The Horse Dancer (2017)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Don't Believe the Hype

Admirable film.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It should have been a good movie. The premise was there...but the script was horrible and the acting worse. Why is Samantha such a princess? Why is her Mom such a ditz? Who gets an Olympic Trial letter in the mail?! There are so many plot holes and ridiculous jumps I am amazed this turkey was released. My 6yr old grandson, who loves horse movies, didn't last 20 minutes. I continued watching, because I kept HOPING it would get better. It just got worse...the "panic" filled search for a missing "grief stricken" Samantha ( seriously?!?!? Can we just say Barney Fife would have been more convincing) and then the sudden and miraculous performance of :The Horse Dancer...ugh. This is a couple hours I'll never get back. DON'T waste your time!

Learning about the real-life Black River Ranch made me wish I could like this movie better. The movie is lovely to look at; the scenery makes me long to visit this place myself. And I love horses, so anything from Seabiscuit to Secretariat will find me eagerly in front of the screen. But that's where I have to stop. Everyone else seems to find it flawed because of the acting, and it's true, you won't find any Oscar winners here; everyone else has already ripped the actors to shreds, so there's no need to go there now. But it's not just the acting. It's the writing. The main character, Sam, comes from a home where her mother is single and working too hard to ever associate with the girl; her main relationship is with her grandmother, whose sweetness and emphasis on friendship and teamwork makes it just not make sense that the girl is such a cold, standalone snot. It gives her a great character arc--but that isn't handled well either, as the girl spends most of her time on her own, and the only two friends she seems to make are with the counselors, not among her peers. Even at the end of the movie when she makes the video to save the camp (and the video was not her idea, regardless of what any other reviewer says; it was a counselor's idea and she went along with it).There's something that looks like a subplot in the middle of the movie when one of the counselors approaches a lonely little bespectacled girl and tells her not to feel bad for having a speech impediment, because she'll find something that she does really well instead. So one would expect to see this little girl at the end of the movie, having found her "thing"--but nope, she's back at the campfire with all the other non-stars, singing the usual silly songs.So the themes of the movie--friendship and teamwork--never are pulled off, and I blame this solely on the writers, who apparently were on the clock and anxious to get home to dinner. It's a shame, because it could have been a much better movie.

As a Michigan Actress, I would like to give a round of applause to the Director/Actor: Joel Paul Reisig, for this outstanding film! Though I was not in this film personally, I did attend the premiere and was so proud of everyone for their hard work and dedication. What a beautiful family-friendly film. The script dealt with so many emotions, sad, happy, loss, challenge, excitement, and more. It was wonderful of the Director to include so many young actors and to allow them to experience being in a feature film. The quality and clarity of the filming were superb! Bringing in a few actors from Hollywood made the film that much exciting. From start to finish, this film grabbed my interest and my eyes never left the screen till after the credits. The premier was an autograph signing event, glitz and glamour and the respect and admiration the Director has for each and every cast member were admirable. Thank you, Joel, for making a difference in the lives of actors, of all ages.

Wow. I had low expectations for Horse Dancer, but this movie was much worse than I had expected.This film is like a cross between Hallmark TV Movies and Plan 9 from Outer Space.The acting in this movie was not at the level of most high school productions. Richard Karn (of Tool Time) and Rachel Sowers (who plays Lisa in this movie) can act but the rest of the cast is awful. From the credits it seems like the director simply recruited children in his church to be in the movie.The plot and action have many unrealistic elements to it - in particular a lengthy 'police search and rescue' scene that had my wife and I howling with laughter.In the first few minutes, the main character receives a letter -at her gym (huh?) - notifying her as to whether or not she made the US Olympic team. (Isn't that usually announced at the trials?) She doesn't open the letter, takes it home and tells her Mom she received the letter. Her Mom advises her to discuss the letter with Grandma and then leaves to go to work. (I mean, if the characters don't care about this life-changing letter then why should we?)At the climax of the movie, the stunt double has a body type that is so completely different than the actress she subs for, that it destroys the scene.There are scenes where kids sing campfire songs -without any point and without furthering the action. Just... campfire songs. Really compelling stuff, Not.And on and on. One of the worst movies of the century.