The Horse Whisperer (1998)

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

Director:

Robert Redford

Writers:

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

Stars:

Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A teenage girl riding a horse is hit by a truck. To help heal her troubled/injured daughter, and horse, the mother takes them to Montana to recuperate at the ranch of a 'horse whisperer', a horse healer of mystical talents. The mother proceeds to fall in love with him, as well.

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Plot Keywords:

horse | grace | montana | ranch | teenage girl | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a disturbing accident scene

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

El señor de los caballos

Filming Locations:

Greenwich, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$48,100,000 (Non-US) (2 October 1998)

Gross:

£5,448,177 (UK) (9 October 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

170 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Listed in the closing credits as 'equine technical advisor' is a man named Buck Brannaman. He's the subject of a 2011 documentary titled Buck which relates his own troubled past and how he became a 'horse whisperer'. In the Redford movie, there's a picture of Buck and his brother Smokie Brannaman in the montage of old family photos during a scene at the Booker home. It's the one with two young boys with Santa Claus; Buck is the boy on the left.

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Goofs

When Tom is sitting in the tall grass after being dunked in the creek, his shirt is dry, but later the shirt is wet again.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in The Middle: The Interview (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Whoops Ty Yy Yo"

User Reviews

Excellent

More so than "Horse Whisperer", the movie deals with life altering changes for the four characters (the mother, the father, the daughter, the horse whisperer) and the horse of course. Even the affair is positive. It helps Tom Booker get over his wife when he puts that record back in it's sleeve, and it helps Annie get off her so called "high horse attitude." It's a movie of changes for the better all around. Enjoyable, real, well done.The scenes interacting with the horse are wonderful. Sitting in that field waiting for the horse to feel comfortable enough to deal with Mr. Booker was an enormous hurdle. The best scene is after two and a half hours when Tom brings the horse down to Grace's level, so that they both rise together. That scene,is to joyfully cry for, and laugh yes.