The Long Shot (2004)

This is not a great or complex movie but treats a family subject very well. It is refreshing for not having sex or bad language in it.Julie Benz is Annie Garrett. In a tragic turn of events when she was a teenager, her sister was killed in an accident and Annie's mother never was the same. Annie internalized this as her mother blaming her for the death, since the sister was running an errand that Annie had forgotten, so as an adult Annie had a very strained relationship with her mother.As a married woman with a young daughter, her life is further complicated by a husband who is very unreliable, and doesn't seem to really love Annie or their daughter, and regularly disappears.As the story starts, the family of three travel from Colorado to California for him to start a new job at a horse ranch, but when they arrive the job is gone. Quickly he is too. So Annie and daughter, broke, have to scrape for an existence.Their salvation is Marsha Mason as Mary Lou O'Brian, who runs a horse training farm, and agrees to hire Annie and let them stay in the guest house temporarily for $10 a night.The story develops from there as Annie blossoms on her own. Nice story. Gage Golightly, who at that age looked so much like a young Drew Barrymore, is the young daughter Taylor Garrett. John Livingston is the dastardly and unreliable husband Ross Garrett.SPOILERS: Annie also had her own horse, which came with an $8000 mortgage, and in the process he also became blind. Annie had been training for a show dressage competition, with $20,000 to the winner, using Mary Lou's red show horse, but the dastardly husband showed up and injured the horse, so she had to do the improbable, win the show on a blind horse. Which she did. She divorced her dastardly and unreliable husband and was developing a relationship with the nice local vet. Plus Annie and her mother began to heal their old wounds.

(previous comment)"...I know for a fact that blind horses do not load trailers easily." I have not seen the movie yet, but after reading the previous comment about Hollywood not researching horses beforehand, I must say that this commenter also did not do THEIR research on blind horses either! Knowing a partially blind horse once, does not make an expert of anyone. Your comment about blind horses not loading easily is absolutely FASLSE! If movies fail to accurately portray the bond and relationship b/t horse and rider...it's only because most horses and riders do not really have a true partnership to begin with (hence ANY horse not loading into a trailer easily). I own, ride and trailer a totally blind horse who has taught me plenty about communication and trust. Because of that trust, he loads into a trailer far better than most sighted horses. He also has the courage and confidence to lead himself! Yep, may bump into a thing or two...but once he figures it out...he makes a mental map of his surroundings. Truly awe inspiring to watch him! Maybe Hollywood didn't do such a good job on getting everything right...but people must know that the possibility does exist. Jean & Houdini

I love this movie so much! I saw it on the hallmark channel and every chance I got to watch it, I would. Then, 2 years later, they stopped airing it. Now, I got it on DVD, and I love it a lot! I watch it all the time! It sort of gives me an 'edge of your seat' kind of feeling. When I discovered how mean Ross Garret was, I wanted to yell at him. I don't have a horse, but when I watch this movie, I put myself into Annie's shoes. Then, when Tolo goes blind, I want to cry. When he can't canter, I feel frustrated. I really get into this movie. My Oh my gosh what happened feeling kicks in when Annie gets hurt on the ladder. When Ross tries to cripple Red, I start screaming at the television, as though Ross can really hear me. Finally, when Tolo wins after going blind, I cry happy tears.

Annie was so brave and charming and warm.. I'd like to have a wife like her(in the movie). That was a good mother, a role model. I respect her from the bottom of my heart.But however back to the filming process, wouldn't it be hard for Julia to control the horses? I love Tolo so much.. so beautiful and tame.This is a good production. Thanks for the director for making out such quality and healthy film. I salute you from the bottom of the heart dear director.The last scene of the movie was most touching when the family reunited. It was the best ending story I have ever known.