VIRGINIA'S RUN

Canada, 2002, 103 minutes, Colour.
Gabriel Byrne, Joanne Whaley, Lindze Letherman, Rache Skarsten, Kevin Zegers.
Directed by Peter Markle.

Virginia’s Run is a film about a young girl and horses. There has been a long film tradition on these themes and one remembers Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet.

This is a Canadian production, filmed in Nova Scotia, capitalising on the coast, towns, the rugged countryside.

Lindze Letherman plays Virginia, a young girl whose mother has died in a riding accident and whose grieving father, Gabriel Byrne, forbids her to ride. At the opening of the film, she helps the horse her mother was riding when she died to give birth to a foal. She bonds well with the foal, despite her father forbidding her to see the foal or to ride.

Her father fishes for lobsters but also paints eggs for Easter celebrations, grieving for his dead wife, trying to deal with his teenage daughters, Caroline the older and her wanting to be modern, and her relationship with the son of the owner of a horse training property, a spoiled brat (Kevin Zegers), as well as Virginia.

A trainer comes to work with the horses, Joanne Whaley, who urges the father to let his daughter work with her, encouraging her to ride, and eventually persuading her father to change his mind, his even going to buy back the horse for his daughter.

The buildup is to an endurance ride which the spoiled brat always wins, even though he cheats, and his father and his assistant, a yes-man, gear everything to his favour.

Needless to say, Virginia is going to win, but not after quite a number of difficulties – and the final meal shows the beginnings of a new family.

A film for horse lovers and those who love watching riding.

1. The title, the focus on Virginia, the focus on the horse, on the race?

2. The Nova Scotia settings, the town, the farms, lobster farming, horses and training? The race? The musical score?

3. A film for those who love horses, for those who love to see riding, races, prowess?

4. A film for younger audiences, adult audiences? The special interest for the female audience? The presentation of the men, the hard father mellowing, the worthless spoiled brat, his conniving father, the yes-man assisting him?

5. The plot, familiarity, the horses and young women tradition of films, difficulties, overcoming them, the race and triumph?

6. The opening, the storm, the horse giving birth, Virginia assisting, the bond with the foal, the death of the horse? The memories of the horse, the accident with Virginia’s mother, the death? The effect on Virginia, the effect on her father and his forbidding her to ride?

7. Virginia, bonding with the horse, her father forbidding it, attending the horse, helping with its management? Darrow and his hostility towards the horse? His mocking Virginia? The sale of the horse?

8. Life at home, Virginia and her age, her relationship with her father, upset at his forbidding her to ride? Her love for her sister, the taunts, her dislike of Darrow?

9. Caroline, age, teenage, her relationship with a Darrow, going out, her father being wary? The driving, his speed? The eventual crash? Caroline in hospital, her nose and face, Darrow not calling, going to the dance, his being with the other girl, her punching his nose and feeling better?

10. Darrow, spoiled brat, his father, the horses, pride in his son, the race, Darrow cheating and pushing the rider into the water? His presumptions about himself? His father and his control, his yes-man in managing the events?

11. The years passing, Virginia growing older, her grief that Darrow’s father had sold her horse? At home, reading her mother’s diary, the memories and the sadness? The discussions with Caroline, Caroline reading out the diary entry about herself and not being able to ride? The bond between the two girls? Going to the social, their bonnets, the dance, Virginia engineering her father to dance with Jessie?

12. Jessie, Virginia leaping over her car? Her work, the encounter with Ford, a summing up of the situation, inviting Virginia to work, Virginia and her initial comments, Jessie saying she was a know-it-all, letting her ride, her father seeing it? Jessie coming later, the attraction, persuading Ford to let his daughter ride?

13. Ford, the night away, his return, bringing back the horse? Virginia and her joy? Riding, training for the race? The rivalry with Darrow, the race to the railway track, her getting across the line before the train came?

14. The buildup to the race, Darrow stealing the horse? Ford searching for it? Caroline, the boy, flirting, getting the information, pouring the shake on his head? Giving the information to Virginia?

15. Virginia, driving the truck, getting the horse, the management wanting her disqualified, the crowd urging her on, let Virginia ride? The ride, the manager in the horse trough? Darrow, dressed up, the other competitors, Darrow and his cheating, wanting Jessie to curtail the time for the horse to rest? Virginia following, giving her horse a rest? Darrow trying to bump her, pushing her into the water? The horse coming, getting on, her pursuit, Darrow taking the flag? The map, Virginia letting the horse have its sense? The finale, competitive, her winning?

16. The decision that she was disqualified, that Darrow would win, Caroline taking the stolen flag from his pocket, his being shamed? Virginia winning?

17. The meal, the two girls, Ford and Jessie – and a happy future?