The Horse Whisperer

Rating:
Summary: A Gorgeous, Quiet Movie (4.3 on a scale of 1 to 5)
Review: I first saw this movie when it came out five years ago. At the time, I was stirred by its quiet, gentle beauty and moving, realistic performances. I have seen it several times since and have enjoyed it every time. "The Horse Whisperer" delivers peace into my crazed life.
The story centers on a high powered Manattan magazine editor (Kristen Scott-Thomas) and her family. Her daughter becomes involved in a very serious accident with her horse, which results in the loss of one of her legs, the death of her best friend, and severe emotional and physical injury to her beloved horse. Several months later, her mother, at her wits end with her daughter's emotional state, drives the daughter and the horse out to Montana to visit a Horse Whisperer (Robert Redford), a man who can heal the most severely wounded creatures.

Of course, it is not just the horse or the daughter who need to be healed, but Scott-Thomas's character as well. However, the movie never verges on the maudlin and instead treats all of its characters and their issues with respect. The cinematography is gorgeous. Every time I see this movie, I want to get into my car and drive out to Montana.

I would recommend this movie to moviegoers who enjoy serious, modern stories. There is a strong romantic undercurrent to the story (inevitable with Redford in the lead) but it does not overwhelm the movie. I would not recommend this movie to individuals who need a lot of action or humor or adventure in their films. This film's beauty lies in subtle, quiet moments not overly dramatic scenes or heart stopping adventure.

Rating:
Summary: For the Horse Enthusiast
Review: The Horse Whisperer, a 1998 production by Touchstone Pictures and directed by Robert Redford runs for 169 minutes. Starring in this romance drama are Robert Redford and Kristin Scott Thomas. As the movie takes us from New York City across country to the open skies of Montana we see scenery unsurpassed by any other film of the year. You can almost spell the mountain air as we travel through the rolling hills of a working Montana cattle ranch. The Academy award nominated sound track adds the finishing touch.
We share in Annie MacLean's (Thomas) heartbreak when her daughter is involved in a tragic horseback riding accident. Thomas now has to overcome a stressed marriage and rebuild a relationship with her daughter. To do this, Thomas must help her daughter and her horse that was equally traumatized by the accident heal. Showing her domineering attitude Thomas decides against everyone's wishes to travel across country with her daughter and the horse to find the "Horse Whisperer".
Once there, not only does Thomas find help for her daughter and horse, she also finds love. We see Tom Booker's (Redford) caring touch reach everyone around him. As the daughter and horse heal we see Thomas's situation become more difficult. As the feelings between Redford and Thomas deepen we see her struggle to choose between her family and a Montana life she has grown to love. This is a drama to see, especially for the horse enthusiast. I give it four out of five stars.

Rating:
Summary: HORRIBLE
Review: Read the book, don't waste your time with the slop that they call a movie- if you've read the book, you know they did a terrible job making the movie. It doesn't even deserve the one star- but I had to give it at least that to rate it.

Rating:
Summary: A Hollywood Love Story for Humans AND Horselovers!
Review: I, like many people, went to see this movie hoping it would be about horses, with a little human intervention. However, with Robert Redford and Kriston Thomas, you gotta expect a steamy love story! This movie delivers BOTH, some for the horse lover, and some for the romantic. Montana is MAGNIFICENT in every way and so the setup is successful from the start. The story is of a young girl,Grace, who is involved in a tragic accident with her horse and her best girl friend. Grace's mother, Annie(Thomas), tries to find healing for her daughter and the horse, seeking out the help of Tom Booker(Redford) in Montana. I loved the performance of the young girl, Scarlett Johansen, and would like to see more of her. The horse scenes are thrilling for anyone who loves horses and the erotic tension between the married character of Thomas and the sexy cowboy-with-a-heart Redford left me wanting MORE! Also,the actual age difference between Thomas and Redford was more believable than I originally thought. I read the book so the ending was different in a very GOOD way. All in all a very beautiful movie!

Rating:
Summary: Three hours about a horse?
Review: Well, not quite. When one thinks about it, it's about hope, redemption and the saving of souls. It's about a family who's been torn apart through a grizzly accident, leaving one teenage girl dead, and another teenage girl and her prized horse mangled (both physically and mentally). It's about a family's thinly veiled serenity being suddenly unmasked, and in the wake exposes a great vulnerability that lets loose the undercurrent of depression, frustration and hostility.

Annie (Kristin Thomas), a head-strong, high-pressure magazine editor and world traveler is suddenly (and maybe for the first time) faced with something she is totally unprepared to handle--losing her daughter. Seeing the ever widening gulf, she becomes desperate enough to leave New York and seek help from an unusual animal healer, Tom Booker (Robert Redford), a so-called horse whisperer. Throwing caution to the wind, and against her husband's wishes (nicely played by Sam Neil), Annie forces Grace (her daughter) to accompany her and Pilgrim (Grace's horse) to a small ranch in the vastly open and rugged state of Montana.

This is where the pace of the movie suddenly changes from the beehive of "civilization" to one of sedate morning dew, deep blue skies, rugged mountain sunsets, and the home-spun reality of a rancher's way of life. Booker, who quickly realizes that he has much more than just a horse to heal, reluctantly takes on the chore. What follows is a deliberately paced process of healing.

Although this laid-back movie may not be to everyones' taste (or patience), it worked its magic on me. Between 1 and 10, I give "The Horse Whisperer" an 8. It's a shame we don't see more of Robert Redford, either behind the scenes as a director, or in front of the camera.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, spiritual story of hope and despair...
Review: "The Horse Whisperer" is unlike any other movie that I've seen. The story opens as a young girl, Grace, experiences a terrible accident while riding her horse, Pilgrim, on an icy road. Driven mad by shock and pain, Pilgrim is almost to the point of death. Grace is also in critical condition, for she has badly injured her right leg in the accident, and it must be amputated. Grace's mother Annie (Kristin Scott Thomas) reads about a man named Tom Booker (Robert Redford) who is known as a "horse whisperer," able to communicate and see into the troubled souls of these animals. A few days later, Annie, along with her hesitant daughter and Pilgrim in tow, sets out for Montana. There, at Mr. Booker's ranch, do you witness the amazing changes that occur as Tom begins to heal Pilgrim's spirit (along with Grace's). Soon after, Annie and Tom fall in love. The rest of the story unfolds in a symphonic display of love, hope, and miraculous recoveries. The film's ending is not your typical movie closing, but it is very good nonetheless. The beautiful Montana landscape adds to this special aura, and the characters are brilliant (both human and equine). I highly recommend this excellent movie to absolutely anyone. You'll fall in love with "The Horse Whisperer."

Rating:
Summary: An inspiring film for the whole family!
Review: Even someone who deosn't like horses will fall in love with this movie it deserves all five stars! A terrible acident takes place, will the victims ever recover? A cowboy has to look into the heart of a troubled horse to heal its inner wounds and regain its confidence. The only problem is that the girl who was also injured becomes just as frightened of the horse as it is of her. But do the horse and the girl play a part in the mending of the cowboy's heart, or is it her mother who realizes somthing about her current husband who happens to still be in New York at the time? You'll just have to wait and see as the road winds to the end of this inspiring movie.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful Movie, but didnt agree with everything.
Review: I love this movie sooo much I thought it was so moving. The love story the scenery, THE HORSES! Almost everything about it was just perfect. The one thing I did not find perfect was how they dealed with Scarlet Johansons horse. Robert Redford had no gift as far as I could see. Almost every method he used was the usual way of breaking a horse western style. Now they can do it that way, but you can do it much kinder and gentler and find the same results. If they wanted him to seem like a real Horse Whisperer They should have used Monty Roberts methods...He has a real gift. Now with all that aside I think everything else they portrayed with the horses was great and even though I dont agree with what Robert Redford was doing in the movie, I believe he Played the part well. Plus the end Result...when Scarlet Johansons character was able to ride again really gives you a good feeling. I really loved music as well it really came together with the movie. All and all I liked this movie so much I cried at the end (which I have only done in this movie and cold mountain...in otherwords I dont cry...EVER!) and afterwards I wanted to see it again right away.

Rating:
Summary: Subtlety is best whispered softly........
Review: This is a richly acted and beautifully photographed film about wounded psyches of both the human and animal kind. The disturbing horse/vehicle accident at the beginning of the film is realistic and even painful to watch but is essential in establishing the depth of the emotional torment that followed in its tragic and inevitable wake. Physically maimed for life, young Grace MacLean had a great deal of physical and emotional healing in her immediate future. I cannot say enough about the superb acting of young Scarlett Johansson in bringing a certain depth and sensitivity to this demanding role. She was simply brilliant in a quiet and understated way. Both Grace and her beloved horse "Pilgrim" who narrowly avoided being put down as a result of his awful trauma injuries are both destined to begin a slow emotional healing process even more painful than the setting of mere bone and scarred flesh. The restorative process leads Grace's high achieving mother Annie (Kristin Scott-Thomas) to take Grace and Pilgrim on a cross country motor journey to distant Montana to seek out the services of noted "horse whisperer" Tom Booker. Robert Redford was at his acting best in this role and in a minimalist way he quietly defined a serene and hard working rancher whose unique gift was an almost otherworldly understanding of animals. Annie had personal issues of her own to deal with that transcended the focus of the trip and she too had to sort through a complex stew of emotional feelings laid bare as a result of the experience. As the process of healing plays itself out over time at the Booker ranch, all too human emotional baggage attached to everyone involved is inevitably exposed, aided no doubt by a close and personal proximity. This is where Redford positively shined as director. He never forced issues, always allowing individual moments of epiphany to unfold in a naturally relaxed way. The film ends in a bittersweet but profoundly sober manner, not unlike the way life often unfolds for those with holes in their heart. Bring a handkerchief to this one, you'll not be disappointed. Whether you shed a tear of joy or sorrow matters not. You'll be richer for the experience.

Rating:
Summary: A role written for Redford.
Review: I'm a sucker for a Robert Redford film and after watching the Horse Whisperer I cannot think of any other actor who could have played the lead role better.

The film starts off innocently enough with two young girls Judith and Grace (played by excellent new actreess Scarlett Johansson) taking a horseback ride in the snow. There's a terrible accident in which Judith dies, Grace is crippled and Grace's horse is injured. The tragedy destroys both the horse's and Grace's trust and self-esteem.

Grace's mother, a busy magazine editor, eventually decides to take her daughter and horse to Tom Booker, the Horse Whisperer (Redford), in Montana. Tom's reluctant to help out but eventually gives in. Over time and away from the bustle of the big city the family starts to heal. Additonally, grace's mother gains a new perspective on life from Tom and ends up falling in love with him.

Despite being a long film it doesn't really get into the details of what horse whispering is, explain the troubled relationship between mother and father, or devle into why Tom falls in love with the mother (what was so great about her?) The film however does have some fine acting and a very peaceful feel to it. Recommend watching it after a hard days work, at the cabin, or on a lazy Sunday afternoon.