Virginia's Run
Encyclopedia
Virginia's Run is a 2002 Canadian-American independent
family
drama
/coming of age
film.
with her older sister Caroline (Skarsten) and her father Ford (Byrne). Her mother was killed 3 years earlier in a horse riding accident. Since then Ford has sold their horse, Twister, to a neighbor and forbidden his daughters to ride. Still, Virginia sneaks out at night to see her and we see her in the beginning of the movie delivering a foal
in the middle of a terrible storm. Twister dies while giving birth and Virginia names the foal Stormy.
As the horse grows up, Virginia continues to sneak out to care for Stormy and ride him at night. The real owner of the horse, Blake (Robert Miranda) tries to train Stormy to race for his son Darrow (Kevin Zegers
), who is also Caroline's boyfriend, but the horse doesn't get along well with him. Blake decides to sell Stormy and Virginia is heartbroken because she had always considered Stormy to be her own horse, ever since she delivered him. Eventually Ford is able to track down the person who bought Stormy and he buys him back to give to Virginia as a birthday present.
Meanwhile Virginia has started working with one of Blake's trainers named Jessie (Joanne Whalley
). Virginia tells her how much she loves horses and how riding them is a way for her to remember her mom. So she tries to get Ford to understand that by not letting Virginia ride he is only crushing her spirit. He reluctantly changes his mind and eventually starts riding with Virginia and giving her lessons. He mentions that there is going to be a big race on Memorial Day
and tells her he thinks she's ready.
One day, Virginia is out riding by herself and she comes across Darrow riding with his buddies. He challenges her to a race to the train tracks and Virginia barely makes it, missing the train by a few feet. That's when Darrow realizes that she is a better rider than he is and that he needs to do something if he's to prevent her from beating him in the big race. So, the night before the race, he and his buddies kidnap Stormy and hide him in an abandoned shack by a creek. When Virginia finds out that Stormy is missing she is distraught. Her father believes that Stormy has just escaped but she tells her sister that she believes Darrow stole him. Caroline thinks that she can find out what really happened by coming on to one of Darrow's friends. He spills the beans to her and she tells Virginia where to find Stormy. Without hesitating, she runs out the house to get him, even going as far as "borrowing" her father's old truck to get there in time. She finds Stormy and gets to the town square where the race is about to begin. At first they tell her that she can't race because she's a few minutes late but after the whole town starts chanting, "Let Virginia Ride! Let Virginia Ride!" she is allowed to participate.
She starts out a little behind but quickly catches up to the crowd. Darrow had been in the lead since the beginning but when he sees Virginia on his tail he resorts to cheating. At one point he knocks her off her horse and then he hides one of the trail marker flags so she'll get lost. When she can't figure out which way to go by looking at her map, Stormy knows she is lost and he tries to tell her which way to go. He turns out to be right and she easily catches up to Darrow again. It's neck and neck along the final stretch and, although she was the last one to start, she comes in first place.
Darrow's father Blake convinces the MC (who is just a pushover) to disqualify Virginia for some vague and unspecified violation and Darrow tries to accept the trophy. Virginia notices something in his pocket and tells Caroline to check it out. She sneaks up to him and pulls out in front of everybody the flag he had hid. He is summarily disqualified for cheating and Virginia accepts the trophy to a cheering crowd while two men from the audience toss the MC into a water trough
.
At home Virginia and her family are seen having dinner with Jessie, Blake's former trainer. We find out that he has just fired her and Caroline has just broken up with Darrow. However, Virginia comments that they are happier than they have been in a long time. She walks outside to feed Stormy and thinks to herself that she could never have gotten through the race if it wasn't for her cherished memories of her mother.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
family
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
/coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
film.
Plot
Virginia (Letherman) is a 13 year old girl living in Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
with her older sister Caroline (Skarsten) and her father Ford (Byrne). Her mother was killed 3 years earlier in a horse riding accident. Since then Ford has sold their horse, Twister, to a neighbor and forbidden his daughters to ride. Still, Virginia sneaks out at night to see her and we see her in the beginning of the movie delivering a foal
Foal
A foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
in the middle of a terrible storm. Twister dies while giving birth and Virginia names the foal Stormy.
As the horse grows up, Virginia continues to sneak out to care for Stormy and ride him at night. The real owner of the horse, Blake (Robert Miranda) tries to train Stormy to race for his son Darrow (Kevin Zegers
Kevin Zegers
Kevin Joseph Zegers is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for his leading roles as Josh Framm in the Air Bud series, as well as playing Damien Dalgaard in the Gossip Girl series and the protagonist in Rock Mafia's The Big Bang...
), who is also Caroline's boyfriend, but the horse doesn't get along well with him. Blake decides to sell Stormy and Virginia is heartbroken because she had always considered Stormy to be her own horse, ever since she delivered him. Eventually Ford is able to track down the person who bought Stormy and he buys him back to give to Virginia as a birthday present.
Meanwhile Virginia has started working with one of Blake's trainers named Jessie (Joanne Whalley
Joanne Whalley
-Early life:Whalley was born in Salford but brought up in Stockport where she studied at the Braeside School of Speech and Drama, Marple.Whalley first appeared as a child in How We Used To Live and bit parts in soap operas, especially Coronation Street and Emmerdale...
). Virginia tells her how much she loves horses and how riding them is a way for her to remember her mom. So she tries to get Ford to understand that by not letting Virginia ride he is only crushing her spirit. He reluctantly changes his mind and eventually starts riding with Virginia and giving her lessons. He mentions that there is going to be a big race on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
and tells her he thinks she's ready.
One day, Virginia is out riding by herself and she comes across Darrow riding with his buddies. He challenges her to a race to the train tracks and Virginia barely makes it, missing the train by a few feet. That's when Darrow realizes that she is a better rider than he is and that he needs to do something if he's to prevent her from beating him in the big race. So, the night before the race, he and his buddies kidnap Stormy and hide him in an abandoned shack by a creek. When Virginia finds out that Stormy is missing she is distraught. Her father believes that Stormy has just escaped but she tells her sister that she believes Darrow stole him. Caroline thinks that she can find out what really happened by coming on to one of Darrow's friends. He spills the beans to her and she tells Virginia where to find Stormy. Without hesitating, she runs out the house to get him, even going as far as "borrowing" her father's old truck to get there in time. She finds Stormy and gets to the town square where the race is about to begin. At first they tell her that she can't race because she's a few minutes late but after the whole town starts chanting, "Let Virginia Ride! Let Virginia Ride!" she is allowed to participate.
She starts out a little behind but quickly catches up to the crowd. Darrow had been in the lead since the beginning but when he sees Virginia on his tail he resorts to cheating. At one point he knocks her off her horse and then he hides one of the trail marker flags so she'll get lost. When she can't figure out which way to go by looking at her map, Stormy knows she is lost and he tries to tell her which way to go. He turns out to be right and she easily catches up to Darrow again. It's neck and neck along the final stretch and, although she was the last one to start, she comes in first place.
Darrow's father Blake convinces the MC (who is just a pushover) to disqualify Virginia for some vague and unspecified violation and Darrow tries to accept the trophy. Virginia notices something in his pocket and tells Caroline to check it out. She sneaks up to him and pulls out in front of everybody the flag he had hid. He is summarily disqualified for cheating and Virginia accepts the trophy to a cheering crowd while two men from the audience toss the MC into a water trough
Trough
Trough may refer to:* Trough , the lowest turning point of a business cycle* Trough or manger, a container for animal feed* Watering trough, a receptacle of drinking water for domestic and non-domestic livestock...
.
At home Virginia and her family are seen having dinner with Jessie, Blake's former trainer. We find out that he has just fired her and Caroline has just broken up with Darrow. However, Virginia comments that they are happier than they have been in a long time. She walks outside to feed Stormy and thinks to herself that she could never have gotten through the race if it wasn't for her cherished memories of her mother.
Cast
- Lindze LethermanLindze LethermanLindze Lanae Letherman is an American actress. She is known for her role as Georgie Jones Quartermaine on General Hospital.-Career:...
as Virginia Lofton - Rachel SkarstenRachel SkarstenRachel Skarsten is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Dinah Lance on the television series Birds of Prey.-Biography:...
as Caroline Lofton - Gabriel ByrneGabriel ByrneGabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined Londo's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the...
as Ford Lofton - Joanne WhalleyJoanne Whalley-Early life:Whalley was born in Salford but brought up in Stockport where she studied at the Braeside School of Speech and Drama, Marple.Whalley first appeared as a child in How We Used To Live and bit parts in soap operas, especially Coronation Street and Emmerdale...
as Jessie Eastwood - Robert Miranda as Blake Raines
- Kevin ZegersKevin ZegersKevin Joseph Zegers is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for his leading roles as Josh Framm in the Air Bud series, as well as playing Damien Dalgaard in the Gossip Girl series and the protagonist in Rock Mafia's The Big Bang...
as Darrow Raines - Jeremy AkermanJeremy AkermanJeremy Bernard Akerman is a former Canadian politician, writer and actor and a former leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.-Biography:...
as Huntington Crane - Jocelyn Cunningham as Lydia