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The Horse Whisperer

5.8

15,112

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Original title: The Horse Whisperer
Year: 1998
Running time: 169 min.
Country: United States
Director: Robert Redford
Screenwriter: Richard LaGravenese. Novel: Nicholas Evans
Music: Thomas Newman
Cinematography: Robert Richardson
Cast: Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, Dianne Wiest, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Cooper, Kate Bosworth
Producer: Wildwood Enterprises. Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Genre: Romance. Drama | Romantic Drama. Animals. Horses. Small Town Life (North-american)
Synopsis: Robert Redford directs this compelling story of 14-year-old Grace MacLean (Scarlett Johansson), who is emotionally and physically scarred after suffering a terrible accident while riding her prized horse, Pilgrim. Desperate to help her daughter, Grace's mother, Annie (Kristin Scott Thomas), a high-powered magazine editor, launches an all-out campaign to find a horse whisperer, someone with a unique gift for curing troubled horses. She learns of Tom Booker (Redford), who works to rebuild all the lives shattered by the accident. Love blossoms between the horseman and the uprooted sophisticate, resulting in unexpected consequences. The film was based on the popular novel by Nicholas Evans.

Rankings Position

#60 Best Movies about Animals

Awards: 1998: Nominated for Oscar: Best Original Song

1998: 2 Nominations for Golden Globe: Best Movie Drama, Director (Robert Redford)

1998: Chicago Film Critics Awards: 2 Nomi, including Most Promising Actress (Johansson)

Critics' reviews

"It was written by Mr. Evans with cross-cutting that's easily imagined on screen, but Mr. Redford's version has far greater and subtler intensity"

Janet Maslin: The New York Times
"An exquisitely crafted, morally and thematically mature picture (...) Audience response to this emotionally powerful work should be strong"

Todd McCarthy: Variety
"Too long for what it has to say and too evasive when it comes to spelling out certain key details (...) this has loads of craft and honor but never quite takes off."

Jonathan Rosenbaum: Chicago Reader
"There is a magnificence in [Redford's] treatment here that dignifies what is essentially a soap opera (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: rogerebert.com
"A film as rich in its visual presentation as it is in its emotional resonance (...) A powerful and moving tale of love and loss (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"

James Berardinelli: ReelViews
"The movie is not only a better version of the book, it's a work unto itself. The story is subtler, and the moral issues it raises are far more complex"

Rita Kempley: The Washington Post
"This is the fastidiously rendered work of a craftsman, and a sob-inducing, beautifully old-fashioned affair which is bound to irritate the hell out of a younger audience (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"

Angie Errigo: Empire
"The story's blend of Disney wildlife film and adult romance is bizarre and, at nearly three hours, far too long. But the Montana scenery is stunning and (...) you will probably feel a lump in your throat (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"

Adrian Turner: Radio Times

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