The Dark Horse

Dana (Carol Roscoe) was an aspiring ballet dancer who got seriously hurt, ending her dream of appearing on stage. Now, she teaches ballet to an assortment of beginning students in Seattle and lives in a lower rent apartment above a drugstore. There is no man in her life, either. One day, her adult brother calls and summons her home to their childhood farm on Orcas Island, a ferry ride from the Wet City. She goes. Awaiting her are a bevy of problems. Her father is developing Alzheimers, although he has many moments of clarity. Then, her stubborn mother has "credit-carded" the purchase of a beautiful but wild horse she means to tame enough to sell for bigger bucks. So far, the equine is jumpy. Worst of all, the farm is in foreclosure, due to dwindling profits from the orchard and an assortment of other misfortunes. Can Dana help save the family farm? Will she get on a horse, as she swore never to do again, to help tame the animal to showcase for the much-needed money? First, although this film has few stars, it is quite well done. The family dynamics is interesting, to say the least, when it includes a child with autism, a grandpa with Alzheimers, and a sister-in-law who has been involved with both brothers, at various times. One could almost say there are two many problems for one film. On the plus side, the scenery on Orcas Island is terrific, a more rustic but still wildly beautiful than the one shown in the film Lucky Seven, which was also set on Orcas. Also, the flick's horses are truly lovely, too, but there is not an abundance of screen time devoted to them. Horse fans, therefore, may be somewhat disappointed. Nevertheless, those seeking something quieter and more thoughtful than the usual Tinseltown fare will be rewarded when bringing this one home.

This movie was obviously a labor of love, but is probably only important to the people involved with its creation. Everything always seems only half-developed; the pace of the story is slow and arduous, the characters are neither convincing enough nor likable enough, and nothing engaging or endearing or emotionally gripping enough to keep your interest. Even the horse seems tangential; you learn nothing of dressage and see more of the competition's performance than the pair for which you're supposed to be rooting. The story ends and you're never exactly sure what you're supposed to take away from the movie.The soundtrack also seems to be constantly waffling between genres, between folksy americana and instrumental celtic pieces better suited for sweeping Irish vistas. The one saving grace for the movie is the lovely songs performed by the Wailing Jennys. But overall, unfulfilling and disappointing. Would not recommend.

The real reason I purchased this movie was because of its setting - in the San Juan Islands and east of Seattle. I admit to being homesick! This is not really a "horse" movie and really doesn't spend any time on dressage. It is, rather, a story of family interaction. I thought, unlike other reviewers, that the cast did pretty well with the sketchy material they were given. It didn't bother me that everyone was "unlovable" - I thought they were rather interesting as they were. They reminded me a bit of my family, for good or bad. However, the pace of the movie was very slow, and I felt we could have gotten to know the characters a lot better in 2 hours.

I really found nothing to like about the movie. We had better actors in my high school drama class. I am not a horse person per se, however I do love horses and ride whenever I have the opportunity. I suppose this flick was meant to be a paean to our equine friends, however this clumsily handled production left me so cold I wouldn't have been bothered if the herd was sent to the glue factory. And the beginning with the ballet class, what was that all about? The actress playing the role of Dana the ballet instructor was not credible as she had neither the carriage nor grace of someone who studied ballet past third grade. In all honesty I popped out the DVD halfway through and was resentful that I paid $1.20 to rent it.

The title leads you to believe it will be a horse story BUT it is NOT. Bad acting, bad storyline, bad movie, a real waste of time. Stopped watching after about 1/2 hour when it became obvious it wasn'r about horses.