Black Beauty (1994 film)
Encyclopedia
Black Beauty is a 1994 film adaptation
of Anna Sewell
's novel by the same name
directed by Caroline Thompson
in her directorial debut. The film stars Andrew Knott
, Sean Bean
and David Thewlis
. The film is also treated as an autobiography
of the horse Black Beauty as in the original novel, and is narrated by Alan Cumming
as the voice of the 'Black Beauty'. This is the fifth feature film adaptation of the 1877 classic novel by Anna Sewell
.
.
and was released on CD on Warner Bros.' Giant Records label.
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell was an English novelist, best known as the author of the classic novel Black Beauty.-Biography:Anna Mary Sewell was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England into a devoutly Quaker family...
's novel by the same name
Black Beauty
Black Beauty is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate bestseller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, long enough to see her first and only...
directed by Caroline Thompson
Caroline Thompson
Caroline Thompson is an American novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer. She wrote the screenplays for Tim Burton's films Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Corpse Bride...
in her directorial debut. The film stars Andrew Knott
Andrew Knott
Andrew Knott is an English actor.- Biography :Knott was born in Salford and now lives in Yorkshire. His first acting was done in British television and radio programmes. He was trained in the Oldham Theatre Workshop...
, Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
and David Thewlis
David Thewlis
David Thewlis is an English actor of stage and screen. His most commercially successful role to date has been that of Remus Lupin, in the Harry Potter film series...
. The film is also treated as an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of the horse Black Beauty as in the original novel, and is narrated by Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...
as the voice of the 'Black Beauty'. This is the fifth feature film adaptation of the 1877 classic novel by Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell was an English novelist, best known as the author of the classic novel Black Beauty.-Biography:Anna Mary Sewell was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England into a devoutly Quaker family...
.
Cast
- Alan CummingAlan CummingAlan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...
(Docs Keepin TimeDocs Keepin TimeDocs Keepin Time is a black American Quarter Horse most famous for starring as Black Beauty in the 1994 film adaptation of Anna Sewell's novel. He went from having an unsuccessful racing career to being one of Hollywood's most sought after equine performers...
, actual horse) as Black Beauty (voice) - Andrew KnottAndrew KnottAndrew Knott is an English actor.- Biography :Knott was born in Salford and now lives in Yorkshire. His first acting was done in British television and radio programmes. He was trained in the Oldham Theatre Workshop...
(Ian KelseyIan KelseyIan Kelsey is a British television actor.Kelsey was born in York, Yorkshire, England, to parents Julie and John . He also has an older brother named David. He trained at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre York and graduated at the Guildford School of Acting...
, older) as Joe Green - Sean BeanSean BeanShaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
as Farmer Grey - David ThewlisDavid ThewlisDavid Thewlis is an English actor of stage and screen. His most commercially successful role to date has been that of Remus Lupin, in the Harry Potter film series...
as Jerry Barker - Jim Carter as John Manly
- Peter DavisonPeter DavisonPeter Davison is a British actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small and the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1982 to 1984.-Early life:Davison was born Peter Moffett in Streatham,...
as Squire Gordon - Alun ArmstrongAlun Armstrong (actor)Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
as Reuben Smith - John McEnery as Mr. York
- Eleanor BronEleanor BronEleanor Bron is an English stage, film and television actress and author.-Early life and family:Bron was born in 1938 in Stanmore, Middlesex, to a Jewish family of Eastern European origin...
as Lady Wexmire - Peter CookPeter CookPeter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
as Lord Wexmire - Keeley Flanders as Dolly Barker
Critical reception
Despite commercial failure, Black Beauty received mixed to positive reviews; the film currently holds a 78% 'Fresh' rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Soundtrack
The film's score was written by Danny ElfmanDanny Elfman
Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
and was released on CD on Warner Bros.' Giant Records label.