Moondance Alexander

It's the start of summer. Moondance Alexander (Kay Panabaker) is the school outcast whose yearbook nobody wants to sign. She talks to her father's grave. Her eccentric artist mother Gelsey (Lori Loughlin) doesn't really understand. Then she finds a horse by the side of the road and names him Checkers. The horse is returned to Tumbleweed Stables and the grumpy Dante Longpre (Don Johnson). The horse is actually named Tinkerbell. Moondance exchanges work for riding the horse. All the girls are mean but popular Josh might just like her especially when Josh's dad starts dating Moondance's mom. Moondance thinks Checkers might be a good jumper and enters her into the Bow Valley Classic against all the mean girls.

This is a super sweet unsurprising cliché-filled family movie. I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with that as long as it's done well. Don Johnson has the grumpy weary guy well in hand. Lori Loughlin could have been more flaky. At least she doesn't really fit the part. It's the super cute Kay Panabaker that makes this work. She's all hyper energy and willful joy. She is spunky enough to fill the whole movie with her energy. She is also a good enough actress to do the emotional moments too.

This is a very good family movie I enjoy the characters the actors are good. I enjoy watching horses. I really like Don Johnson in these wholesome family movies I think he's good at them. I wish she had made more. I believe this is something you can enjoy relax and not worry about language and all that other stuff it's a good family movie. This movie has good scenery. Don Johnson is I think a good actor in these types of films. I like him better in these types then Miami Vice that I just couldn't get into. Now it's telling me why review is just too short so I'm adding some words. Not sure if this is a Hallmark movie but you could consider it a Hallmark movie.

This is your traditional "girl meets horse" story, but its got such a talented cast -- Don and Lori whom I've grown up watching and Kay, who I've watched grow up and of whom am very proud and endeared -- that I had to give it an extra star just for them.

It does a good job, perhaps almost too good, of covering up things that we may not want the children to understand quite yet, but it is also very, very true to the experience of a girl and her first horse. There were scenes I could practically smell the leather of the saddle and the dust and straw of the stables. :)

It's refreshing to see all three in a good, family-oriented film, to see how well all three have been doing, and the film itself may even spark some unexpected conversations with the audience!

I've got to say, this is one of my favorite horse movies out there. It shows the tale of a different and quirky girl meeting a different and quirky horse who just want to fit in a little more. It also shows that sometimes being different is the best way to fit in- something almost no other horse movie shows. The only things that I don't really like is that at first, Moondance clearly doesn't know much about horses but yet still knows how to ride and knows some of the terms (example: "forelock"). I also thought it was a bit of a cliché to make the very girls who bully her at school also her rivals in the horse world. But it's a beautiful movie, so it doesn't really matter. This cute little movie is unfortunately underrated and I can't figure out why. It shows that being different is okay and you can do your own thing and I love the way it shows the magical connection that there should be between a horse and rider. The fact that this movie is based on a true story is even more magical. It tugged at my heartstrings. All the actors also suited their characters very well and were great at playing them. I couldn't imagine this movie any other way. If you're looking for a horse movie that's something a bit different with a moral, look no further!

Kay Panabaker plays a very likable protagonist. This is a good, clean movie about embracing change. Moondance finds a new activity to occupy her summer, while she also copes with her widowed mom getting a boyfriend. And the ranch owner, Dante, comes to accept this girl reopening his life.

You feel really bad for Moondance in the beginning. She is a bullied teenager with no friends. But she remains warm and friendly with people, and finds ways to keep herself busy.