Dreamer - Ein Traum wird wahr

Cale Crane (Dakota Fanning) lives on a horse farm with no horses. Their farm is holding on with her mother Lily (Elisabeth Shue) working as a diner waitress. Her father Ben (Kurt Russell) doesn't get along with his father Pop (Kris Kristofferson). Ben trains horses for the rich owner Palmer (David Morse) who races his horse despite Ben's advise. The horse is injured and Palmer wants to put her down. Palmer fires Ben. Ben takes the horse for compensation. Partly through obsession, partly through skills, partly with love, and the hard work of everybody including Manolin (Freddy Rodriguez) and Balon (Luis Guzman), they bring her back to health. It's a roller-coaster ride when they find out that she is infertile.

This is an unabashed sentimental movie. Russell is great as the strong solid father under pressure. It's a good move that his character is healing the horse for the money rather than any moral stance. Fanning is adorable enough and spunky enough. It's a terrific underdog story. The movie is full of familiar clichés. It's probably too overloaded with them but Russell and Fanning make them work most of the time.

The premise of this movie is so similar to 2003's Seabiscuit, you'd think you're watching yet another biography of a real horse in some extraordinary, inspiring film that might just make you want to head down to the nearest race course and observe a real race.

But Dreamer (or Sonador as the horse is named) takes a slightly different angle in this tale about second chances and comebacks. If compared to Seabiscuit, yes, we have a horse with great potential faced with the troubles of breaking a leg during a competitive race. As with all race horses, this means instant death, as they have no future value, and are bred for the sole purpose of racing.

We also have a superb trainer, Ben Crane, played by Kurt Russell, and the doctor (Holmes Osborne), the written-off jockey (Freddy Rodriguez), the stable-hand (Luis Guzman), etc. But here's where the similarities end. Dreamer is a more personal film, with family friendly characters, like the daughter (Dakota Fanning), the wife (Elizabeth Shue), and the grandfather (Kris Kristofferson). Nursing the horse back to health had actually brought the family closer together, and that in itself makes this film quite cliché in its many "been-there-done-that" before moments to touch.

Dakota Fanning has held her own against "father-figure" heavyweights like Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington, and Tom Cruise, though many would have pointed out that she had rivaled Naomi Watts for the 2005 Scream Queen honors with her performance in War of the Worlds. Here, Fanning has returned to more credible acting, albeit in a safer role.

Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, is a heartwarming tale about believing in oneself, having dreams, believing that you can achieve, and take action to achieve those dreams. While watching the movie, I can't help but chuckle at the parallels in seeing how my team and I are sticking together, just like those characters, in wanting to see our dream of making a short film, and entering it into competitions (in this case, the Breeder's Cup) come to a reality.

It's that kind of film, an inspiring one. It might be clichéd, the premise might be too good to be true, but hey, success might come to those who dare to dream, believe, and more importantly, do.

In Lexington, Kentucky, the horse barn of the family Crane has been empty for years, without any horses, due to the financial difficulties of the family. When the female horse Sonya, a.k.a. Sonador (Dreamer, in Spanish) breaks one foreleg in a race, the owner Palmer (David Morse) decides to sacrifice the animal, but the trainer Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) accepts the injured horse as part of three months salaries owed by Palmer. His daughter Cale (Dakota Fanning) becomes very connected with Sonya, and while the horse is rehabilitated, the wounds in the ties of the Crane family are also healed.

"Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" is one of those beautiful, positive, optimistic movies, with a magnificent message for families. First, you must never give up your dream; following your dream, no matter how impossible it seems to be, magic may happen. The other one is that families shall always stay united, no matter how difficult the situation seems to be: the union makes the strength. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sonhadora" ("Dreamer")

My wife and I saw this movie today, and were very happy to have spent the time and the emotion.

This is a heartwarming experience for virtually any viewer with a soul. Far beyond a simple story about a horse, this film delves in to multi-generational relationships and human frailty. In its relatively short time duration, the film depicted a great deal of real life.

Dakota Fanning is a remarkable actor. It is almost frightening to see someone of her tender years with such screen presence and ability to deliver a range of emotion so convincingly. If only the film industry will refrain from corrupting her - and her support group helps to keep her "real" - she will undoubtedly evolve into an excellent adult performer.

Kurt Russell is a perennial favorite of ours. We both commented on the joy of watching the growth of his career and ability from his child roles of Disney films through his present "mature" stage of career. Whether a husband and father in "Dreamer" or a dysfunctional husband and brother in "Backdraft, he is enjoyable to watch.

Kris Kristofferson as a crusty old horse person with a huge, warm heart, was a nice addition to the film. We have long acknowledge that his acting talent far exceeds his musical prowess.

Last, but not least, there is Elisabeth Shue. Since "Adventures in Babysitting," we have enjoyed her performances. She is beautiful, charming, adept, versatile and willing to take professional risks. It is unfortunate that the film industry does not provide her more good roles for someone of her abilities.

It is pleasing that "Dreamer" - and films of its style - are made. Such entertainment vehicles support a means to keep families bonded. "Dreamer" is a great way for families to spend a couple of hours together.

Don't hesitate to see this film. Open your heart, connect your soul to your brain, and enjoy yourself!

As a long time horse racing fan and a former horse loving little girl, this movie had to go on my must see list. I would definitely recommend it for all families - and the adults may be surprised how much they enjoy it also. There is one scary scene for some young kids when the filly breaks down early in the movie - but this scene is part of the commercials that already have been on TV, so it should not be too much of a shock. As a racing fan, I found a few points that stretched credibility, but this is a "dream" after all, and they do point out that putting a filly or mare in the Breeder's Cup Classic has hardly ever been done, much less expecting she can win enough of the purse to justify the high entry fee needed. Even Azeri, who was a horse of the year, ran 5th when she took on male horses in the Classic. Sonador could have run in the Breeder's Cup Distaff instead, paid less for the entry fees, and still have astounded everyone with a win (when Mariah's Storm, the "inspired by" horse ran in the Breeder's Cup Distaff after her injury she did not win). Over all the movie does a pretty good job of representing the factual background (children can't generally be licensed as race horse owners, but the plot certainly works much better this way!).

I do think that if they are going to make "Inspired by a true story" part of the title, they should have provided information about this some where - perhaps as a post script at the end - but they do not. You have to find interviews with the screen writer to learn that it was inspired by Mariah's Storm who broke her leg as a 2 year old when she was expected to be a favorite in the 1993 Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies, but later returned to racing and won several graded stakes races. She has gone on to be the dam of several stakes winners, including Giants Causeway, who is one of the studs they admire at Ashmore Stud when looking for a horse to breed Sonadore to. Mariah's Storm is 14 years old now and is still having babies. I suspect that on their trip to the breeding farm we may be seeing the actual retired race horses, as the studs shown (Fusaichi Pegasus, Giant's Causeway, Johannesburg, Grand Slam) are all actually owned by Coolmore Lexington (formerly Ashmore Stud) in Kentucky. While inspired by Mariah's Storm, the movie is not really based on her. In fact, at one point, the characters talk about Mariah's Storm, when saying it may be possible for Sonador to race again after her broken leg, just like Mariah's Storm had. Grand Slam (the horse they considered breeding Sonador to) also made a comeback from an injury he suffered running in the 1997 Breeder's Cup Juvenile.