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IMDbPro

Fresh Horses

  • 1988
  • PG-13
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
5.0/10
2.4K
YOUR RATING
Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy in Fresh Horses (1988)
A Cincinnati college student breaks off his engagement to his wealthy fiancée after he falls in love with a backwoods Kentucky girl he meets at a party. She claims to be 20 years old, but he learns that she's actually just 16 and already married.
Play trailer0:32
1 Video
11 Photos
DramaRomance

A college student from Cincinnati breaks off his engagement to his wealthy fiancée after falling in love with a girl from Kentucky. She claims to be 20, but he learns she is actually only 16... Read allA college student from Cincinnati breaks off his engagement to his wealthy fiancée after falling in love with a girl from Kentucky. She claims to be 20, but he learns she is actually only 16 and already married.A college student from Cincinnati breaks off his engagement to his wealthy fiancée after falling in love with a girl from Kentucky. She claims to be 20, but he learns she is actually only 16 and already married.

  • Director
    • David Anspaugh
  • Writer
    • Larry Ketron
  • Stars
    • Molly Ringwald
    • Andrew McCarthy
    • Patti D'Arbanville
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.0/10
    2.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • David Anspaugh
    • Writer
      • Larry Ketron
    • Stars
      • Molly Ringwald
      • Andrew McCarthy
      • Patti D'Arbanville
    • 35User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 0:32
    Official Trailer

    Photos11

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    Top cast31

    Edit
    Molly Ringwald
    Molly Ringwald
    • Jewel
    Andrew McCarthy
    Andrew McCarthy
    • Larkin
    Patti D'Arbanville
    Patti D'Arbanville
    • Jean
    Ben Stiller
    Ben Stiller
    • Tipton
    Leon Russom
    Leon Russom
    • Larkin's Dad
    Molly Hagan
    Molly Hagan
    • Ellen
    Viggo Mortensen
    Viggo Mortensen
    • Green
    Doug Hutchison
    Doug Hutchison
    • Sproles
    Chiara Peacock
    • Alice
    Marita Geraghty
    Marita Geraghty
    • Maureen
    Rachel Jones
    • Bobo
    Welker White
    Welker White
    • Christy
    Christy Budig
    • Laurel
    Larry Ketron
    • Roy
    Ken Strunk
    Ken Strunk
    • Dr. Lippincott
    William Youmans
    William Youmans
    • Gary
    Richard Clayton Woods
    • Buddy
    • (as Richard Woods)
    Kent Poole
    • Stephen
    • Director
      • David Anspaugh
    • Writer
      • Larry Ketron
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews35

    5.02.3K
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    Featured reviews

    6ProofUndeniable

    Unexceptional

    This movie is really only for those who were/are serious fans of either Molly Ringwald or Andrew McCarthy. The storyline is implausible and the characters are woefully underdeveloped. McCarthy stars as a young man named Matt who is engaged to marry his socialite girlfriend, but scraps those plans when he meets Jewel(Ringwald). The film follows Matt as he tries to figure out who exactly Jewel is and what secrets she might be hiding. For her part, Ringwald does a decent job. Her southern accent isn't overdone or ridiculous, though it is a bit odd. To her credit, she believably portrays a character that is totally unlike any of those in her previous movies. McCarthy, on the other hand, seems like a reincarnation of every part I've ever had the displeasure of seeing him in. He wanders through the film aimlessly and seems totally disinterested the whole way through. Overall, not a bad effort on Ringwald's part, but I would only recommend watching this movie if you happen to catch it on cable.
    mistermycroft

    A follow up to my comment below

    I just wanted to add a few more thoughts to the comment that I left last year, which a few people have cited to. Again, I will say that this is by no means a great film. Much of what happens is, at least to me, unrealistic and unconvincing. Molly's speech in the cabin to McCarthy and his friends, about her childhood, is also somewhat laughable. But the movie has quite a few elements which make it worth watching. Many scenes are memorable. Ones that stick out in my mind are the pool party and the conversation afterwards, the scene where Ben Stiller talks to McCarthy about how difficult it is to make friends at their age, and the strange scenes where McCarthy goes to the house in the woods and meets Jewel and her female friend. I am still uncertain as to what exactly was going on out there, as to why these kids were hanging out at such a remote location. The film looks visually stunning and makes you want to visit these places. As for the title, I believe that at one point Stiller compares Molly to a worn out nag and says that McCarthy needs a "fresh horse" to ride, or something like that. I agree, the title makes little sense. But I recommend the movie.
    caljac51

    who hasn't been there?

    a particularly haunting movie, especially for most of us who remember what it was like to be young, naive, and in a relationship that we wanted to work, but somehow intuitively knew wouldn't/couldn't, a relationship we knew had too little common ground. The looks that pass between the lead characters when he corrects her grammar are revelatory.
    6michaelRokeefe

    A touching and somber look at romance.

    Andrew McCarthy plays a college student that falls in love with a less educated and less cultured young girl(Molly Ringwald). Two immediate problems are: McCarthy needs to break off an engagement to his well to do girlfriend; only to find out that Ringwald is younger than he thinks and needs an annulment from an abusive husband.

    Dark, moody and almost full blown depressing. If you liked PRETTY IN PINK, this is the more grown up version. I always seem to find McCarthy a sympathetic character, but I really like his cool attitude he brings to the part. Miss Ringwald is simply great in this role.

    Rounding out the cast are: Ben Stiller, Patti D'Arbanville, Viggo Mortensen and Molly Hagan. Stay with this one, don't jump off in midstream. This is very under rated and deserves your attention.
    swedensm

    I liked the scenery...

    This movie was filmed in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky, where I was living at the time. I hung around some of the days of shooting, as the house where Molly Ringwald "lives" stands right outside my town.

    Andrew McCarthy was a darling who signed autographs, talked to whomever was around as if they were lifelong friends and even joined us for lunch. He won some lifelong fans during those days. However, Molly Ringwald was too grand for the likes of us

    Kentuckians; she snubbed everyone and hid in her trailer. She kept stopping production during the cold weather because she was absolutely adamant about not being filmed with a red nose.

    I have to admit, when the film was shown, we laughed until we cried when we noticed that her nose was Rudolph red -- a lot.

    That is my fondest memory of this waste of good talent (McCarthy's). They should have saved the money and spent it on nose makeup for Ms. Ringwald. Or maybe charm

    school.

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
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    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Allan Marcil, executive producer on the picture, according to the film's production notes, wanted to shoot the picture near the Ohio-Kentucky border region where his wife grew up. This was because the geographic boundary provided a cultural and social dichotomy necessary to the story.
    • Quotes

      Sproles: How goes it?

    • Connections
      Referenced in Psych: Murder?... Anyone?... Anyone?... Bueller? (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Waltz Of The Flowers
      Written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (as Peter Tchaikovsky)

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Fresh Horses?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 18, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Zärtliche Liebe
    • Filming locations
      • Alexandria, Kentucky, USA
    • Production company
      • Weintraub Entertainment Group
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $14,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $6,640,346
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,074,292
      • Nov 20, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $6,640,346
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 45m(105 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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