The Horse Whisperer

Credible dialogues, solid acting performances, slow burning natural warmhearted direction. What more could I wish for in this romantic story about a young girl (Scarlet Johanson) and her mother, who go to the desolated countryside only to see a genius horse whisperer (Robert Redford) hoping he can cure their sick horse...

I usually am not so fond of romantic movies, but this romance is told with so much credibility and without all the usual cheesy sentimentality that I am touched by it every time I see it. It never becomes dull even if the movie stretches well over 2 and a half hour.

Any bad? Well, no, but most likely it is not suited for those who dont like slowburning romantic movies, but for those who do like this genre, this movie is excellently suited and recommended. Can be seen by young (children) and old, because it is a wonderful, profound, credible tale about the love for family bonds...

This is a unique, moving story about a girl whose tragic horse-riding accident and subsequent trauma led her family to Montana in search of the man known as the Horse Whisperer. Little did they know that their lives were about to change forever during these few, memorable days spent on the farm. This is a truly beautiful story, a story for sensitive souls, a story for those who care about animals as much as people. The characters are finely drawn and it is a pleasure to watch them unfold as the film progresses. The dialogues are often memorable and wonderfully devoid of the clichés that most Hollywood productions are sprinkled with.

This is a film for people who understand that the 'little' moments in life are the best; a film where pictures truly speak more than a thousand words.

It is a story of love and courage, the courage to fight for you want, or accept things the way they are; the courage to risk losing everything, the courage to accept that loss. There is a wonderful message in this film for all of us - for all those who care enough to see it, that is.

The Horse Whisperer is a film of contrasts: the driven career wife and mother whose husband and daughter don't quite meet her standard; the traditional ranch wife and mother who subordinates herself, with grace, to her family while wistfully wishing for just a bit more; the gifted horse trainer and cattle rancher who chose the rustic life over his city roots, at peace with his re-discovered values despite a painful divorce from the woman he loved; the loving husband who can never live up to his wife's expectations, though he spends his life trying to please her; the wounded teenage daughter who, unlike her father, rebels against her mother's attempts to mold her in her own image. The catalyst that brings all these contrasts together is a beautiful horse that is horribly injured, both physically and mentally, in an accident that also maims his young rider. Both are so traumatized that they have lost their will to battle their fear and despair. The mother finds a trainer known for his success in gentling troubled horses and drives horse and daughter from New York to Montana to meet him. His quiet strength, patience and ability to sense what is wrong has a profound effect, not only on the horse, but on the young daughter and her mother as well. The movie is long, but the healing process requires time. The pace of the film is appropriate to the unfolding of the story, the lush and majestic scenery and the serenity that seems to emanate from the vastness of the open spaces. The romance that develops between the mother and the trainer is poignant and compelling. The scene between them at the dance is worth the price of admission. Ultimately, the mother must make a choice between resuming her former life returning to (the city, her career and her family) and the seductive stability and tranquility she has come to cherish at the ranch with the man she truly loves and who loves her.

Redford and the entire cast is excellent. The music and scenery is excellent. Saw this movie for the first time three years ago. I rented it due to the "horse" plot and it ended up being a very important movie in my life. I was involved in some very personal problems with my family at the time. What was important to me was that even with the terrible situation Grace was in, there was a way to heal. The most important line in the movie was when Tom Booker makes the comment: "Knowing it is the easy part, saying it out loud is what's difficult" Oh how true this is. A lot of good thoughts in this one. It has my highest recommendation.

Robert Redford has no trouble with playing an aging cowboy named Tom. He pulls off the quiet, but sturdy cowboy image with perfection. Kristin Scott Thomas portrays Annie Maclean, a woman whose daughter's horse has been injured in an accident. The same accident caused her daughter, Grace, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, to lose one of her legs. She goes to Tom to get help for the "out of control" horse. Sam Neill plays her husband, and appears to be an afterthought. For animals lovers, this movie has a disturbing beginning. The movie is about relationships, daughter to mother; child to horse; husband to wife; man to horse. The scenery in this movie is breath taking, and Redford took full use of it while directing the movie.