The Horse Whisperer (1998)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Robert Redford

Writers (WGA):

Nick Evans (novel)
Eric Roth (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Plot:

The mother of a severely traumatized daughter enlists the aid of a unique horse trainer to help the girl's equally injured horse.

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Montana | Ranch | Horse Trainer | Rural

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Tom Booker
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Annie MacLean
Sam Neill	...	Robert MacLean
Dianne Wiest	...	Diane Booker
Scarlett Johansson	...	Grace MacLean
Chris Cooper	...	Frank Booker
Cherry Jones	...	Liz Hammond
Ty Hillman	...	Joe Booker
Kate Bosworth	...	Judith (as Catherine Bosworth)
Austin Schwarz	...	Twin #1
Dustin Schwarz	...	Twin #2
Jeanette Nolan	...	Ellen Booker
Steve Frye	...	Hank
Don Edwards	...	Smokey
Jessalyn Gilsig	...	Lucy, Annie's Assistant

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for a disturbing accident scene.

Runtime:

170 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:10 | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #36000) | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Baker, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Was filmed in the same area as another Robert Redford film, A River Runs Through it, up the Boulder Valley, south of a small Montana town called Big Timber.

Goofs:

Continuity: Gulliver's protective bandaging changes from red to white (when he rears up). The bandages disappear when he breaks his ankle and slides down the bank but are present in the next shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Judith: [waves] Hello!
Grace: [waves] Hello!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: Saving Private Brian (#5.4)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

A Soft Place to Fall

The Horse Whisperer

This is a unique, moving story about a girl whose tragic horse-riding accident and subsequent trauma led her family to Montana in search of the man known as the Horse Whisperer. Little did they know that their lives were about to change forever during these few, memorable days spent on the farm. This is a truly beautiful story, a story for sensitive souls, a story for those who care about animals as much as people. The characters are finely drawn and it is a pleasure to watch them unfold as the film progresses. The dialogues are often memorable and wonderfully devoid of the clichés that most Hollywood productions are sprinkled with.

This is a film for people who understand that the 'little' moments in life are the best; a film where pictures truly speak more than a thousand words.

It is a story of love and courage, the courage to fight for you want, or accept things the way they are; the courage to risk losing everything, the courage to accept that loss. There is a wonderful message in this film for all of us - for all those who care enough to see it, that is.