Cast: Buck Brannaman with a special appearance by Robert Redford
Directed by: Cindy Meehl
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, mild language and an injury.
Genre: Documentary and Biopic
Running Time: 1hr 28 minutes
Distributed by: Sundance Selects
By John Delia
Whether you are a horse lover or just an avid documentary film fan Buck should be on your list. The interesting, educational, compassionate and enjoyable movie takes a close look at the world of animal kindness and communication.
Based on Buck Brannaman a true horse trainer dubbed the horse-whisperer this biopic introduces the incredible man who came from an abusive childhood and then goes on to show his method of horse handling. Here he not only trains horses but reintroduces them to their owners and corrects any hostility with ease. Working under impossible odds, Brannaman takes horses that owners cannot control and makes them part of their family.
Although a first time director Cindy Meehl hooked me from the very beginning introducing Brannaman and presenting this nice man working with intolerable situations leading to a peaceful union with horse and humans. In one striking scene she shows Brannaman taking large groups of horses and their owners and showing them in minutes the ease of working out problems and conflicts.
The cinematography of the American countryside provides a marvelous background for Brennaman as he travels across our vast country nine months out of a year. The wide-open lens captures steed and visually stunning landscapes that tease the avid traveler.
In the film The Horse Whisperer Robert Redford plays a character based on Buck Brannaman in which he acted as a consultant. In fact, Redford makes an appearance in Buck talking about the feeling he experienced working with him on The Horse Whisperer.
“Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes, you will.†“A lot of times, rather than helping people with horse problems, I’m helping horses with people problems.â€Â — Buck Brannaman
The film is rated PG for thematic elements, mild language and an injury.
FINAL ANALYSIS: An emotional display of human kindness toward animals. (A)