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Movie Review:
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story

Production Company: Dreamworks
Director: John Gatins
Cast: Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Kris Kristofferson, Elisabeth Shue
Rating: PG

By Gregg Tubbs

There is something enduringly appealing about comeback stories. Whether it’s Rocky Balboa climbing back into the ring, or Jim Morris (of The Rookie) trying to break into the big leagues at nearly the age of 40, we love to cheer on the plucky underdog who fights back from injury or misfortune. We love to believe in second chances. Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story is just such a film—an uplifting, family-friendly, charmer about an injured race horse that defies the odds, and the family that is touched and changed in the process.


Ben Crane (KURT RUSSELL) and Cale Crane (DAKOTA FANNING) see how Sonya's leg is coming along. Copyright © 2005 Dreamworks.
 
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story tells the story of once great horseman, Ben Crane (Kurt Russell), who, for the love of his daughter Cale (Dakota Fanning), sacrifices almost everything to rescue a promising filly following a career-ending broken leg. The Cranes own, as Cale describes it, “the only horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky, without a single horse.” Following years of bad luck and bad business decisions, the Crane family has sold off all its horses, and much of its land. In the process, Ben and his father Pop (Kris Kristofferson) have become estranged, and Ben himself has been reduced to peddling his skills as a trainer to other, wealthy horse owners. Ben is a man so beaten down by misfortune and disappointment that he has no dreams left.

All this changes when a ruthless owner decides, against Ben’s advice, to race a horse that is obviously favoring one leg. During the race, the filly, named Sonador (Spanish for “Dreamer), breaks her leg in a shocking spill. Ben believes the horse is finished, and the owner demands she be put down. Because his daughter is watching, Ben refuses to destroy the horse. He quits his job and demands the horse as a form of severance. Unwittingly, he has now given his daughter the horse she always dreamed of, and taken his first real risk in years. The Crane family’s future now literally rides on the outside chance that this once promising filly can not only heal from a career ending injury, but also become a champion.


Pop Crane (KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, left) and his son, Ben Crane (KURT RUSSELL), share the same hopes for Sonya, the horse that brings them together. Copyright © 2005 Dreamworks.
Ben is skeptical. Few horses have ever come back from such an injury, and caring for the filly is sure to drain the family’s meager resources. But Cale loves the horse that she calls Sonya. Out of love for his daughter, Ben nurses Sonya back to health. For Cale, there is an added benefit—more time with her father, who used to spend so much time away from home training other people’s horses. Pop also comes out of retirement to help with the horse. Over time, it looks like Sonya might actually race again, and the Cranes begin to look more like a family again. With the prestigious Breeder’s Cup race approaching, it will take all that this renewed family has to get their horse ready—their faith, their love and their courage will be tested by this one shot at glory.

If this plot sounds familiar, it should. It’s been done a hundred times before. Dreamer is a “formula” film, but the reason it was made, and the reason such films will always be made is that, when done right, they really work. And Dreamer was done right. Fanning, Russell and the entire cast are wonderful. We really care about these people, and their story has just enough twists and obstacles to make the finale, expected as it is, immensely satisfying and moving.

 
Lilly Crane (ELISABETH SHUE), Balon (LUIS GUZMAN), Pop Crane (KRIS KRISTOFFERSON), Ben Crane (KURT RUSSELL) and Cale Crane (DAKOTA FANNING) cheer Sonador on at the Breeder’s Cup. Copyright © 2005 Dreamworks
But more important is what the film teaches us and the values it reinforces. I saw Dreamer in an audience full of children, and I’m sure its lessons were not lost on them. They understood that it was about more than saving a horse. It was about saving a family, about second chances and redemption. It shows the restorative power of love, and how sacrifices for a greater good are always worth the risk. We see that sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in, even if it is costly, and that you’ve got to hold onto your dreams, even when life knocks you down. We also see that the good and humble can still prevail against the mighty and cruel, but that “winning at all costs” is not winning at all.
Most of all, Dreamer is about faith, hope and love: faith in each other, hope for better times to come, and the pure love of a child that can mend a broken family. Not bad values for a simple movie about a girl and her horse.

Gregg Tubbs is a freelance writer living in Columbia, Md.
This review was developed by UMC.org, the official online ministry of The United Methodist Church.

Group Study Guide

Study Questions:

  • How important do you feel it is that the film was “inspired by a true story?” Would you feel the same about it as a piece of complete fiction? Would its themes and lessons still be as valid?
  • What did you learn about Sonador’s original owner, Palmer, from the way he treated Manolin and Balon? Was this first impression reinforced later on?
  • Conversely, what do we learn about Ben’s character by how he treats Manolin and Balon?
  • Do you believe Palmer’s treatment of his horses was a reflection of his attitudes towards people? How did he reflect the “winning at all costs” mentality?
  • Do you believe God expects us to be humane to animals? Why or why not?
  • Were you surprised by the actions of the rich breeder (played by Ken Howard)? Did you feel the breeder should have offered his stud free of charge?
  • What did you think were the issues between Ben and Pop Crane? Did forgiveness play a role in their reconciliation?
  • Which character did you identify with the most? The least?
  • Was it important to you that Sonya (Sonador) won the Breeder’s Cup? What is most important—winning or simply the effort?
  • Who changed most during the film? Did anyone change for the worse?

Group Activities:

Your Special Name: Sonador’s (Sonya) name was Spanish for “Dreamer.” This had important symbolic importance, as she was the vehicle through which the Cranes fulfilled their dreams. She also represented anyone who holds fast to their dreams, even through adversity. Ask group members to select for themselves a special spiritual name that they feel represents something deep inside them. You could suggest several like “Believer,” “Teacher,” “Worker,” “Searcher,” “Worshiper,” “Leader.” Ask individuals to share their names with the group if they feel comfortable doing so and discuss its meaning. Then, for fun, discuss the meaning of names in the Bible. In some cases, the Bible tells us what the names mean. Others have meanings from Church tradition or from their language of origin. To get you started, here are some names from the Bible, and what they mean (according to a variety of sources):

Biblical names:

  • Abraham (father of multitude or many);
  • Barnabas (son of comfort; son of the prophet);
  • Hannah (graceful; gracious; merciful);
  • Mary (from the Hebrew name, Miriam, which means “wished for”);
  • Daniel (God is my judge);
  • David (“beloved” or “beloved to God”);
  • Elizabeth (from the Hebrew word ‘Elisheba’ which means “devoted to God”);
  • Philip (one who loves horses);
  • Matthew (God’s gift);
  • Joel (The Lord is God);
  • John (God is gracious);
  • Sarah (princess).

Write a Parable: In the film, Cale writes a story about a king who had a magic horse. This is one of the most touching scenes in the film, because reading this story helps draw Ben closer to his daughter. The story is essentially a parable about faith. Working together, have your group brainstorm a parable. Just like the parables told by Jesus, the parable should be an interesting story, with a setting, characters and situations to which everyone can relate. Most importantly, it should have a lesson or moral to teach. Once groups have finished creating their parables, read some favorite parables from the Bible. (You can find a listing of parables online at http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Parable.)  You might even consider sharing or acting out your parable with another group or at a worship service.

Faith, Hope and Love: Dreamer has many themes. Among the most prominent ones are faith, hope and love. As a group, discuss the role of each of these three themes in the film and how they drive the action. Explore the essence of each. What did the characters have faith in? Who did they love and what did they hope for? Ben acted out of love for Cale. In what ways did Cale’s love also change Ben? What role did faith play in winning the race? They had faith in Sonya; did they also have faith in each other? After a period of discussion, read the famous passage about faith, hope and love, in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13.

Resources
Official Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story Web site

Theatrical Trailers
QuickTime