Credits
Distributed by
Disney+
Production companies
Constantin Film
JB Pictures
Bolt Pictures
Moonlighting Films
Walt Disney Pictures (uncredited)
Directed by
Ashley Avis
Screenplay by
Ashley Avis
Based on Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Produced by
Jeremy Bolt
Robert Kulzer
Starring
Kate Winslet
Mackenzie Foy
Claire Forlani
Iain Glen
Fern Deacon
Narrated by
Kate Winslet
Cinematography
David Procter
Edited by
Ashley Avis
Music by
Guillaume Roussel
Synopsis
A wild mustang narrates her life from birth, born free within the Onaqui Mountains of Utah. She explains that her mother taught that when horses pass away, they fly into the sky to rest among the stars. One day, the mustang accidentally draws the attention of some cowboys, who wrangle her entire herd; the mustang never sees her mother again. A horse trainer named John Manly purchases the mustang and takes her to Birtwick, a horse sanctuary. While she likes John, the mustang refuses to cooperate, but John remains patient. The mustang ends up befriending two other horses named Ginger and Merrylegs. John is informed that his sister and her husband died in a car accident, leaving him to care for his niece, Jo Green. Jo wants nothing to do with John but becomes entranced with the difficult mustang. Eventually, the mustang recognizes Jo's pain as similar to her own, and they end up connecting. Jo learns to tame the mustang and names her Black Beauty, or Beauty for short. John manages to get through to Jo by having her work in the stables and tend to Beauty on a regular basis. They popularize the phrase "partnering" a horse as opposed to "breaking" a horse. John informs Jo that they will eventually have to sell Beauty, but Jo refuses. One night, a fire breaks out from a stable handler who didn't turn off a heater, and the horses are evacuated. With Birtwick losing money, Jo is concerned that Beauty will be sold, but works out a deal with John's boss, Henry Gordon, so that she can work extra to earn the money to buy Beauty, though he states that they might lease her. The upperclass Winthorp family who are British migrants from England arrive to purchase horses for their estate with the daughter Georgina immediately choosing Beauty to be leased. John manages to convince them to have Jo come along as her tenant. At the Earlshall estate, Beauty learns that her friend Ginger was purchased for the Winthorp's son George, who unlike Georgina, is kind and takes an interest in Jo. Georgina is cruel and rude to Beauty, who resists the urge to harm her as it would get her and Jo in trouble. Jo discovers that Beauty has serious injuries and George tries to have Jo be closer with her, but his mother puts an end to it. A race is held at a social gathering where Georgina's poor horse riding results in Beauty injuring one of her legs. George stands up to his mother and the Winthorps choose to return Beauty. However, John arrives to inform Jo that Birtwick is closing down and all the horses have to be sold. Beauty is taken away without Jo getting a chance to say goodbye. She becomes determined to find and buy her again. Beauty is sold to a ranger named Terry and together they go on rescue missions in the wilderness. Eventually Terry decides to retire and Beauty is given to a farmer who uses old tools, forcing her to work harder. Then she is sold to a kind carriage driver in New York City whose daughter chooses to name her Lady. One night, Beauty is reunited with Ginger, who had been sold without George's knowledge, but she dies shortly afterwards. All this time, Beauty continues to think about Jo, who has not given up on finding her. When Jerry gets sick, Beauty is sold to another carriage company, which treats its horses cruelly and engages in illegal horse trading. While out driving, Beauty spots Ginger's body being taken away. Heart broken, Beauty sits on the road during her carriage rotation, which draws media attention. The company attempts to sell Beauty, but a kind stable boy named Manuel alerts the police of the company's illegal activities. Jo finds Beauty and reunites with her. Jo reveals that she has managed to rebuild Birtwick in full and now works with John and George, now her husband, to help rehabilitate horses; she even finds that Merrylegs was also recovered. Beauty lives with Jo happily ever after for the rest of her days.