"We lost our jobs, our community, even our pride. And then Dream came along and reminded us what life is like when you are home."
Dream Horse tells the inspiring true story of Dream Alliance, an unlikely race horse bred by small town Welsh bartender Jan Vokes. With very little money and no experience, Jan convinces her neighbors to chip in their meager earnings to help raise Dream in the hopes he can compete with the racing elites. The group's investment pays off as Dream rises through the ranks with grit and determination, showing the heart of a true champion. This is what we call a crowd-pleaser. Everything about it is there to make you feel the triumphs and defeats everyone goes through on the path to victory. For that reason, the story goes where you think it would. It hits all those beats in both drama, comedy, suspense, and scenes trying to get you to cry with the characters. That's not necessarily a bad thing because it's 100% expected going in. It does take away from the movie, though, and it might be its biggest weakness. Still, the story is very enjoyable. Which makes sense for its extremely high rating of 90% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Some of the writing isn't as good as it could be, falling into cliches. But there are some scenes that work well with the characters. If you're gonna watch the movie for anything, it's Toni Collette. Her portrayal of Jan is fun and just the right central character needed. I don't know. There's not much more to be said. It's predictable and cheesy, but that's all part of the experience. I like Dream Horse and it's a quality movie to watch if you want to watch something with heart.
