"Dreamer" Races into the
Hearts of Families By Pat Denson, 10.27.05
LOS ANGELES – It was opening night and the theatre was packed out with teenagers and families with young children eager to see “Dreamer.” The movie had been consistently advertised by DreamWorks and Hyde Park Productions as true family entertainment.
The audience broke out in spontaneous applause throughout the movie for favorite actress, Dakota Fanning. Her co-star, a filly named
Sonador, which in Spanish means “Dreamer,” is a close second with the young audience.
“Dreamer” was inspired by a true story, but the credits revealed the characters were invented. Written and directed by John Gatins, the film was shot on location at picturesque horse farms in Lexington, KY amidst mist-covered hills and rolling green pastures. The exciting race sequences were filmed in Folsom, Lafayette, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Blue grass music rich with guitar provided the backdrop for the endearing story.
Ben (Kurt Russell), and his wife Lilly (Elizabeth Shue), live on Crane’s Horse Farm, a 200-acre farm known for raising thoroughbred race horses. They have a young daughter named Cale, (Dakota Fanning). Pop, (Kris Kristofferson), lives close by. The Crane family is financially strapped.
“We have the only horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky with no horses-not one,” Cale said.
Ben works for a wealthy thoroughbred owner named Palmer, (David Morse). Ben tells Palmer that his filly named Sonador is favoring one leg and shouldn’t race. Palmer refuses to believe Ben, but in the middle of the race the horse’s leg folds throwing both horse and jockey to the ground.
Palmer is angry and wants the horse put down immediately; Ben refuses. Palmer fires him and gives Ben the injured horse. Ben and Cale take Sonador home. With help from Pop, Sonador is placed in a sling to heal. The veterinarian tells Ben and Cale Sonador will never race again, but there’s a chance she will be able to walk.
Ben and Cale decide to sell Sonador to stud when she’s healed, because of her thoroughbred bloodlines. In the meantime the farm is in foreclosure, and the veterinarian informs them that Sonador is infertile.
Ben decides to give Sonador to Cale, because he has his hands full trying to save the farm. Cale trains Sonador with the help of Balon, (Luis Guzman), and former jockey Manolin, (Freddy Rodriquez). Cale enters Sonador in the Breeders’ Cup World Championship. Ben and Pop Crane put all their savings on the long shot.
“It was such a fun show. The interaction among the family members was so believable. The dialogue and the slower pace of the story allowed the audience to feel a part of the story,” Cindy, from Los Angeles, said.
“I’m here, because I like horses,” Nina, a teenager from Santa Monica, said.
“There’s not enough good, family movies like this one,” her mother Nancy said.
“It’s so good to be able to share a movie with my daughter,” her father David said.
“I like Dakota Fanning,” Hannah, a teenager from Los Angeles, said.
“We wanted to be with our daughter on a Friday night and see a family movie,” her mother Celeste said.
“We’re here because we heard this was a family film,” her father Robert said.
As I left the theatre, there were families lined up waiting for the next showing of “Dreamer.” I realized it was really nice to see a family film that truly was what it claimed to be.
