The Horse Whisperer
1998
For director Robert Redford the trick was directing himself. The Oscar-winning director (Ordinary People, Quiz Show) says that he is one kind of actor (in the moment) and a different kind of director (more controlling). Whatever the problems, Redford has worked it out beautifully in this leisurely paced adaptation of Nicholas .. Read more
| Starring | Robert Redford, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Dianne Wiest, Sam Neill |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Redford |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Horse Whisperer
For director Robert Redford the trick was directing himself. The Oscar-winning director (Ordinary People, Quiz Show) says that he is one kind of actor (in the moment) and a different kind of director (more controlling). Whatever the problems, Redford has worked it out beautifully in this leisurely paced adaptation of Nicholas Evans's bestseller, The Horse Whisperer. When the prized horse of New York magazine editor's (Kristen Scott Thomas) daughter suffers a horrible accident, she tracks down Tom Booker (Redford), a Montana horse healer who is known for working magic. Soon East Coast brashness meets Old West simplicity as the reluctant Annie takes her even more reluctant daughter (Scarlett Johansson) to Marlboro country. Booker's influence goes beyond the horse through healing the heart of daughter and mother. The 2-hour and 44-minute film is a beautiful travelogue of scene and sky (with a giant assist from Oliver Stone's usual cinematographer, Robert Richardson). Never complicated, the movie's rewards may be hidden in its length and Redford's tendency to introduce us to a way of life instead of focusing on a story. The major deviation from the end of Evans's novel is a welcomed change. --Doug Thomas
| Starring | Robert Redford, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Dianne Wiest, Sam Neill, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Cooper |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Redford |
| Studio | TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 42 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 20 Aug 2001 Production year: 1998 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Robert Redford won the Hollywood bidding war over the movie rights to British author Nicholas Evans's bestseller about a Montana cowboy who cures traumatised horses. Directing himself for the first time, Redford fits the role as snugly as his faded denims, watched glowingly by blonde, mature Kristin Scott Thomas, a natural choice after her role in The English Patient. She's a New Yorker with a daughter and a horse, both disabled in an awful road accident — an event that opens the film and that most viewers will watch with horror. So, leaving husband Sam Neill behind, they trot off to Montana to see horse shrink Redford. Guess what happens? 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, against your better judgement, you will probably feel a lump in your throat.
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"...Mr. Redford has found his own visually eloquent way to turn the potboiler into a panorama, with a deep-seated love of the Montana landscape against which his rapturously beautiful film unfolds..."
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Most helpful member's review
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6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Wholly satisfying, well-rounded movie experience
If Robert Redford has ever directed a bad movie I haven't seen it and having checked his filmography on IMDb only The Milagro Beanfield War has eluded me.
Quiz Show was excellent and I enjoyed Ordinary People and A River Runs Through It. This was Kristin Scott Thomas's next movie after her Oscar nominated turn in The English Patient and it's a pity that her leading lady credentials somewhat stalled in the late nineties after she made the poorly received Random Hearts with Harrison Ford. Here she's Redford's leading lady, married to Sam Neill, mother to Scarlett Johansson who is left physically and emotionally crippled after a horse riding accident, portrayed in an impressively realistic manner.
A 13/14 year old Johansson is predictably phenomenal in a role which, if unconvincingly played, could have scuppered the whole enterprise. Some beautiful Montana vistas and eye-catchingly artful shots add spades to the movie experience. With great supporting work from the likes of Dianne Wiest and Chris Cooper (who went on to do some horse whispering of his own in Seabiscuit) added to the mix, this is a two hours plus movie in which every moment is worth treasuring. Unfairly dismissed as romantic schlock, this turns out to be a wholly satisfying, well-rounded movie experience.
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- Alfod from Walsall
- Posted 14 Jul 2004 13:30
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Most recent members' review
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5 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
I had to watch this film in 2 sittings as this film is 3hrs long and it drags its heels for the first 2hrs. I?m not sure if the book made the film or the film sold the book. I read the book first and then watched the film. I would be interested read a review from someone who has watched the film first and then read the book. In a nutshell, slow, sentimental and long.
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News and features
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Johansson frustrated Redford in Whisperer
- 01 Aug 2009
Robert Redford struggled to work with Scarlett Johansson on the set of The Horse Whisperer - because she frustrated him so much. The actress was 13 when director Redford cast her to star in the 1998 film, and although he acknowledges her acting talent he found it difficult working with her. In upcoming book Robert Redford: The Biography, a crew member from the movie claims the Lost In Translation star would constantly interpret her scenes against Redford's own vision. The book also alleges... Read more
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For director Robert Redford the trick was directing himself. The Oscar-winning director (Ordinary People, Quiz Show) says that he is one kind of actor (in the moment) and a different ... -