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Out on DVD June 2, The Legend of Longwood is, as the film’s director Lisa Mulcahy says, an “action-packed” family drama. With a black knight, white horses, and an age old mystery to be solved, the storyline is a journey worth taking (especially if you’re the inquisitive type).
Twelve-year-old Mickey Miller (Lucy Morton) doesn’t want to leave New York, but after her mother inherits an unkempt mill in the Irish town of Longwood, she, along with her brother, must follow their mother (Thekla Reuten) to this vastly different environment.
Initially skeptical of her surroundings, Mickey is gradually drawn in to the story of the Black Knight and the ghosts of several children who may be haunting the grounds of a nearby castle. Though Longwood is a picaresque and sleepy town, buried secrets are now brimming to the surface thanks to Mickey’s investigations.
Thwarting Mickey at every turn is Caitlin Lemon (Fiona Glascott), a materialistic woman who is determined to sell the castle and dispatch the white horses that live in the stalls (they are the roadblocks in selling the castle, which belongs to her fiance). Since Mickey’s primary passion is horse riding (she also bonds with a white horse named Silver), she and Caitlin are at loggerheads, and the result of their conflict will have a direct effect on Longwood’s future.
Running at a brisk 99 minutes, “The Legend of Longwood” is a children’s tale which has its share of scary moments. Though Mickey’s curiosity is part of her strengths (a trait she shares with her late, archaeologist father), her explorations often places her in peril. I love a bit of danger in my stories, even if it’s aimed at a family audience, and director Lisa Mulcahy thankfully puts a bit of grit into the narrative. The film’s score, created by “Brave” composer Patrick Neil Doyle, is also a delight.
“The Legend of Longwood” DVD comes with a 13-minute featurette on the making of the movie. Mulcahy, the actors, as well as the production designer, costumer, and cinematographer are interviewed.
Things You’ll Learn from the Featurette: Lead actress Lucy Morton is a former horse owner, so her natural ease with the horses on the set was already ingrained.
You can order “The Legend of Longwood” via this Shout! Factory link.
