Set on "the only horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky without any horses," "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" is the story of a little girl and a horse. While that may seem like a familiar plot, "Dreamer" is something morefor one thing, the little girl is Dakota Fanning. The acting in "Dreamer," from Fanning to Kurt Russell to Kris Kristofferson, is of a somewhat higher quality than your typical girl-and-a-horse movie, and almost carries the film. The story of an injured filly who miraculously recovers and goes on to achieve greatness, "Dreamer" is also about the importance of family love. In the end, however, unless you are under 12, it is still a semi-predictable, inspirational, rent-the-video-when-it-comes-out- and-save-eight-bucks movie about a girl and a horse.
Cale Crane (Fanning) is a ten-year-old horse lover, who is allowed one day to go to work with her father, racehorse trainer Ben Crane (Russell). One of the horses he trains, Soñador, breaks a leg in a race, and, reluctant to have her put down in front of his daughter, Crane defies his boss and ends up losing his job, accepting the broken down horse as part of back salary. Crane nurses the horse back to health in the hopes of turning a profit by breeding her. Cale, on the other hand, dreams of racing Soñador. And the horse, whose name is Spanish for "dreamy," will do anything for the little girlfor the small fee of a Popsicle.
Full of family values, "Dreamer" shows how a horse brings father and daughter together. We also see Crane reconcile with his estranged father (Kristofferson). Parental sacrifice takes on a whole new meaning as Lily Crane (Elisabeth Shue) chooses to work 7-day weeks as a waitress so that her daughter and out-of-work husband can race a horse that in all probability will not amount to much. She tells Ben to do everything possible, including $120,000 in race entrance fees, so that Cale can take her dream as far as possible, as maternal dedication begins to border on improbable.
The acting in "Dreamer" is very good, especially by Fanning, who, as always, is excellent. The young actress, who has taken the film industry by storm since her debut in 2001's "I Am Sam," has the ability to portray a range of characters and has great emotional power and maturity for someone of her age. Interestingly, the part of Cale Crane was originally meant for a boy, but it was changed so Dakota Fanning's name could be added to the bill.
The filming, while nothing extraordinary, shows the beautiful scenery of Kentucky horse farms and the handsome horses that occupy them. The score, by John Debney, is melodious and moving. Inspired by the true story of Mariah's Storm, a filly who broke her leg in 1993 and went on to win the 1995 Breeder's Cup, "Dreamer" was written by John Gatins, who made his directorial debut with the film. After seeing the fast-paced animated comedy "The Incredibles" with his children, Gatins wanted to make a classic, live action, family drama movie that appealed to younger audiences but had a solid story adults could enjoy. I think he was successful.
For young audiences, "Dreamer" truly is a soñador, or dreamy, movie. For the rest of us, though, its predictability, while certainly its only notable flaw, may be its undoing. But in a time when the predictable happy movie ending is becoming increasingly less common, and thus, less predictable, perhaps we should sit back and enjoy a nice inspirational family story with traditional values, that shows us why happy endings became common and predictable in the first placewe like them!
Cale Crane (Fanning) is a ten-year-old horse lover, who is allowed one day to go to work with her father, racehorse trainer Ben Crane (Russell). One of the horses he trains, Soñador, breaks a leg in a race, and, reluctant to have her put down in front of his daughter, Crane defies his boss and ends up losing his job, accepting the broken down horse as part of back salary. Crane nurses the horse back to health in the hopes of turning a profit by breeding her. Cale, on the other hand, dreams of racing Soñador. And the horse, whose name is Spanish for "dreamy," will do anything for the little girlfor the small fee of a Popsicle.
Full of family values, "Dreamer" shows how a horse brings father and daughter together. We also see Crane reconcile with his estranged father (Kristofferson). Parental sacrifice takes on a whole new meaning as Lily Crane (Elisabeth Shue) chooses to work 7-day weeks as a waitress so that her daughter and out-of-work husband can race a horse that in all probability will not amount to much. She tells Ben to do everything possible, including $120,000 in race entrance fees, so that Cale can take her dream as far as possible, as maternal dedication begins to border on improbable.
The acting in "Dreamer" is very good, especially by Fanning, who, as always, is excellent. The young actress, who has taken the film industry by storm since her debut in 2001's "I Am Sam," has the ability to portray a range of characters and has great emotional power and maturity for someone of her age. Interestingly, the part of Cale Crane was originally meant for a boy, but it was changed so Dakota Fanning's name could be added to the bill.
The filming, while nothing extraordinary, shows the beautiful scenery of Kentucky horse farms and the handsome horses that occupy them. The score, by John Debney, is melodious and moving. Inspired by the true story of Mariah's Storm, a filly who broke her leg in 1993 and went on to win the 1995 Breeder's Cup, "Dreamer" was written by John Gatins, who made his directorial debut with the film. After seeing the fast-paced animated comedy "The Incredibles" with his children, Gatins wanted to make a classic, live action, family drama movie that appealed to younger audiences but had a solid story adults could enjoy. I think he was successful.
For young audiences, "Dreamer" truly is a soñador, or dreamy, movie. For the rest of us, though, its predictability, while certainly its only notable flaw, may be its undoing. But in a time when the predictable happy movie ending is becoming increasingly less common, and thus, less predictable, perhaps we should sit back and enjoy a nice inspirational family story with traditional values, that shows us why happy endings became common and predictable in the first placewe like them!