Marquee Attraction: The Horse Whisperer
Release Date: May 15, 1998
Budget: $60 million
Domestic Box Office Gross: $75,383,488
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $186,883,563
Plot Synopsis
Grace MacLean and her horse Pilgrim are badly injured when they are hit by a truck. Both rider and horse have sustained substantial injuries and are struggling to cope. Annie, Grace’s mom, learns that a man named Tom Booker in Montana is known as the horse whisperer and he might be able to help their wounded animal.
Filled with a desire to help her daughter recover, Annie, Grace, and Pilgrim set out for Montana to find Booker and hopefully get help for Pilgrim, and Grace.
Mother and daughter struggle to get along, and when they eventually find Booker at his family ranch, the veteran rancher is convinced to help the pair. Eventually, Grace and Annie move to the ranch, where feelings develop between Tom and Annie.
Tom makes progress with Pilgrim, and soon, Grace relates to him about the accident and how she is coping with the trauma she experienced. Progress is made and when Robert, Annie’s husband and Grace’s father arrives, he is witness to a reconciliation between his daughter and her horse but wonders if there is any hope for him and his estranged wife.
Standing Ovation
Robert Redford is effortless on film. He oozes charm, sophistication, positive masculinity, and an unbelievable ability to listen. Redford’s Tom Booker is the guy that everyone would want to be friends with and someone you would be lucky to call a brother.
Scarlett Johansson is perfect as Grace. She is the perfect mixture of charm, child rebel, and traumatized victim. She makes Grace likeable and relatable and allows her character to transcend being the annoying kid.
Sam Neill is great in anything.
The scenery is heaven on earth. There are certain films that paint such a beautiful picture of the land that it would be easy to watch hours of landscape shots. The Horse Whisperer is a visual masterpiece.
Time for the Hook
I dislike the stereotypical lead female part that is a busy mom who struggles to connect with her kid, is distant from her husband, and immediately falls in love with the first guy she spends some time with. Kristin Scott Thomas makes the character of Annie work, and likeable, I just don’t particularly enjoy this trope of storytelling.
Bit Part Player
Cherry Jones has a small part in the film that is easily missed. She plays Liz Hammond who finds Pilgrim after the accident. Jones’ voice is distinctive and something that movie fans will always recognize.
Did You Know?
- The movie was only nominated for one Oscar in 1999, for Best Original Song.
- The film was nominated for Best Picture as well as Best Director for Robert Redford at the Golden Globes.
- The movie did receive nominations from the British and American Society of Cinematographers.
- Scarlett Johansson was nominated for a Young Artist Award and won a YoungStar Award for her work in the film.
- This is the first film where Redford directed himself on screen.
- Redford shot the film in the same area where he filmed A River Runs Through It.
- Kate Bosworth plays the part of Judith, who is killed in the accident. This was Bosworth’s theatrical debut.
- Natalie Portman dropped out of the role of Grace to star in the Broadway drama The Diary of Anne Frank.
- Emma Thompson was originally on the short list to play Annie.
- Sharon Stone reportedly was very interested in playing Annie.
- The movie opened in second place when it released at $13.7 million.
- On its second weekend, the film increased its weekend draw by outgrossing its original weekend with $14.5 million.
- Both critics Siskel and Ebert gave the film ‘two thumbs up’ on their weekly show.
Best Quotable Line
Redford’s response to Thomas’ initial call is the best polite way of telling someone no. “Am I being too polite here when I say no in Nevada? Does that mean yes where you are?”
Bill’s Hot Take
The Horse Whisperer is a better film than Shakespeare in Love and that was what won Best Picture at the Oscars this year. The Horse Whisperer should have had its nomination, and Saving Private Ryan should have won the big prize for the year.
Casting Call
- Robert Redford as Tom Booker
- Kristin Scott Thomas as Annie MacLean
- Sam Neill as Robert MacLean
- Scarlett Johansson as Grace MacLean
- Chris Cooper as Frank Booker
- Dianne Wiest as Diane Booker
Production Team:
Directed by Robert Redford
Produced by Touchstone Pictures / Wildwood Enterprises
Written by Nicholas Evans / Richard LaGravenese / Eric Roth
My Critical Response
{Snub-Skip this Film, Lifeboat Award-Desperate for Something to Watch, Commuter Comforter-A Perfect Film for Any Device, Jaw Dropper– You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen, Rosebud Award– This Film is Cinema.}
I was not expecting to like The Horse Whisperer as much as a I did, and what got to me was the scenery. The story is standard, there is nothing special about the characters but combined with the beautiful scenery and the talent of the actors, this film is incredible.
We would never see a film like The Horse Whisperer on screen today because it doesn’t have the built in IP that studios are looking for. It may receive a prestige series order from a streaming platform, but The Horse Whisperer is meant for the big screen and thankfully Disney, in their Touchstone Pictures arm, made movies like this.
The Horse Whisperer gets my Rosebud Award. This is cinema, and who better than a legend like Robert Redford to create the film.
Coming Soon
Next week, a look back at The Help.