It's a film-maker's love letter to himself.
The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, Scarlett Johansson, Dianne Wiest
Screenwriter: Richard LaGravenese, Eric Roth
Producer: Robert Redford, Patrick Markey
Composer: Thomas Newman, John Barry
Reviews
Curl your cynical lip if you want, but there's a place for heartwarming, life-affirming, even weepy dramas.
Directing himself for the first time, Redford has lavished his usual meticulous care on popular material that comes alive on the screen in ways that it never could on the page.
This has loads of craft and honor but never quite takes off.
We are not talking postmodern or even modern here, but the best kind of old-fashioned.
I found it to be a compelling, adult film that transports you into another world.
Despite its flaws, The Horse Whisperer is a marvel -- in its artistry, its love of place, and its tender regard for broken hearts.
The Horse Whisperer is a calculated heart-tugging machine, as soulless and efficient in its own way as Twister or Independence Day; instead of a 'thrill-ride,' it's a trip through the tunnel of love.
Tutors us in the art of slowing down, being present, and quieting the heart.
Redford is obviously a romantic at heart, and he brings a light touch to the erotic moments in the film.
That lack of identifiable passion is The Horse Whisperer's most vexing problem.
Though a bit overlong at nearly three hours and with a curiously unsatisfying ending, The Horse Whisperer nonetheless taps into the spirit of the characters and their noble mounts.
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