Rating: 
Summary: not good for 16 X 9 widesreen t.v.'s
Review: The film is great!!! However I just bought a 16 X 9 widescreen t.v. and this film in its letterbox format has black mattes at top and bottom which each take up 1/4 of the vertical screen. The image is presented as it was in the theatre, but even on my 55inch t.v. is only about 15 inches in height. If you have a big-screen 16 X 9 aspect t.v. then stay away from letterboxed dvds. Anamorphic widescreen is what you're looking for....
Rating: 
Summary: Why Couldn't Kristin Scott Thomas die alone in a cave again?
Review: Movie Summary: A horse and a girl get hit by a truck. The unlikable mother of the girl takes both the injured girl and horse west to be healed by a horse whisperer. My Opinion: I know that this is by no means a guy movie, but hey I really liked The Bridges of Madison County. I held my breath waiting to see if Meryl Streep was going to open the car door and run through the rain back to Clint Eastwood. There is nothing like this in THW. Robert Redford's character is great, but there is no reason what so ever for him to like much less fall in love with the girl's mother. She has no redeeming qualities. I found him falling in love with her completely unbelievable. Besides that, everything happens so slowly that it's painful. I could have read the novel in less time! The kind thing would have been to put down the horse and end the movie at 30 minutes. DVD Quality: Doesn't make any difference. What You Should Do: Don't buy it, or rent it. Watch it on cable if you must, but be warned you'll fall asleep or at least wish you had.
Rating: 
Summary: A surprising and moving movie experience
Review: The Horse Whisperer Score: 83/100 Adapted from Nick Evan's stunning novel, The Horse Whisperer is an endearing and surprising look into country life and healing horses. It opens with a truly haunting scene, and just continues to get better and better. By the end of the movie, you'll be trying with a lot of effort to catch your breath...this is one heck of a film, really it is, so don't miss out. It is a cold winter day. Grace (Scarlett Johansson) and her best friend Judith (Kate Bosworth) go for a ride with their horses, but a terrible accident changes her life forever. A truck hits them; Judith and her horse are killed, while Grace and her horse Pilgrim are seriously injured, both physically and mentally. In an attempt to bring Pilgrim back from his now savage condition, Grace's mother Annie (Kristin Scott Thomas) takes them to Montana in search for Tom Booker (Robert Redford). Tom is a "horse Whisperer", a cowboy with the ability to "communicate" with horses. In the land of the Wild West Annie will change the way she sees life forever, as the wise cowboy slowly heals the souls of Pilgrim and Grace... It's not perfect, and the running time is, as with all Robert Redford's films, over-long, but the 2-and-a-half-hour's buzz by, it seems like your only sitting in your seat for a half an hour. Still, 2.5 hours is just pushing the limit. But, as I said, that doesn't effect us, Robert Redford's direction is hard not to praise, he brings Nick Evan's great novel stunningly to life, the film has a largely plausible cinematographer, and the whole movie looks like a crystal clear dream. Also commendable are the amazing performances, the British Kristin Scott Thomas is on fire as Annie, she has a fiery chemistry with Robert Redford (also directing). However, the main acting star is surprisingly teen actor Scarlett Johansson, who brings the emotionally scarred Grace truthfully to life, her performance is truly moving, she plays a character, not an actor, and that is an extremely hard thing for an actress her age to do. The Horse Whisperer not only demands repeated viewings, it commands to be praised, and it is. Very highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Love live and learn
Review: I just watched this movie and I cried of joy and sadness. It is soooooo good though. I loved it and I'm going to watch it agian to catch the details!
Rating:
Summary: Moving and inspiring!
Review: An extremely moving blend of visual imagery and a compelling story of strength, love and realizations, "The Horse Whisperer" brings to life one of the bext novels ever written, while also giving the audience a movie that sets a new standard for emotion and feeling. It's a film that makes us laugh and a cry, a movie that depresses us as well as gives us an uplifting sense of wonder and awe. This has got to be one of the best movies ever made. When her daughter Grace is critically injured while riding her horse, her business-oriented parents go through the painful decision of having her legs removed, which comes as a shock to Grace when she awakens from her coma. What's more, the horse is left with severe physical and emotional scars, none of which anyone can or knows how to heal. Even as the horse becomes increasingly distant and violent when approached by a human, Grace's mother, Annie, refuses to allow the animal to be put down, and begins researching methods and techniques of horse recuperation. When she comes across a magazine article about "horse whisperers," she makes a call to the man interviewed in the article, Tom Booker, who is unable to help her. While shown in theaters, up until this moment of the movie, the film is shown in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, which is to reflect the cramped, noisy lifestyle that Annie lives in. Determined to find a cure for her daughter's horse as well as to mend their dwindling relationship, she packs the horse and her crippled daughter into their car and takes them on a road trip to Montana, where the film then takes on the aspect ratio of 2.35:1, allowing us to enjoy the full splendor of the surrounding hills and mountains. When they reach their destination, Tom agrees to help her so long as Grace is willing to offer her help. Willing the horse back to its normal attitude proves to be no easy task, though Tom has extreme patience in dealing with the animal. As the progress begins to grow, so does the bond between Annie and Tom, as well as the relationship between mother and daughter. But will Annie's and Tom's differences keep them apart? And what about her husband, who is waiting for results back in the city? The movie takes its time in exploring its plot, giving us nothing but meticulous detail in every nuance of the story. There is never a moment throughout the movie when we do not know what kind of feelings each character is going through, nor are we left in the dark when something intrical to the advancement of the plot occurs. While it may look as simple as the country life it portrays, the story is utterly complex and moving, finely tuned with emotion and themes of love, sadness, and natural beauty. The extensive visual imagery and settings are so gorgeous and so large that some of the shots almost swallow the characters. The beauty of the mountain ranges and low-lying valleys of Montana and the Midwest are so satisfying that they alone are worth going to see the movie if for nothing else. They also act as a symbolization of the characters' feelings, because throughout the movie, most of the characters at some time feel lost and confused, which is underlined by the vast amounts of open space that surrounds them all. I don't think there has ever been a film so far that has been able to give us such a wondrous canvas of natural beauty like this one has done. Character development is done with such terrific clarity that I was able to identify emotionally with different characters on different levels. Tom Booker is played superbly by Robert Redford, and is the embodiment of the simplistic, easy-going rancher who is not satisfied with material possessions, but more with the joy he gets from his family and his work. Annie is played by Kristin Scott Thomas, who delivers a powerful and complex performance in making us believe in her struggles with her daughter and the horse. The love story angle that Annie and Tom share is a moving and brilliant emotional display, and what is even better about it is that it does not become so overly-engrossing that is consumes the main focus of the story, which is the horse's recovery. As "The Horse Whisperer" unfolds, you'll find yourself moved by every waking minute of its complex plot and involving characters. The core of this movie is nothing but heart, and lots of it, which is enough for a tear-jerker as well as a truly uplifting experience.
Rating: 
Summary: The best and the worst ever
Review: I read the book after seeing the movie. The plot became much clearer after the book. I didn't mind the length of the movie. I could have easily watched a longer story. The casting of Robert and Grace was excellent. They made the movie. Redford and Thomas had absolutely no chemistry. The romance part of the movie was never believable. In the book there was not a great age difference and it was handled much better. Annie was never a really likeable character. Her only redeeming characteristic was her love for her child and that only came out after the accident. Robert was a much better parent and more likable person. I could see him taking Grace and Pilgrim to Tom Booker instead of Annie, however, we couldn't have had a love story with the horse whisperer. The scenery is beautiful and the story is sad, haunting, beautiful, and unforgetable. The book was so much better than the movie
Rating:
Summary: Too many parts left out
Review: I read the book about three or four years before the movie came out and I loved it. However, the movie is totally different. There are a ton of parts missing from the storyline. It was definitely a let down. I think I would've liked the movie better had I not read the book first. I would recommend that you don't read the book before you watch the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, sprawling story
Review: I just finished watching the DVD version of this movie, and I was very impressed. The DVD is in widescreen and does a good job of capturing the scenic vistas of Montana. The soundtrack is also very good. The story is very engrossing and a pleasure to watch. If there is anything wrong with this DVD, it is the lack of extras, just a trailer. A making of the movie, or behind the scenes extra would have been nice.
Rating:
Summary: What a love story!
Review: A love story indeed! A young girl's love for her horse and an unlikely couple's love for romance.....Through tragedy a young girl and her mother get to do some deep soul searching...the scenery is wonderful and the simple way of life that the movie portrays is quite refreshing in our hurry up and wait world today. A definate tear jerker! Two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful cinematography, plodding pace
Review: I'm a fan of both Redford and Thomas, but this movie didn't do it for me. The scenery was beautiful, but the film's schmaltz factor was too high for my taste. And at almost 3 hours in length, the movie would benefit from further editing. If you're in the mood for a long romance and you've got a few hours to spare, consider it...but don't go in with high expectations.
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