Amazon.com video review:
For director Robert Redford the trick was directing
himself. The Oscar-winning director (Ordinary People,
Quiz Show) says
that he is one kind of actor (in the moment) and a different kind of
director (more controlling). Whatever the problems, Redford has worked
it out beautifully in this leisurely paced adaptation of Nicholas Evans's
bestseller. When the prized horse of New York magazine
editor's (Kristen Scott Thomas) daughter suffers a horrible accident,
she tracks down Tom Booker (Redford), a Montana horse healer who is
known for working magic. Soon East Coast brashness meets Old West
simplicity as the reluctant Annie takes her even more reluctant
daughter (Scarlett Johansson) to Marlboro country. Booker's influence
goes beyond the horse through healing the heart of daughter and
mother. The 2-hour and 44-minute film is a beautiful travelogue of
scene and sky (with a giant assist from Oliver Stone's usual
cinematographer, Robert Richardson). Never complicated, the movie's
rewards may be hidden in its length and Redford's tendency to
introduce us to a way of life instead of focusing on a story. The
major deviation from the end of Evans's novel is a welcomed
change. --Doug Thomas
Amazon.com video review:
Although it's best viewed on a big theatrical screen to take
full advantage of Robert Richardson's breathtaking widescreen
cinematography, it seems likely that most people will see this classy
romance in the comfort of their own homes. Adapted from the bestseller
by Nicholas Evans and directed by Robert Redford, the film did
respectable business at the box-office, but it was too sprawling and
too soapy to be a bona fide hit. Redford stars as the title character,
a Montana rancher named Tom Booker, who possesses the specialized
talent of healing traumatized horses through careful and affectionate
rehabilitation. He gets his most challenging case when he's sought out
by a fast-lane New York magazine editor (Kristin Scott Thomas, in a
role modeled after former New Yorker editor Tina Brown) whose
daughter (Scarlett Johansson) was injured and traumatized by an
accident that nearly killed her favorite horse. When mother, daughter,
and horse arrive at Booker's ranch, the big-city editor falls in love
with the serene rancher and faces the painful decision of whether to
stay in Montana or return to her husband (Sam Neill) in New York. Some
may find this to be much ado about nothing, and comparisons to
The Bridges of Madison
County are inevitable, but Redford's directorial approach
offers the kind of graceful stature, tenderness, and intelligence
required to elevate the simple story. The film takes all the time it
needs to let its characters heal and make their important decisions,
and that alone makes it a refreshing alternative to the frantic pace
of most big-studio productions. --Jeff Shannon
