The Horses of McBride (2012)

This is a true story about a father and his daughter who mobilize the residents of a small Canadian town near McBride B.C to rescue two starving horses trapped on a snow covered mountainside. First discovered by snowmobilers the story is soon picked up by the media and the entire country watches the community pull together, digging a mile long trench through 10 feet deep snow back onto a logging road to rescue the abandoned horses.This made for TV movie runs every Christmas where I live and I've seen it a couple times now. I think I originally watched it because Aidan Quinn was in it -not sure how or why he made this? but its pretty good all round. I like the fact that it was obviously filmed in real winter, its cold, it does not look fun for the actors with deep blowing snow, very bad, true BC weather not the fake sunshiny stuff filmed in the summer like most Xmas movies seem to be. The family dynamics portrayed here are good- assume also true- family on the verge of moving, no work at the mill, the vet out of his element in the severe cold. The horses have also been made to look rough, patchy hair, bad hooves. A good bit of Canadiana.

A feel good movie about honest, hard working people who's values are a lesson to us all.The story takes place during the Christmas holidays leading up to Christmas eve. it's about a family who's values are simple and honest. I enjoyed watching the decisions being made as they relate to family matters, life and doing the right thing. I don't care that this movie may have swayed from actual events. The cinematography is stunning, really showcasing nature and the ruggedness of the mountains. Spectacular snow sequences with real snow. I don't think entertaining story telling always needs to be a re- enactment. I watch documentaries for that. Life should imitate art. After hearing and watching news of the shootings at the school, this movie is just what the doctor order to remind us that there are still good people in this world.

We watched this movie thinking it was a docudrama and would provide information about the real story. I read the book written by the women who was the 'true' main character and the only factual thing in this movie are a couple of names and the fact that the two horses were stranded. The movie changed the characters and their involvement, left out several of the main players, altered the story time line, and then fictionalized about 90% of the movie. The result is a very bad telling of the event including a preposterous wolf attack. The actual story is fascinating and is not well served by this TV movie melodramatic script that is so flimsily based on the real events. Tragic, it could have been done so much better.

We just watched it tonight for a family dinner together and we loved it. There's so little on TV telling globally enjoyable Canadian stories to ourselves and the world, and based on a True Story to boot no less, The Horses of McBride is doubly fantastic for all that. Definitely 5 star annual Xmas time classic story, or for any time of the year. We say Excellent work telling that story to all the film people involved, and to the actual real people who did it, even more so. Don't want to give away any details here to spoil it for anybody, though reading the online descriptions probably says as much as that it is a very warm happy story/movie through-out, very inspiring for all ages, and left us feeling very good.