Customer Reviews

The Horse Whisperer

5 star:		(123)
4 star:		(48)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

The Horse Whisperer is not a typical Hollywood movie. But then, none of the films Redford has directed, are in any way typical. The first time I really took notice of his work, was after seeing "A River Runs Through It". He had managed to tell a brutal, sad story in a mystical way that held me spell-bound.

Whisperer takes that feeling one step further. It will hold you and then squeeze your heart till the tears come. This is not a sad film however. It is the story of a spiritual journey that a family makes with the aid of a talented guide, Tom Booker, (played by Redford himself). Each of them takes their own paths but make it through some trying times, emerging stronger than when they began.

The story gets going as a result of a terrible accident involving two young girls who are out riding in icy, lightly forested terrain. The lone survivor, Grace, is traumatised by the loss of her friend, her foot and, in another way, her horse Pilgrim. Not that Pilgrim was killed, despite the wishes of the local veterinarian, but it was not the same, sane horse that it had been.

The normal tensions that existed within the family are magnified by the aftermath of the accident. Grace becomes withdrawn, suffering guilt and shame which show themselves in her bitterness toward her parents, Annie and Robert. At the same time she makes a connection between herself and Pilgrim. The horse's fate seems to be a grim portent of her own future; scarred, maddened and kept in a dark and lonely place.

Annie's desperate search for a treatment for Pilgrim is therefore very understandable. She hopes to build a bridge back to the world for her daughter, by healing Pilgrim. Here enters the almost magical legend of the Horse Whisperers. A breed of men, so in tune with horses, that they are said to be able to talk with them... to look into the soul of the beast and calm its raging spirit.

Tom Booker seems to have a healthy scepticism for the legend however and makes his down to earth philosophy pretty clear from the first moment when we hear him say, " Well truth is, I help horses with people problems."

Despite Tom and Robert's reluctance, Annie drags Grace from her pit of despair, to cross the country on the slim hope of making everything right again, on a Montana ranch, with a little help from a horse whisperer. Her expectation are rudely shattered within hours of arriving. Tom doesn't act like a paid specialist. From the outset it is clear to him that young Grace needs as much healing as Pilgrim. And this is a load he seems more than capable of bearing.

By now we are well and truly hooked by the story. But the best is yet to come. Redford clearly loves the great outdoors and his feeling shouts from the big screen. Montana must be God's own country because it is breathtaking. Now add a dash of wholesome family values, good old hard work, reluctant romance and a pinch of equine shamanism and you've got something special.

The Horse Whisperer is a movie that makes you feel like dozing in the long grass, on a lazy Summer afternoon. Don't be afraid of grass stains; go see this unusual film and have a roll in the grass for me.

Many have already addressed the plot of this film, so I will not not go into detail. However, I feel compelled to touch upon the visual storytelling in this film.

Movies are first and foremost imagery. As many legendary filmmakers have said, a good film can be watched with the sound turned off and still communicate every bit of the story and emotion through the images alone. This includes cinematography but goes light years beyond lighting and framing a scene. Each shot must be planned and designed, from sets to props to location scouting, from blocking the actors' movements to using color and shapes, textures, and spatial relationships. All these must communicate the text and subtext simultaneously.

I said all that to say this: Redford and his team blew me away with "The Horse Whisperer." The first act alone is filled with enough information in every corner of the screen to chew on for days. One example among dozens is the use of symmetry, parallel lines, and perpendicularity in the city scenes - even in the arrangement of books in the background, pens on a desk, or the window blinds in a hospital - to convey the superficially ordered control of Anne's life. This is contrasted with the organic sweeping curves of the farm landscapes where Grace's accident occurs. The confined spaces and straight streets of New York are gradually and gracefully replaced with the curves of the highways as Anne drives west until she reaches the Rockies in all their chaotically ingenious immensity.

And apart from all this, I was also deeply effected emotionally by this movie. Yes, it takes its time telling the story. But such stories in our own lives take time to unfold. And real, subtle moments deserve as much time to play out as they need. Grace's recovery from the death of her friend and the injuries to the body and spirit of herself and her faithful horse Pilgrim are also expertly crafted. It has personal resonance in my family because we faced many of the same trials and frustrations when my wife was injured by a tornado a year after we married. She was touched and encouraged by this film.

Thomas Newman's score is his masterwork. It brought me to tears during the end credits.

Grace is also perfectly portrayed by the then-unknown Scarlett Johansson. Most people seem to forget she was in "The Horse Whisperer," but I will always associate this film with Scarlett and her with it.

The Horse Whisperer is sucha beautiful film it takes your breath away. The film's stunning cinematography, it's awesome acting and great storyline make it a 4 star movie and one of the best of 1998.

Scarlett Johnasson is the star of the show, she plays 14 year old Grace, a horse-lover who has just had a terrible accident with her friend. Her mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) helps her daughter and her horse, Pilgrim by taking her to a 'horse whisperer '(Robert Redford) who can heal horses.

This is a very sad, beautiful and lovely movie and don't be put off by it's mammoth length (2 hours, 48 minutes) - to me it felt like 1 hour rather than 3.

"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."

This is a unique movie from the millions of others out there. The plot starts with Grace(Scarlett Johansson) and her best friend meeting to go horse back riding and with Grace's mom Annie (Kristin Scott Thomas) working hard in her magazine office. When the girls are riding a tramatic and tragic accident happens causing the death of Grace's best friend and severe injuries to both Grace and her horse Pilgrim. Grace's right leg is severely hurt so they must amputate it. With her daughter becoming more distant from the family and Pilgrim becoming more afraid of humans, Annie is desperate to find relief or an answer somewhere. She reads an article about a horse whisperer named Tom Booker (Robert Redford) who heals horses. Anxious to give it a try, Annie, Grace, and Pilgrim travel from their home in New York to a cattle ranch in Montana and begin Pilgrim's healing process while Grace's father stays behind. What no one expected was the love situation that would come about when Tom and Annie met. Combined with a teriffic plot and the beautiful Montana scenery, this is definitely a movie not to be missed.

When you first see this movie it already leaves you feeling emotionally connected. But when you see it the second time and know for sure how the events pull out it leaves you in tears. This movie is so emotional in how they played out Pilgrim, and Grace's fall. Then the trama that followed. This is not a soap opera but it teaches you something. It teaches you the value of love, and life.

I don't see why so many people are rating this so badly. Trust me if you haven't seen it yet and you love horses. You'll love this movie. But if you don't that is true too. You know I've seen this movie many times and it always has some emotional parts left. I have tears when seeing it. But this movie teaches so much and was so beautifully done it's a must see for anyone.

The story was awesome and there was never a dull moment. Sure it's not an action or an adventure. But it's not a soap opera either as some people might believe.

All and all this is a must see for anyone.

I've always been a big Redford fan. But let's face it, he can be a little stiff. In this movie, he moves the movie along with the smallest effort. A look here, a small sentence there. And all the while, he's seeing right through the mother.

This is a great movie if you have interest in children or animals and righting a wrong. Redford takes a mentally and physically damaged horse and is asked to magically cure it. But it's really the humans that need the help and Redford eventually works his magic on the daughter.

I read the book first and it is very touching. The written description of the accident is chilling and Redford does a great job of recreating that scene in this movie. Watch this movie as it will eventually be known as a Redford classic of his real loves of the West and nature.

For any one who is interested in the animal/human spirit connection, this is a film you mustn't miss. Robert Redford's direction of 'The Horse Whisperer' is a triumph. A deeply emotionally touching film, in which Redford also stars,it offers stunning scenery and cinematography as well as many beautiful layers of metaphor, symbology and juxtaposition. It's a film which explores themes of redemption and healing. Healing of both the human and animal spirit as well as the healing of broken relationships and families.
Grace's broken body and spirit (The result of a devastating riding accident, resulting in her best friends death) as well as her troubled relationship with Mother 'Annie',are beautifully juxtaposed with that of her badly injured and traumatised, beloved horse Pilgrim. The failing marriage of her parents,contributing further to the disconnection of the family unit, also adds another interesting layer to the film and plot.
Enter 'Tom Booker' reluctantly persuaded out of semi-retirement by the persistant Annie as the especially skilled and gifted horse trainer/healer (or 'Horse Whisperer' as legend has it), and who also becomes the catalyst in the bridging of the gaps between each member of this family in crisis. Their time spent away from New York in the beautiful natural 'Montanna' setting with Booker(and family),along with Pilgrim's difficult and gradual journey back through Bookers 'healing ways', gives Grace the faith, confidence and inspiration she herself needs to regain her strength of spirit and will to overcome her physical obstacle. It also helps in offering a way for Mother and daughter to reconnect. Through Grace's traumatic accident and away from her familiar enviroment Annie's character is forced to re-think her life as the previously workaholic and somewhat controlling absent parent. The attraction and connection between Tom Booker and Annie obviously adds the obligatory Romantic interest, but more importantly it provides the final turning point for Annie's character, when she is forced to make a choice between her own quest for personal happiness and what is ultimately best for her daughter.
Kristen Scott Thomas (Annie) and a very young Scarlett Johansson (Grace) are superb in their roles. Sam Neill plays his small supporting role as the husband and Father, nicely and an although aging 'Robert Redford' is still convincing and ruggedly charimastic as Booker. The real star of this film however is Redford's direction and camera team. The film is so visually powerful; full of both subtle nuances and dramatic contrasts of light,darkness,sound and setting. Be warned there are some confronting scenes. As an animal lover I admit I found the graphically dramatic depiction of the horsing accident and Pilgrim's terror and suffering, quite unsettling and difficult to watch. The breathtaking Montanna scenery is a welcoming escape and contrast from the dark, synthetic and repressive New York City scenes. When Grace and Annie set off on their rambling long journey across mid-north America with horse in tow, the mood becomes one full of hope and adventure. Gradually too the characters regain hope and strength through this adventure and long journey of the human soul. In a sense they are reborn; revived by nature and the deep bond which exists between animal and human. That is ultimately what moved me the most about this story.
The critics as I remember didn't give this film its due when it came out. Many fobbed it off as some sort of sentimental, contrived 'Robert Redford Vehicle'. Far from it. It is an exceptionally well acted, well crafted, deeply moving and inspiring story and movie experience.

The Horse Whisperer is a wonderful film, one that takes us on the journey of a wife and mother's feelings and emotions. When her daughter is injured in an accident involving her horse, she drives them both across the country to have a man known as the horse whisperer take a look at the horse and try to bring him back to his olf self. It is so full of wonderful elements, especially the soundtrack. The score is full of beautiful melodies and haunting ballads. This DVD is not the best, though. The soundtracks are only 5.1 Dolby Digital, and don't include a Dolby Surround 2.0 track. And there are hardly any special features.

Years ago I read the book about the life of Monty Roberts, The man who listens to horses, a real life horse whisperer, and it is fantastic. When my husband brought home this film I was hoping it would be based on his life or his methods. Robert's gift is the knowledge that gentling and gaining the trust of the horse is all about the listening, not the talking even if it is a whisper.

This film, which is another story entirely, starts of with one of the most incredible opening scenes ever. Also, the relationships between the teen and her horse, girlfriend, and mother are all very real.

Unfortunately, the whole horse whispering plot was not nearly so strong. Redford did not seem to have a genuine relationship with any of his own horses, in fact none even seemed to have names. Whereas Monty, a real horse whisperer, always brought a presence of calm and confidence to horses, often Redford agitated the horse star Pilgrim using more of "tough love" methods making observers including the teen girl have to shade eyes and look away. At one point Redford ties one of the horses legs and brings him to the ground in dog- like submission, a very unnatural, terrifying position for a horse. It made me remember one of the methods Monty's SOB father would use to break his horses, and one Monty found entirely unnecessary and harmful to a horses spirit.

If you are an animal lover looking for a film for insights on animal human relationships, look elsewhere. If you are a Robert Redford fan and enjoy scenic movies with spectacular filming, you may want to give it a try.