At a time when people are looking for more things to enjoy as a family, we now have a film that is a pure delight for mom, dad, grandma and grandpa and kids of all ages to see together. "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" is about the fulfillment of dreams and the union of a family. No matter what your age or interests, this film will send a message that will touch your soul and reach your heart.
In fact, when Director-Producer John Gatins (37) wrote "Dreamer" he did so with the hope that people would get a wholesome feeling from watching this movie. Gatins, who grew up in upstate New York, which is horse country, never gravitated much to pleasure horses but was drawn to the racing scene. "I went to the racetrack when I was really young and I just loved horse races," commented Gatins.
He partly got the idea of "Dreamer" from the tragic parts of the racing world. "In my years of reading and watching horse racing, there was the occasional tragedy of a horse that would break down - and that left a really big impression on me. So, I had that idea in my head of being a great story if some guy could figure out a way to save a horse's life."
"The Ben Crane (played by Kurt Russell) character was the first character that came to mind," commented Gatins, who started to think about the theme of this story after the tragic events following 911. "My dad was a New York City cop (who is now retired). It made me long for life as a kid when things were simpler. It made me think of the movies that I love and it inspired me to want to make a classic movie. So, I went back to my Ben Crane character and saw him as this tender mercy kind of protagonist. He's a guy who was down on his luck and he's got one last shot to get his life together. And this broken down racehorse is kind of him, but in horse form, and together they heal each other."
At first Gatins envisioned Ben having a son but "then I saw Man on Fire and went after Dakota because I thought, wow, this would really make the movie incredibly special."
Gatins was right, the heart that Dakota (who plays his 10-year-old daughter Cale) brings to this story touches you throughout the film from the moments where you repeatedly see her idolizing and trying to bond with her father to the way she helps her dad reconnect with his dad (Pop Crane). Ben's wife, Lilly, played by Elizabeth Shue, is the visionary who believes that even if Dakota's dreams are far-fetched, her husband needs to let his daughter have those dreams and take them as far as they will go. Groom Balon played by Luis Guzmán, and jockey Manolin (Freddy Rodriguez), who at first seem unsure, become staunch believers and supporters of Dakota's dream (and add some touching humor to the story – their facial expressions are a delight). Manolin (nicknamed Manny) with the encouragement of Dakota, gets back in the racing scene again after a tragic accident kept him sidelined for many years.
With a little coaxing Ben eventually listens to the spoken and unspoken words around him from the horses and the people and especially from Cale whose optimism is refreshing. Before long he is following in Dakota's footsteps helping to make one little girl's dreams come true and that little girl in turn is helping along the dreams of the people that surround her.
Horse
Talk - part 2
Dreams Can Come True - part 3
