Dreamer

LINKS
—Overview

Mankind has a fascination with horses. It’s as though horses had some real command of the soul of man. Maybe that’s where we come up with horsepower.

For thousands of years horses were the main source of transportation. They were the tractors and semis of the pre-industrial era. Horses today are still used in many parts of the world, and even in fully-automated Western civilization there are still conditions under which only a horse will do.

And though the horse has not seemed so dependent on man, these animals still need “breaking,� training and good care—which contributes to a deep sense of understanding and spirituality. And they say the dog is man’s best friend! Of course, if you’ve looked into a horse’s eyes you’ve seen more than a dumb animal. These ancient connections between man and horses have probably contributed to the mythic and deific proportion we give to horses.

Dreamer is a horse movie. Now, I like horse movies. I like Westerns, I loved The Horse Whisperer and The Man from Snowy River. I hated Old Yeller, ‘cause the whole time I had a foreboding that something was going to happen to that dear old dog. But it’s a dog movie. Dog movies can be sad. But don’t let anything bad happen to Shadowfax!

But this is a predictable story. It has a predictable plot with predictable characters. I found my self wondering when the bad things would suddenly be resolved and by which surprise change of heart from which villain. Dreamer has a great pace as a story, though. It has beautiful scenery. Good music soundtrack. Best of all, the actors are excellent. The story works. The audience in my local theatre loved it. They cheered and they cried (almost on cue), but that’s what most people go to the movies for. I know it’s what you take your young children to see. Predictable is not bad. In our cynical age we expect anything artistic to be off the charts, or dark, or esoteric. But this movie comes along as a family movie for a certainty, and instead of rolling my eyes, I was engaged.

Dreamer deals with family relationships gone sour; it heals them. It doesn’t explain everything. But it is not unrealistic. Crises can be a catalyst for good change as well as bad. I think you’ll find in this movie the reality that many of our hang-ups are caused by our own beliefs and gifts. These same beliefs and gifts, when challenged again, can bring about healing and health. Yes Virginia, people can heal from their psychological wounds. What better way to heal than around family?

These are regular people struggling to make a life for their family. They are well known in their circle of billionaire employers and neighbors. But they are far from rich. They are respected for their skill as horsemen, yet don’t have the luxury of very many of these rich people’s generosity or respect. They are outcasts with a useful skill. That skill that can be purchased; it can be considered separate from those who hold it.

This is the story of a small family, and of course a champion racehorse with its own wounds. All of them play programmatic roles, yet it all works. Anyone could write the outline for this story, but it took this crew and cast to put out this quality. All of the performances are terrific, which is what I think makes this such a good movie. Go see it!

Continue:
—Overview