Worth Watching Again and Again

The title is a mouthful, butDreamer: Inspired by a True Storyhits the winner's circle as a warm and inspiring family film. Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) is a Kentucky horse trainer who watches in horror as a championship filly breaks its leg during a practice run. Ordinarily that means curtains, but today Ben's daughter, Cale (Dakota Fanning), is at the track, and Ben impulsively buys the horse and loses his job in one fell swoop. The rehabilitation process is almost too much for a farm that's already struggling to survive in a modern economy, but the horse turns out to be a much-needed salve to the nearly broken family, including Ben's wife (Elisabeth Shue) and father (Kris Kristofferson). The cast is excellent, especially Fanning (who at age 11 has become a major star and was branded byEntertainment Weeklyas the most powerful actress in Hollywood), and the film is well-paced by director-writer John Gatins and beautifully shot by cinematographer Fred Murphy. Surely the ultimate fate of the horse and the family won't surprise anyone, but young girls who love horses often don't need a surprise ending. They need a reason to cheer, andDreamerdelivers all the way. (Ages 6 and older: moments of horse peril)--David Horiuchi

Cast: Kurt Russell, Oded Fehr, Dakota Fanning, Kris Kristofferson, Elisabeth Shue

Director: John Gatins

Screen Writer: John Gatins

DVD Release Date: March 21, 2006

Runtime: 106 minutes

Studio: Dreamworks Video