March 25, 2006
Chilling Movie
After a week of playing catch-up post my daughter’s wedding and the happy couple’s subsequent visit after their honeymoon excursion in Niagara Falls, I was ready to just chill and watch a movie last night. A movie that didn’t make me think, or get fidgity, fill all the senses or fight to keep track of events. Something to just sink back into the couch and enjoy without effort. Jenn picked up such a movie - “Dreamer”, starring the wonderful, and believable child actress, Dakota Fanning. Easy on the mind and beautiful (shot in Kentucky horse country) for the eyes.
The youngster, Cale Crane, wanted two things. A family that acted like one. And a horse on the family’s every shrinking, horseless horse farm. Her father, Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) was tired of making other men rich raising winning thoroughbreds. Mom (Elizabeth Shue), wanted a true bond to develop between father and daughter, and the strained relationship between Ben and his father, the equestrian patriarch (Kris Kristifferson), to be healed.
It is the sole determination of the youngest member of this family, and the racing injury of a promising horse that Ben was training, that brought the dysfunctional family together in a wake of obstacles, setbacks and lack of money to claim the ultimate prize - The Breeders Cup. And claim it they did in typical Hollywoodish, but nevertheless, inspiring fashion.
A wonderful thread was sewn throughout the movie, echoed by Pop and granddaughter, and spoken to Sonadora (means “Dreamer”), the champion philly: “You are a great champion. When you ran the ground shook. The sky opened and mere mortals parted. Parted the way to victory. Where you will meet me in the winner’s circle. Where I will lay a blanket of flowers on your back.”
A classic it may never become but a good movie for one of those evenings you just wanna chill!
Rick
Filed under: General Ramblings, Movies that Moved Me
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