Buck ***

 

The real Horse Whisperer recovers from an abusive childhood as he trains horses and their owners in the documentary Buck.

Buck Brannaman consulted on Robert Redford’s The Horse Whisperer (1998). Nicholas Evans’ 1995 novel of the same name is based on the sensitive, gifted horse trainer. Buck won the Audience Award at Sundance 2011.

An excerpt from Redford’s film is shown. Buck’s guidance was instrumental in helping to calm a jittery horse for an important scene. In that scene Grace (Scarlett Johansson), who lost part of her leg in an accident while riding her horse Pilgrim, approaches the traumatized animal. Pilgrim shudders and jolts. Gradually, he calms down and allows Grace to touch him.

Redford was impressed with the horse trainer’s politeness and humanity when they first met. Interviewed here, Redford calls Buck “no nonsense” and “authentic.” Nevertheless, Cindy Meehl’s documentary about this extraordinary individual falls flat.

Buck travels 40 weeks out of each year to give four-day horse clinics. He misses his wife and daughter, he says. Meanwhile he restores calmness and serenity to the horses. Buck is known for his keen insights into the animals.

Brannaman schools horse owners, advising them how to approach and treat the animals with respect. “There’s a difference between firm and hard,” he notes. His approach is “90 percent mental and 10 percent physical.” As a young man, Buck attended a clinic given by Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt. The two were promoting a gentle approach called “natural horsemanship.” Buck had found his calling.

Yet this movie never captures a warm connection between Brannaman and the horses he trains. Where is the magic? First-time director Meehl is so intent on covering the breadth and scope of Buck’s work that she neglects its all-important depth.

Buck appears at event after event. He rides a jittery horse. The horse quiets and trots obediently. Owners comment on the miraculous transformations. They praise Buck’s special gift. What we don’t learn: Who are these horses? What are their stories? How does Buck calm them? What happens after they return home? Have they truly healed?

Focusing on Brannaman and paying scant attention to horses is a curious misstep. The creatures of great dignity, power and freedom are given only cursory treatment. For example, when Buck and his daughter compete in a lasso competition, their horses perform perfectly but look unhappy.

Had Meehl highlighted and developed several encounters between Buck and the horses, this film would truly satisfy. There’s a heartfelt connection between animals and people in movies like Born to be Wild and Water for Elephants. That connection is missing here.

 

Only at the end of Buck is one horse featured. Brain-damaged at birth and raised incorrectly, he has become violent. The horse maims a rider on screen. He has become “a predator,” Buck warns. Finally the owner decides to put him down.

Buck’s painful early years are slowly revealed. At age three, Buckshot (originally named Dan) began performing rope tricks with his older brother Smokie (Bill) under the management of their father Ace. The youngest stars on the circuit, the boys often performed blindfolded. They became famous, appearing in a Sugar Pops commercial.

The two were driven hard and often whipped by their alcoholic dad. Their mother had passed away. One day a coach noticed the bruising. The boys were removed from their home and adopted by a loving couple, the Shirleys. Brannaman still visits with his adoptive mother to this day.

Many horse lovers will enjoy this film, while others will yearn for more. Buck tells the story of a quiet, gentle man, but doesn’t reveal too much. Buck’s brother never appears in the film. His absence is not explained.

If you like Buck, you might enjoy:  Born to be Wild; Water for Elephants; Secretariat.

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Buck    2011  /  PG  /  1 hour, 28 min

Cast Overview:  Buck Brannaman, Robert Redford

Director:  Cindy Meehl

Genre:  Documentary, Animals