So it’s just an animated film, based on Munro Leaf’s children’s book (which I loved as a kid and which had marvelous illustrations by Robert Lawson. Also the author and illustrator of Mr. Revere and I, the story of Paul Revere’s horse). HOWEVER, I was torn between cracking up and simultaneously saying, “nononononoooo,” at the horses in the film: Lovely gray horses with flowing manes and tails, who dance and prance and mock the bulls. Andalusians, right?? I mean, this is set in Spain. What else would they be - gray, elegant…Obviously Andalusians! BUT THEY SPEAK WITH GERMAN ACCENTS. Okay, I’m done. I’m still laughing…
In my head they were some sort of German warmblood, ha ha. Cute movie.
Ach - but a proper Hanoverian with a long flowing mane?? ROFLOL Maybe they were visiting Lipizzaners (sharing Spanish bloodlines, but speaking with an Austrian accent?)
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have not seen it yet but I will say, I still remember the illustration from the book of Ferdinand sitting under the cork tree. The corks are hanging off it like fruit. Lovely bit of whimsy
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I saw this movie with my kids. The horses with the accents were HILARIOUS. And I own a grey Oldenburg - haha.
We just watched this the other night… The German horses really threw me for a loop!
Even after their first appearance, I was surprised each time they opened their mouths (“no! they use Spanish bred horses!!!” LOL)
That said the horse-bull dance off was fantastic.
I don’t remember ever reading the book. Honestly, when I saw the movie, I thought the subject matter was a little grim for a kids’ movie. All the bulls who left on the one way truck? Eee.
My recollection is that that was not part of the original story. But grim kid’s movies… I still tear up over Old Yeller, and the most recent remake of Black Beauty didn’t tiptoe around what happened to poor Ginger. The one movie that really made me cry was Goodbye, My Lady, and no person or animal died in that, but the kid having to make the right decision to give up the strange dog he found and loved (a Basenji) really got to me.
I love that book!
I used to work with a guy named Ferdinand and always tacked on “the bull” in my mind when I heard his name - and then my boss read the book to his kids and then really stared referring to Ferdinand as The Bull when he called in. (complete with bad spanish accents)
Have not watched the movie as my little babies are 19 & 21 but now they have to have a mommy & me movie day.
I learned early on to be very, very careful about what movies I would watch.
I think it was Old Yeller that came up on an episode of Friends. Phoebe thought it was a great movie, because it turned out she had never seen the end of it. Her grandmother always turned it off before the bad part. I wish someone had done the same for me!
watched this with my kiddos and totally said they were Lipizzaners!
!
It was, but we used that as a jumping off point for talking about animals, how we treat them, and where our food comes from.
(but seriously, on some level a lot of kids’ movies are pretty dark. Lots of dead parents.)
Disney is the big offender there! In The Year of the Horse, the book The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit was based on, the kid’s mom was very much alive, and the riding instructor was male.
