Esprits sauvages

Spirit Riders is such an inspirational film. It's about a teenage girl who is having behavioral problems, and as a result, is ordered to complete a work-release program at an equine therapy farm. A couple of other teenagers, a girl and guy (who is autistic), try to befriend her, but she's rude to them. She constantly pushes people away. She's suffering mentally and emotionally after losing her younger brother, which she blames herself for. Her parents got divorced afterwards, and she blames herself for that as well. It doesn't make her feel any better when she finds out her dad is remarrying. Training a retired racehorse helps her do some soul searching. She realizes the importance of accepting support from people when it's offered, and to stop being so hard on herself. I felt like this film did an excellent job of portraying the issues that teenagers commonly experience: lack of confidence, depression, and the separation or divorce of parents. It's an awesome family movie.

If you can get thru the first 45 minutes then this movie picks up and tells a great story.

This is one of the best family films I've seen in years. It deals with choices children,teenagers and young adults have to make in life. The story and locations bring some other sensitive issues into play that many children and young adults have not had an opportunity to consider in their lives yet. The characters were interesting and the performance by Lance Henriksen brought to the screen represented a very touching and sensitive character with the wisdom that years bring. The messages were subtle but strong and dealt with visually and by example instead of some of the in-your-face preaching that children and young adults are constantly pounded by.

What a great DVD to share with the family and the kids will enjoy it as the life's lessons will be delivered every time they watch it. The company that made this is EDGEN films. I will be looking for more of their productions.

This is a rare opportunity for an entire family to sit down together and watch a good movie based on solid, timeless, basic core values that seem to be missing with many young teenagers of this generation

The soundtrack is superb and frames each scene with a rich, velvety- smooth orchestration of melodies and themes that perfectly colors the story. Congratulations to Mr. Justin R Durban!

Allie DeBerry is a wonderful, talented actress who communicates the self-centered, volatile and troubled life of a teenager trying to process a tragic incident at an adult level while still clinging to the childlike threads of hope that she can fix everything wrong with her world.

Yes, the budget did not allow for all scenes to be edited perfectly, and some of the young supporting cast can appear rigid and unfamiliar with the overall process, however, the film is to be championed for it's vision and purpose rather than scorned by those who demand instant gratification that doesn't require insight and empathy for other people.

I admit — it was my curiosity of seeing veteran actors Lance Henriksen ("Aliens) and C. Thomas Howell ("The Outsiders") on screen again that initially made me pick up a copy of "Spirit Riders." But what I actually found was a great little family movie that I enjoyed throughout.

"Spirit Riders" is an uplifting story of second chances that takes place at a horse therapy ranch. When troubled teen Kacie (very well played by actress Allie DeBerry from the Disney Channel series, "A.N.T. Farm") is ordered by the court to work at the Spirit Riders ranch, she tries to get her life back on track … while helping a stubborn, retired racehorse re-acclimate to life off track.

The story is simple enough to appeal to kids, yet offers a fresh take on the typical bad-teen-gone-good movie that will hold parents' attentions, too. The cast of young talent did a great job and really held their own against the pros!

A great family-friendly DVD. Definitely worth checking out.