The Horse Whisperer (1998)

IMDb plot summary: The mother of a severely traumatized daughter enlists the aid of a unique horse trainer to help the girl's equally injured horse.

Directed by Robert Redford. Stars Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Sam Neill.

The Horse Whisperer follows a teenage girl (played by a young Scarlett Johansson) who loses her leg in a car accident with her horse. She and the horse are both traumatized, and her mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) determines to meet up with renowned horse trainer Robert Redford who specializes in rehabilitation for horses. I usually dislike this kind of sweeping rural drama, but this one was more engaging than I expected. The film is far more focused on the slow-burn potential romance between Redford and Thomas than on the horse itself, which gives it a more relational, human-centered tone than its marketing suggested to me. The acting is strong across the board, and Johansson is fascinating to watch in an early role as a newly disabled teen. Still, the movie is undeniably long and slow, taking its time in ways that it can't always justified. But despite its length, it held my attention decently well, and the emotional nuance worked more often than not. 

How it entered my Flickchart:

🎥 The Horse Whisperer (1998)

📊 Ranked #2071/4142 on my Flickchart

🎯 Flickscore™: 50

lost to How I Live Now (held at #2069)

beat Chinatown (#3105 → #3106)

beat Life of Pi (#2587 → #2588)

beat Pete's Dragon (#2328 → #2329)

beat Spaceballs (#2198 → #2199)

beat Airborne (#2133 → #2134)

beat Phantom of the Opera (#2101 → #2102)

beat 2046 (#2085 → #2086)

beat Connie and Carla (#2077 → #2078)

beat Hamlet (#2073 → #2074)

beat Happythankyoumoreplease (#2071 → #2072)

lost to Deep Impact (held at #2070)