The Horse Whisperer (1998)

Sometimes people carry wounds more on the inside than outside. Beyond the reach of a doctor's knife, skill or medicine, or despite them, despair and gloom consume hearts. This is the case for both a girl and horse, Grace and Pilgrim, who barely managed to survive a tragic accident together. Even though Pilgrim appears beyond help, Grace's mother Annie is determined to see to his recovery. She hopes the horse will help make Grace happy again. Annie reads of a mysterious horse healer in Montana who sees into troubled souls and soothes inner wounds. Soon Annie, Grace and Pilgrim are headed across the country in a desperate bid to hire this horse whisperer and rebuild their lives.Montana with its big sky, spectacular snow-capped mountains and resplendent Yellowstone River valley bathed in moonlight, is one of the stars of the film. Other stars, both rising and established, include Robert Redford (the horse whisperer), Kristin Scott Thomas (Annie), Scarlett Johansson (Grace) and Sam Neill (Annie's husband). Redford is in his element. He carries the film with his rugged Western charm, folksy wisdom and wry humor. The connections he establishes with the other characters seem real. Much of the satisfaction of this film comes from its compelling themes; determining strengths and weaknesses, recovering from tragedy, rebuilding trust, the power of nature and good people in the healing process, the importance of patience and providing space for those in need, human sympathy with animals, and more.

"The Horse Whisperer" (1998) is a drama with Western elements starring Kristin Scott Thomas as Annie, a workaholic magazine editor from the Big Apple, who takes her troubled daughter (Scarlett Johansson) and horse across the country for succor after a horrible tragedy. Can Montanan horse expert Tom Booker (Robert Redford) help them? Sam Neill is on hand as Annie's husband in an aloof marriage.This is an outstanding drama that proves that ordinary life conveyed effectively is more engaging than the most overblown CGI-laden blockbuster with constant "exciting" things going on. Those types of movies have their place, of course, but they're usually only good when they include elements of ordinary life in which the viewer can relate (2009's "Star Trek" and 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness" are good examples). As my title blurb points out, "The Horse Whisperer" is so potent it's a veritable spiritual experience (which I'll explain momentarily); you just have to be in the right mode for a long drama.One critic said Annie (Scott Thomans) and Tom (Redford) lack chemistry. Poppycock. Do you think director Redford would even do the film without the right actress in the starring role, an actress he had great chemistry with? Besides, the film itself proves this criticism wrong: There's a barn dance sequence late in the film that builds-up to a dance scene. Tom and Annie look deeply at each other from across the room until they ultimately come together, while still looking into each other's eyes. This is EXACTLY how a man and woman look at one another when they love each other. The film expertly captures this intangible element.Despite the above scene, "The Horse Whisperer" doesn't play like a steamy romance novel at all (not that I've ever read one, lol). Redford was 61 during filming and looks it, even though he definitely looked good for his age (Scott Thomas was 36-37, by the way). As such, the love elements are decidedly low-key – a look, a touch, a word – elements that slowly build over the course of the story. I'm not going to say any more or give away the ending, but it concludes the way it had to – excellent job on this front.Johansson does a great job, particularly considering she was only 12 during filming. It goes without saying, don't expect the voluptuous young woman she would soon blossom into for 2002's "Eight Legged Freaks" or 2003's awesome "Lost in Translation." Why do I call "The Horse Whisperer" a veritable spiritual experience? Because everything about it works to produce this effect – the story, the music, the cinematography, the locations – and maybe especially because it's a film about healing. Both Grace (Scarlett) and the horse desperately need healing, but so do Annie and her marriage; and I think maybe even Tom Booker.I don't know how else to describe "The Horse Whisperer" except to say that it's just a beautiful film and easily one of the greatest dramas ever made. If you love great films like "Grand Canyon" (1991), "The Green Mile" (1999), "Whale Rider" (2002) and "Dances With Wolves" (1990) you will also love this one. "The Horse Whisperer" shares qualities of these excellent movies, but is unique.To close, I'd like to share a powerful scene from late in the film (you might not want to read further if you haven't seen the movie, but it's only a mild spoiler at best): Booker tells Grace about this Blackfoot boy whom he was friends with and who became a paraplegic after an accident. Tom would visit him now and then, but the spirited boy he once knew was gone. It was as if he "just went somewhere else." Grace responds, "I know where he goes." The film runs 2 hours and 49 minutes and was shot on location in New York and Montana.GRADE: A

Annie MacLean (Kristin Scott Thomas) is a bossy editor at a magazine and facing accusation of misconduct in her job. Her daughter Grace (Scarlett Johansson) goes riding her horse Pilgrim with her friend Judith (Kate Bosworth). An accident leaves them run over by a truck. Judith is killed while Grace loses a leg and Pilgrim suffers traumatic injuries. Annie is stubborn and dismayed at Grace's depression. She tracks down Montana rancher Tom Booker (Robert Redford) or the Horse Whisperer to help. She drags Grace and Pilgrim to Montana despite her husband Robert (Sam Neill), Grace and Tom's objection. She surprises Tom at his range where he lives with his brother Frank (Chris Cooper), Frank's wife Diane (Dianne Wiest) and family.It's a very interesting start. It's a nice family drama for almost an hour. There is a lot of good family relation dysfunction set up. Then they get to Montana and Redford slows everything down. I don't ride and the horse whispering doesn't appeal to me. There is some beautiful slow whispering but the mother takes away too much of the focus. The mother's development goes into an unnecessary place. It only takes the story away from the daughter. The family dysfunction is still good but it just devolves into something less compelling. It spends too much time on unnecessary and distracting issues.

If you're Robert Redford, you have the clout to make a movie with a solid cast, outstanding cinematography, and great production values. This movie has all those things, plus horses as an added bonus. Unfortunately, the story is the sort of romantic fantasy that is often called "chick flick." Redford plays the Perfect Man--a cowboy who understands women and horses, listens to classical music, is a source of wisdom and good counsel for all who come his way, and is ruggedly handsome to boot. Even Kristen Scott Thomas, a tough New York magazine editor, is a pushover for him. He fixes her broken daughter and her broken daughter's horse and then proves so irresistible to Kristen Scott Thomas that she is ready to abandon husband and career to live out her days on a Montana ranch.There is one really nasty scene whose nastiness seems to have escaped the film-makers. It takes place at a barn dance. Kristen Scott Thomas's husband has arrived from New York. Redford and Kristen Scott Thomas have a steamy dance in which they explore each other while her husband sits nearby, fortunately not looking their way. No one seems aware of how cheap and low their behavior is.Scratch a romantic chick flick--at least this one--and underneath it's all horse manure.