A Cowgirl's Story

This movie is made for girls 8-14 years of age. After that I don't think most people will enjoy it. Besides being unrealistic, which is fine for a kid's movie, it is also full of overused clichés that can work only for people who are young and didn't have enough time in life to have seen all those clichés before.

The acting is bad. Well for the most part Bailee Madison was just awful. She was literally acting making stupid exaggerated reactions and faces. As well as her voice tone wasn't working for it. I see on IMDb that she has a pretty long list of roles. I guess now is the time where she will either learn acting or change professions because what works for child actors will not be accepted from adults.

I thought horse riding would be the main theme of the movie but it was barely mentioned or shown. The main issue was kids with parents in the army and bullying. Personally I think it is a good theme. With some people trying hard to kill patriotism and love for one's country it is nice to have a movie for the kids supporting it. Adding the Muslim girl was a good idea as well to show that patriotism shouldn't include bullying and hating those who are different and that they can be very much American and fight for the country as well.

It saddens me to see Dance Moms trolls writing negative reviews on here. The fact that they called out the Character of Savannah says it is nothing more than a dance moms troll. There should be a way to sue these people for what they do to others works just because they hate on an innocent teenager. ALL of the young people in this movie did an excellent job acting. All of them. So ignore haters who cant stand to see someone do better than their favorite little reality star and buy this movie. You will not be sorry. Some people wont like movies that show morals and sound judgements by teens but good people will. This movie had a good story line and shows how true friends stand by each other and help each other out unlike most of Hollywood showing how they stab each other to get to the top. Buy this movie you will not regret it.

Great movie with great moral under tones. Very much enjoyed the military appreciation aspect to the movie and the point of being your own person. So many young people today feel like they have to conform with everyone around them this movie does a great job of explaining that being yourself can be of great appeal to everyone around you. Movies with a good moral message will certainly attract some audiences more than others but overall this movie was well done even though some aspects of military uniform accuracy within the movie could've been better. As with many low-budget films there are somethings you have to just overlook. Great family movie should be enjoyed by all ages.

A thoughtful script, well-detailed atmosphere, and the drive to honor our active duty military provide the backdrop for this believable, worthy film.

Bailee Madison's Dusty Rhodes, full of action and optimism, is a peacemaker, wanting to make friends in her new high school. Somewhat inexplicably, she doesn't find other students like herself but seemingly becomes determined to win over a group of girls who drink and don't even like her at first. Dusty is resilient, determined, earnest, hard-working, and protective of others, with a strong faith in God, but she is growing up and finding that life isn't always fair or good. How could a loving God allow these things to happen? Why are good people allowed to suffer? How do we maintain our hope and keep our faith strong in today's world? These are tough questions, and Dusty finds her faith shaken.

Luckily, Dusty has a grandfather, played with warmth and gentleness by Pat Boone, and his wise counsel holds Dusty together. His scenes were my favorites, as his character had the strength to put things right and step up for the people who needed him. His gallant charm is the heart of the movie. As a bonus, older audience members will remember his teen idol years with fondness and enjoy his character in this.

The third lead character, Savannah, adds a touch of grit and realism to Dusty's life. Savannah, unlike Dusty, doesn't have a stable, loving family: her father was killed in the war three years earlier, and she can no longer make ends meet. As a result, they are losing their home. Bitter, yet drawn to Dusty's welcoming friendliness in spite of herself, Savannah throws herself into the equestrian drill team that Dusty wants to form, and the two become good friends, along with Savannah's clique and a boy who works at the ranch. Chloe Lukasiak (of TV's "Dance Moms") plays Savannah with just the right nuances, providing a necessary sharpness to a movie that is almost too sweet at times. As Dusty becomes intrigued with Savannah and wants to know her better, we see a complicated girl who has her guard up, tough one moment with a fragile smile the next as she tries to cope with her problems. Her bitterness, we learn, is justified, and there are a few unexpected twists as her story-line pays out. I was impressed with the fearless way Lukasiak, a relative newcomer to acting, was capable of showing multiple layers and subtext, sometime with just her eyes or small movements.

The ranch scenes lend a beautiful setting and atmosphere as we see the teens bonding into a tight pack while working together on their common goal. Dusty's relationship with her horse provides an outlet for her anxiety and grief about her parents' deployment. Filmed on a real working ranch in Southern California, the scenes provide a backdrop as a sweet romantic relationship begins for one of the girls, while the other one finds a mutual attraction almost derailed by thoughtless banter. The neighs of the horses and open skies make the viewer feel like we've actually been to this place, and we can easily see how its charm and beauty worked magic on this group of teens.

Another favorite scene of mine was the school dance, as we see the group together in a social setting...and realizing that it's cool to be nice, too.

The script, as well as the movie itself, should have premiered and found a home on the Hallmark Channel, OWN, Disney, or any inspirational/ family-friendly network. Church youth groups would get a lot from it. Best of all, it is appropriate for all ages from children to senior citizens - without being overly sappy or predictable. It is rare these days to find a film in which God and faith are so openly discussed, and I found it refreshing.

I watched this movie, found it to be lighthearted. You don't need to know about uniforms,rank etc. It's a family movie not meant heavy in drama. In my opinion, just an enjoyable film to give an audience a few hours hours reprieve from whats going around us. Therefore, view it as what I seen as Bailee, lead actor captured her character with emotion.