International Velvet

Orphaned Tatum O'Neal moves to Britain to live with her aunt Velvet and live-in boyfriend, writer Christopher Plummer. Like auntie, who won the National, Miss O'Neal falls in love with the last colt of Pie, and tries out for the National team.

Clearly intended to tug at the heart strings of people who loved the first movie, this one doesn't succeed on that count. Where it works, thanks to writer-director Brian Forbes, is in painting portraits of the characters, particularly Plummer, and team coach Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins is particularly good, with a lot of humor in his tough, supercilious character.

Despite the focus being on Miss O'Neal, her character is far less complicated and interesting -- at least to me, who am not horse-mad. Forces' wife, Nannette Newman, plays Velvet -- it was hoped that Elizabeth Taylor would reprise her role -- and their daughter, Emma Forbes, has a small part.