah and Arizona Pie with their car, and cause her to fall.
The boys crash the vehicle and die in a fiery explosion. Despite the tragedy and her injury, Sarah is more determined than ever to make the Olympic team. Sarah cannot return Alan's affection, although she likes him as a friend.
One day, Sarah asks Velvet why her aunt gave up riding, and Velvet mentions losing her nerve at the time her first marriage failed. Later, Sarah receives an invitation from Captain Johnson, inviting her to train as a possible candidate for the Olympic team. Impressed with Arizona Pie, Johnson informs Sarah she should start from scratch with her training, but warns that he is a tough coach, and expensive.
Back home, Velvet and John promise to pay for Sarah's training, but privately struggle to find the means. Velvet later learns that John has been writing erotic novels under the pseudonym "Jack Delacroix" to earn money. During training, Sarah is lonely and worries that she is unable to make friends.
One day, John tells Sarah that Velvet miscarried during her former marriage, when she fell from The Pie. Afterwards, she was unable to have children. Sometime later, Sarah is selected as an alternate on the British team for an upcoming U.S.
competition in Ledyard, Massachusetts. On the airplane, "Gold Dust," the horse belonging to Sarah's teammate, Roger Peacock, becomes uncontrollable during severe turbulence, and they are forced to kill the horse. After the team lands, Scott Saunders, captain of the U.S.
team, gives his condolences and impresses Sarah. The next day, Captain Johnson announces that Roger will ride Arizona Pie in the competition. Sarah objects, but the Captain reminds her that Arizona Pie is a team horse, and she has no say in the matter.
That evening, as Sarah pouts in the stables, Johnson explains how important it is to sacrifice one's "vanity" for the good of the team. Johnson convinces Sarah to go to the dance given by their American hosts; there, Scott asks her to dance. At the competition, the British team loses.
When Sarah returns home, she finds one of John's erotic novel manuscripts and expresses her disgust to Velvet, only to learn that the publications are paying for her training. A few months later, Sarah is selected for the Olympic team. At the age of eighteen, she is the youngest member to represent the British equestrian team.
At the Olympics, Sarah learns that Johnson chose her to compete over one of her older teammates. Sarah runs into Scott in the Olympic village, tells him the good news, and they celebrate by spending the day together. During the competition, teammate Roger Peacock and his horse sustain injuries during the cross-country event and must withdraw, leaving Sarah solely responsible for scoring enough points to take the team into the finals.
Velvet and John nervously watch the competition on television back in England. As Sarah runs through the course, she falls and injures her shoulder, but jumps back on the horse and completes the race in record time, earning enough points to send the team into the finals. Afterward, Sarah falls to the ground in excruciating pain.
Sarah is later diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder and the doctor is unsure if she will be able to compete in the finals, which is several days away. That evening, Velvet urges Sarah not to push herself if it is too dangerous; the girl's health is more important than winning. On the day of the finals, Sarah begs Captain Johnson to allow her to compete in the jumping event, not wanting the whole team to be disqualified.
Johnson reluctantly agrees, on condition that he will remove her from the event if her teammates do not place among the top three. When the team performs well, Johnson lets Sarah ride, and she earns the British team a Gold medal. Several months later, Velvet opines that Sarah never returned to England, but instead ran off to marry Scott Saunders.
While Velvet walks on the beach, John arrives with a package from Sarah. Inside is Sarah's Gold medal with a letter. Sarah wishes to share her prize with Velvet because her aunt was disqualified from the Grand National for being female and underage.
As Velvet cries, Sarah arrives unexpectedly with Scott, introducing Velvet and John as her "parents.".