"Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" Movie Review for Parents

MPAA Rating: PG, for brief mild language
Genre: Family/Drama/Horseracing
Runtime: 102 minutes

Cale Crane (Dakota Fanning) lives on the only horse ranch in all of Lexington, Kentucky with no horses, but horses are not the only thing missing on the Crane farm. Cale’s father, Ben (Kurt Russell), is estranged from her grandfather (Kris Kristofferson), and feelings of bitterness and disappointment keep him from being close to anyone, including his daughter.

These days, instead of breeding and training his own horse, Ben works at the race track using his talent to make winners out of other men’s horses. Born into a legacy of horsemanship, passion for the beautiful animals is not lost on young Cale, though. She longs to be a part of the world her dad had known before he gave up his dream.

After a guilt trip from Cale’s mother (Elisabeth Shue), Ben makes good on a promise to take Cale to work with him. Perfectly at home in the stables at the race track, Cale enjoys every minute, and falls in love with a filly named Sonya. When Sonya falls during an important race, her owner insists on putting her down, but Ben sacrifices his job to save Sonya and spare his daughter the pain of watching the horse die.

Now jobless and stuck with the expenses of caring for the injured thoroughbred, Ben and his family are in danger of losing everything. Things begin to look even bleaker as the plans Ben makes to solve the problems fall through time and again, but Cale refuses to lose hope in her father or her horse. When her father puts the horse in her name and challenges her to make all the decisions, Cale and Sonya’s quest for a miracle unites the whole family and reminds her broken father that he is a king in his daughter’s eyes, and that he should never give up on a dream.

Note to Parents on "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story"

Dreamer captivates the audience with the story of an innocent, hopeful young girl who wills her dreams to come true. Unfortunately, though, the movie is just a story. Don’t be fooled by the name. The inclusion of the phrase “Inspired by a True Story” in the title implies far more truth than actually exists, and this fact becomes obvious after watching the film, because this improbable sequence of events is too contrived to be true anyway.

Aside from the disappointment about the veracity of the storyline, the movie provides an uplifting, fairytale story for children and families. The movie will not hold the attention of very young children, but will probably be loved by preteen girls, especially if they like horses or are Dakota Fanning fans.

Some scenes in the movie do contain mild language and a couple of racial remarks. Also, the gambling theme is prevalent throughout the movie, and breeding Sonya with a stud is discussed. Several scenes depict tense family situations surrounding financial struggle, disappointment, and disagreement.

Content Overview of "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story"

The following contains some of the most prominent examples of possibly scary or offensive content in the movie:

Violence (Low)
-A horseracing accident is shown. Both the jockey and the horse are injured.
-A jockey's scars from a previous accident are shown.
-An owner purposely allows his horse to act aggressively to Sonya.

Sex/Nudity (Low)
-Horse breeding is discussed.

Profanity (Low)
-The words "butt," "hell," "God," and "damn" are used.
-A man refers to some workers as Ben's "Mexicans."

Alcohol/Drugs (Low)
-Cale is shown several mornings drinking coffee to wake herself up.

Bad/Disrespectful Behavior (Medium)
-One of the owners is rude and condescending toward Cale and her family.

Scary Scenes (Very Low)
-Scenes listed under violence may be scary for children.
-Sonya takes off with Cale riding on her back, and Cale is in danger of falling of the galloping horse.

Sad/Distressing Scenes (Medium)
-In one scene, Cale overhears her dad make a comment that is very hurtful.
-Cale is very upset when her dad effectively sells Sonya.
-Several tense scenes occur regarding the family finances and other money issues.

Discuss "Dreamer:Inspired by a True Story" with Your Family

• Children may have questions about horse breeding or what happens to a horse that has a broken leg.
• Cale’s dad gives up on his dreams after experiencing disappointment, how did Cale show him that it is important to keep believing?
• The movie emphasizes the importance of families. How can families help each other during hard times?
• Read about how the story of Mariah's Storm inspired the movie.