The Black Stallion (1979)
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86% of critics liked it
(22 reviews) -
75% of users liked it
(32,015 ratings)
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… More 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, Rovi
- Directed By
- Carroll Ballard
- Written By
- Melissa Mathison, Jeanne Rosenberg, William D. Wittliff
- Genres
- Action & Adventure, Kids & Family
G,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1979 Limited
- Studio
- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Frank Rich, TIME Magazine
Ballard's sumptuous images exist only to distract from his rather conventional failings of craftsmanship.
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Variety Staff, Variety
Carroll Ballard's feature debut is rich in adventure, suspense and mythical elements and marks the prize-winning short-subjects director as a major talent.
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Michael Booth, Denver Post
Deepens into a far more powerful entertainment through matchless cinematography and talented supporting players.
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, Time Out
A magnificently well-crafted movie.
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Janet Maslin, New York Times
The director, Carroll Ballard, and the cinematographer, Caleb Deschanel, have captured so many lavishly beautiful images that the cumulative effect is one of repetition.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Kelly Reno
as Alec Ramsey
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Mickey Rooney
as Henry Dailey
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Teri Garr
as Alec's Mother
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Clarence Muse
as Snoe
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Hoyt Axton
as Alec's Father
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Michael Higgins
as Neville
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Ed McNamara
as Jake
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Doghmi Larbi
as The Arab
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John Burton
as Jockey
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John Buchanan
as Jockey
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Kristen Vigard
as Becky
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Fausto Tozzi
as Rescue Captain
- John Karlsen
- Leopoldo Trieste
