The Horse Whisperer

Yes, I agree the film is slow and, perhaps, overlong. Yes, there appears little in common between the methods presented in the film and documented 'horse whispering'.

However this film needed to show the passage of time, which is, after all, the greatest healer. I found the film to be moving.

I was interested in a comment that there was no 'motivation' for the disfunctionality in the family unit. As one who has witnessed many divorces I feel that I can safely say that in real life these forces can be subtle enough to elude the participants; let alone an audience.

I was greatly relieved that the trite ending I envisaged didn't occur.

Overall if you want a gently paced but powerfully emotive film then it is to be recommended; a liking of horses helps greatly!!

Robert Redford has no trouble with playing an aging cowboy named Tom. He pulls off the quiet, but sturdy cowboy image with perfection. Kristin Scott Thomas portrays Annie Maclean, a woman whose daughter's horse has been injured in an accident. The same accident caused her daughter, Grace, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, to lose one of her legs. She goes to Tom to get help for the "out of control" horse. Sam Neill plays her husband, and appears to be an afterthought. For animals lovers, this movie has a disturbing beginning. The movie is about relationships, daughter to mother; child to horse; husband to wife; man to horse. The scenery in this movie is breath taking, and Redford took full use of it while directing the movie.

Redford and the entire cast is excellent. The music and scenery is excellent. Saw this movie for the first time three years ago. I rented it due to the "horse" plot and it ended up being a very important movie in my life. I was involved in some very personal problems with my family at the time. What was important to me was that even with the terrible situation Grace was in, there was a way to heal. The most important line in the movie was when Tom Booker makes the comment: "Knowing it is the easy part, saying it out loud is what's difficult" Oh how true this is. A lot of good thoughts in this one. It has my highest recommendation.

It is one of Robert Redford's best - the quiet rancher - meets the pushy high powered NYC editor who is determined to help her daughter after a traumatic riding accident.

As others have mentioned the experience not only changes the horse but most of the "supporting" characters.

The cinematography was powerful - while I am not a student of the discipline I could see that the angles chosen for the subject, the landscape scenes of the beautiful Montana ranges and sunsets - one could watch and understand the movie without the dialog.

I believe Ansel Adams - if he were alive - would love some of these scenes.

I vote this as a "must see" for everyone. It not only has a powerful plot but beautiful cinematography...

The Horse Whisperer is a film of contrasts: the driven career wife and mother whose husband and daughter don't quite meet her standard; the traditional ranch wife and mother who subordinates herself, with grace, to her family while wistfully wishing for just a bit more; the gifted horse trainer and cattle rancher who chose the rustic life over his city roots, at peace with his re-discovered values despite a painful divorce from the woman he loved; the loving husband who can never live up to his wife's expectations, though he spends his life trying to please her; the wounded teenage daughter who, unlike her father, rebels against her mother's attempts to mold her in her own image. The catalyst that brings all these contrasts together is a beautiful horse that is horribly injured, both physically and mentally, in an accident that also maims his young rider. Both are so traumatized that they have lost their will to battle their fear and despair. The mother finds a trainer known for his success in gentling troubled horses and drives horse and daughter from New York to Montana to meet him. His quiet strength, patience and ability to sense what is wrong has a profound effect, not only on the horse, but on the young daughter and her mother as well. The movie is long, but the healing process requires time. The pace of the film is appropriate to the unfolding of the story, the lush and majestic scenery and the serenity that seems to emanate from the vastness of the open spaces. The romance that develops between the mother and the trainer is poignant and compelling. The scene between them at the dance is worth the price of admission. Ultimately, the mother must make a choice between resuming her former life returning to (the city, her career and her family) and the seductive stability and tranquility she has come to cherish at the ranch with the man she truly loves and who loves her.