The Young Victoria


By Julia Szabo

The Young Victoria
 
Apparition, 2009, 104 minutes
 
To view the trailer, go here
 
 
Shakespeare said it best: Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. To which one might add, uneasier still the one who waits to be crowned. You thought you had a tough teenagehood? Just imagine what it's like to be an isolated, overprotected girl in nineteenth-century England, heir to the throne and surrounded by a palace full of self-interested advisers, including her own ultra-ambitious mother. That's what life was like for young Victoria, Princess of Kent, a.k.a. Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt), who overcame many obstacles and much political turmoil to rule Britannia with a skill that would become legendary. Of the few allies she could count on, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Dash was the most consistently loving and reliably faithful.
 
Like the films starring Cate Blanchett as Victoria's ancestor Elizabeth I, this movie focuses on a youthful, vibrant woman who rises to a daunting challenge. Combining historical detail with cinematic flair (two of its producers happen to be Martin Scorsese and Sarah Ferguson), the film gives us Victoria not as an overstuffed "We-are-not-amused" caricature, but as a strong, intelligent spirit with tremendous respect for her dog. "Dashy" appears in almost every important scene of this film, including the very first shot. He supports and comforts his sovereign throughout her trying adolescence; patiently sits for her in the garden as she draws his portrait; is present for all phases of her courtship with handsome Prince Albert (Rupert Friend); and, later, gazes with loving approval as she holds her firstborn.
 
Grateful for Dash's unwavering loyalty, Victoria returns the favor, refusing to stand on ceremony with her beloved dog even when the eyes of the world are upon her. One of this film's most poignant scenes takes place on coronation day; we see the newly-crowned Queen on her knees in her private chambers, giving her four-footed friend a bath. "He wouldn't have it any other way," she explains matter-of-factly to a bemused Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany).
 
It's a wise monarch who lets her heart be ruled by one so loyal. The care Victoria took for Dash easily explains her compassion for all animals, for which she was justly renowned, and doubtless helped her to appreciate the undying loyalty of her true partner Albert, a powerful ruler's dream consort. He too was a serious dog lover, and fittingly, for the long-awaited meeting at which Victoria proposes marriage, he appears flanked by two gorgeous Greyhounds. 
 

Presence of dogs:  reelreelreel

Respect for dogs:  reelreelreelreel

Canine star quality:  reelreelreelreel

Family friendly:  reelreel

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