IMDb > The Horse Whisperer (1998)
The Horse Whisperer
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Horse Whisperer (1998) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 42 | slideshow) Videos (see all 3)
The Horse Whisperer (1998) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)
IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.3/10   14,810 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Redford
Writers (WGA):
Nick Evans (novel)
Eric Roth (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Horse Whisperer on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
15 May 1998 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance | Western more
Plot:
The mother of a severely traumatized daughter enlists the aid of a unique horse trainer to help the girl's equally injured horse. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 16 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(35 articles)
Horse Whisperer Author Still Awaiting Kidney Transplant
 (From WENN. 9 November 2009, 4:16 AM, PST)
Scarlett Johansson, a Potential Marilyn Monroe in 'My Week with Marilyn'
 (From Aceshowbiz. 31 July 2009, 11:03 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
The Horse Whisperer is an exquisite work........a gift more (238 total)

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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for a disturbing accident scene.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
170 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Certification:
Iceland:10 | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #36000) | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG
Filming Locations:
Baker, California, USA more
Company:
Touchstone Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In the book, Pilgrim is dark bay, rather than chestnut, and a Morgan horse. Gulliver (Judith's horse) is the chestnut. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Booker is in the corral alone trying to "hook on" with Pilgrim. Just before he squats to remove the lasso from Pilgrim if you look under the horses neck you can see the lower half of a man dressed exactly the same as Booker. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Judith: [waves] Hello!
Grace: [waves] Hello!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Ein Paradies für Pferde (2007) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
A Soft Place to Fall more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
31 out of 45 people found the following comment useful.
The Horse Whisperer is an exquisite work........a gift, 18 September 2005
10/10
Author: gavin_f from India

Last night I was blessed with an experience that is the gift of cinema - a very very beautiful film that celebrates the glory of the human soul in a way that drove me to tears of joy and gratitude at having had the privilege of being a part of it.

The Horse Whisperer is an exquisite work, with multiple levels of relevance that are marvelously integrated into a seamless story. On one level, it is a celebration of man's great capacity for and heritage of attunement to nature and the limitless beauty that he chooses to return to, having tired of the unsatisfying world that he had created in its place on his path of discovery. It is also a testimony to the process of healing, of how it is an opportunity to delve deep into the recesses of the traumatised soul, and how it can only be undertaken with a simultaneous caring for everyone involved in the circle of influence. It is also an examination of relationships, of the relationship between the parent and the child, between man and woman, between human and animal, and ultimately between body and soul. Ultimately the film is a triumph of spirit, a paean to a long forgotten wholeness and harmony that is celebrated in the film as though it just were, and had never ceased to be, without the wrangling and flailing that one has come to expect of a piece of art that attempts to recapture the glory of the soul.

One of the very many great moments of the film are where the mother tries to understand the Horse Whisperer's failed relationship with his love in the past, as a love that was 'wrong' because they were not 'right' for each other. He says 'I loved her not because it was right, I just loved her'. This clear differentiation between love on the one hand and the rightness of the relationship on the other elevates both to a respectability that is incomprehensible when love is understood only as a manifestation of the rightness of a relationship. This kind of 'simple wisdom', so to speak, is the fabric of the entire film, it is the tongue in which the story is told. In fact much of the film eschews dialogue completely in favour of the vast visuals of American ranch-land, always with humans embedded as part of the landscape in a harmony that seems so obvious as to be almost unremarkable. Among the most poignant of these are the moments between Tom, the Horse Whisperer and Pilgrim, the horse, moments where they communicate wordlessly, often soundlessly, slowly going through the stages of distrust, caution, diffidence, examination, trust and sharing that are necessary on the path of friendship, here shown between man and animal.

The story of the Horse Whisperer is simple enough and I shall neither describe it, nor analyse the components of the film. Doing this would reduce its stature to that of a product.

The Horse Whisperer is a gift, accept it.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (238 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
A sequel? doubledutch
The Dance Scene! jackmanbaby
Heartbreaking... redwal241
Robert Redford is a great actor! jhammersmith7
Clarification about the kissing scene barneystinson
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Gipfeltreffen - Marie Bäumer trifft Monty Roberts National Velvet Tex International Velvet The Secret Garden
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.