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 DREAMER
by Jane Louise
Boursaw
Rated PG for brief mild language. Best suited
for kids 8 and up. 98 minutes. Written and directed by John Gatins.
Released in theaters Oct. 21, 2005.
Love a good horse movie? Then go see this one. It’s
a little schmaltzy at times, but you’ll be cheering at the end.
It tells the story of a family that doesn’t smile
much, but rather seems to trudge through life, a victim of their
circumstances. Kurt Russell plays Ben Crane, a master horse trainer
whose own Kentucky barn sits empty, much to the chagrin of his daughter,
Cale (Dakota Fanning), who longs for a horse of her own.
But Ben trains other men’s horses, while struggling
to pay his own bills. He barely speaks to his own father, “Pop” (Kris
Kristofferson), another horseman who long ago stopped going to the
races. Ben’s wife, Lilly (Elizabeth Shue) holds the family together and
takes a job at the local diner to make ends meet.
Enter Sonya, a great racehorse whose promising
career is cut short by a broken leg. Considered as good as dead by her
owner (Ben’s boss), Sonya is given to Ben as severance pay, along with
his walking papers. He takes the damaged horse back to his farm, where
he plans to breed her with a legendary stallion. But...fate has others
things in store, and...let’s just say the whole audience burst into
applause at the end of this movie.
THE WRAP-UP: This movie won the
“Truly Moving Picture” Award at the Heartland Film Festival this year,
and it’s easy to see why. The story meanders a bit (my 8-year-old
daughter and her friend got a little antsy), but it’s a treat to see
actors like Kurt Russell, Kris Kristofferson, Dakota Fanning and
Elizabeth Shue sharing the screen. At just 11 years old, Fanning already
boasts more than 20 movie credits and is truly one of the best actors of
her generation. This is a wonderful family movie and a good reminder
that dreams – even those long tucked away in our hearts – really can
come true.
SCORE:
3 out of 4 Reels.
Jane's Reel Rating
System:
One Reel – Pathetic.
Even The Force can’t save it.
Two Reels –
Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.
Three Reels –
Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.
Four Reels – Wow! The
stuff dreams are made of.
E-chat with me
at
jane@reellifewithjane.com - I
LOVE to talk about movies!
 Read my other reviews
here.
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