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THE HORSE WHISPERER Send This Review to a Friend
Robert Redford's THE HORSE WHISPERER, based on Nicholas Evans's best-selling novel, is such old-fashioned story telling that it could have easily been a clinker. But Redford's sensitivity and taste as a director, his still-commanding screen presence and the work of his cast make for an excellent example of romantic movie entertainment that rises above its genre.
For starters, Redford and cinematographer Robert Richardson glory in the scenic splendor of Montana, where most of the film takes place. The story itself is compelling. Grace (Scarlett Johansson), a 14-year-old with everything going for her has an accident while horseback riding with her best friend. The friend is killed, Grace loses a leg and Pilgrim, her horse, is severely injured. Grace's mother Annie (Kristin Scott Thomas), a tough workaholic New York magazine editor, refuses to put the horse down and insists on driving to Montana with Pilgrim and her angry, depressed daughter in search of renowned horse training expert Tom Booker (Redford), who has already turned down by telephone the job of rehabilitating the psychologically distraught animal.
You could probably make up the rest. Mom convinces Tom. He not only brings the horse around, but brings Grace out of her funk. Mom and Tom fall in love. Ah, but Mom is married to Robert (Sam Neill). True, they have tensions. But can a New York magazine editor leave her husband and find new happiness in the serene outdoor life of Montana?
The plot has cliché written all over it, but in the hands of these able actors, it works, especially since Redford takes his own good time and uses two hours and forty-four minutes to settle us into the environment and spin the tale. As his own director, Redford shows no shame in letting the camera linger, full-screen, on his weather-beaten face. Why not? The guy still has it. He also knows the value of very special British actress Kristin Scott Thomas, and there's beauty and realism in their co-starring performances. Add Pilgrim, the horse, and Scarlett Johansson as the troubled teenager who is sympathetic rather than cloying, and you have a film with a big heart to go with its wide open spaces. A Touchstone Pictures release.
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