Horse Whisperer

UPC: 717951000859

Studio: Walt Disney Video

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Mild Violence, Adult Situations]

Summary: Robert Redford directed himself for the first time in this romantic drama adapted from the 1995 best-seller by Nicholas Evans. Fourteen-year-old Grace MacLean (Scarlett Johansson of Manny & Lo) and her friend Judith go horseback riding in upstate New York on a winter morning, but their horses lose their footing on ice and slide onto a road, where Judith and her horse are killed by a jackknifing truck. Grace and her horse are also seriously injured -- doctors must amputate Grace's right leg -- and the frightening incident leaves a lasting trauma not only on Grace but also on her horse, Pilgrim. Grace's mother -- magazine editor Annie MacLean (Kristin Scott Thomas) -- seeking Grace's recovery, feels there's a link between her crippled, embittered daughter and Pilgrim's behavior. Learning about a horse trainer with a special gift, she takes Grace and Pilgrim to Montana where horse whisperer Tom Booker (Robert Redford) lives on a ranch with his younger brother Frank (Chris Cooper), Frank's wife Diane (Dianne Wiest) and their children. Tom's work with the horse also has a rejuvenating effect on the guilt-ridden Grace. Annie loses her magazine job, and the low-key romantic involvement between Annie and Tom develops during the summer, stifled by the unexpected arrival of Annie's husband, Robert MacLean (Sam Neill). Screenplay by Eric Roth and Richard LaGravenese (who adapted The Bridges of Madison County). Filmed in Montana and Saratoga Springs, New York. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Original Song – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Song – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Cinematography – American Society of Cinematographers

Features: Dolby Digital 5.1 audio
Theatrical trailer
French-language track
Chapter search
2.35:1 aspect ratio

Horse Whisperer

Format: DVD

Release Date: 11/10/1998

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, 2 Europe, Japan, Middle East, Egypt, South Africa, Greenland

Runtime: 169 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Chapter Selection
0. Chapter Selection
1. Program Start/Credits [:13]
2. Accident In The Snow [:14]
3. The Wounds [:14]
4. Scared Horse [6:32]
5. Mother And Daugher [:30]
6. East Meets West [4:20]
7. Cowboy At The Door [2:45]
8. Mixed Salad [6:40]
9. Spooked [7:37]
10. Delicate Balance [6:43]
11. Cows And Bulls [:35]
12. A Different Pace [5:28]
13. Driving Lessons [1:54]
14. Loosenin Up [1:30]
15. Out Of Practice [6:31]
16. Testing Pilgrim [1:18]
17. In Her Own Words [3:08]
18. An Old Romance Intrudes [1:56]
19. Simple But Unfair [2:44]
20. Back In The Saddle [2:06]
21. Not Good At Good-Byes [5:32]
22. End Credits [7:07]

Jason Clark

Robert Redford's follow-up to his masterful 1994 film Quiz Show is a tasteful and enveloping romance that recalls the days of lush widescreen melodramas, and their ability to win you over with their grand gestures. Similar in theme to Clint Eastwood's The Bridges of Madison County, another modern film that dared to present a love affair between two intelligent adults, The Horse Whisperer takes its time to unravel over the course of nearly three hours, but presents enough honest emotion and cinematic splendor that it all seems worth the effort. Director Redford ideally casts himself as the rugged horse trainer, and Kristin Scott Thomas is equally fine as his love interest. The novel from which it's based (by Nicholas Evans) took its main storyline as an excuse to create soapy sentiment, but Redford wisely eschews this for a more serene tale. In a bold use of cinematography, the film (when viewed in a theater) opens up to a larger screen ratio when its main female characters reach Montana, creating an effective contrast to the starkness of its initial New York City scenes. It is inclusions like this that make the film so memorable, with the ability to steal your heart if you're willing to let it. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Richard LaGravenese  Screenwriter 
Terry J. Leonard  Screenwriter 
Patrick Markey  Producer 
Thomas Newman  Composer (Music Score) 
Robert Redford  Director 
Robert Redford  Producer 
Eric Roth  Screenwriter 
Rachel Pfeffer  Executive Producer 
Robert Redford  Actor 
Kristin Scott Thomas  Actor 
Sam Neill  Actor 
Dianne Wiest  Actor 
Scarlett Johansson  Actor 
Chris Cooper  Actor 
Cherry Jones  Actor 
Ty Hillman  Actor 
Catherine Bosworth  Actor 
Austin Schwarz  Actor 
Dustin Schwarz  Actor 
Jeanette Nolan  Actor 
Steve Frye  Actor 
Don Edwards  Actor 
Jessalyn Gilsig  Actor 

Country: USA