The Horse Whisperer

Way back in college, around ten years ago, we were tasked to review Robert Redford’s screen adaptation of Nicholas Evans’ bestselling book, “The Horse Whisperer.” It was for our Humanities class, one of my favorite subjects then although it was just a minor. The film was shown in Ayala Center and I watched it with Jean, one of my best friends, who, by the way, is moving to Canada in two days to be with her beautiful Ilana.

The Horse Whisperer is one of those movies that are very dear to me. I am not about to launch one of those movie reviews, but briefly, the film is about, hmmm, I think – healing. Annie (played by Kristin Scott Thomas), a strong-willed mother, abandons her magazine editor job to bring Pilgrim, her daughter’s horse, to the vast plains of Montana, to a man known to heal psychologically wounded horses. Annie hopes that this would also heal her daughter Grace (played by a very young Scarlett Johanssen), who was emotionally devastated and physically disabled because of the accident. There, Annie met the horse whisperer, Tom Booker (portrayed by handsome Robert Redford)...

The ending of The Horse Whisperer is not happy at all. It is bittersweet. But still inspiring and I guess I may have to affirm, once once once again, that I will always be ultra-hollywood when it comes to love and romance.

Annie: I envy your mother. I do. It must be great to be her age and to be at that point in your life when you have no more guess work. No more impossible decisions to make. And anyway, it doesn't matter because all the worries and all the wrong turns that you made are as valuable and as cherished as the things that you did right. Oh, it must be such a relief. Must be such peace in that.

Tom: Well, i don't think that you have to wait to be her age to find that kind of peace.

Annie: Yeah, but how would you know unless it was all behind you? Do you have it?

Tom: Sometimes. Not all the time. But sometime. Wakin' up in the ranch everyday. Knowing what im supposed to do that day. Knowing im home.

Annie: I wake up in the morning and i don't know a damn thing. And the more i try to fix things, the more everything falls apart.

Tom: Maybe you should let 'em fall.

Annie: No, I can't.

Char!