Dreamer (Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story)
U.S.A. 2005

Opening 23 Mar 2006

Directed by: John Gatins
Writing credits: John Gatins
Principal actors: Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Kris Kristofferson, Elisabeth Shue, David Morse

…To be a winner, you have got to feel the earth tremble underneath your feet …was the beginning of a poem that Cale Crane (Dekota Fanning) heard her grand-pop Crane (Kris Kristofferson) recite many times when they talked about the art of understanding a race horse. Cale is the second generation of a famous Kentuckian family of horse trainers by the last name of Crane. Down on their luck, the Crane family has lost most of their estate. They have had to revert to working for neighboring wealthy horse-racing families just to pay the bills. Cale loves to be with her dad and jumps at every chance she gets to watch him in action. Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) is getting a very special horse, Sonya, ready to race, but at a nice and slow pace which is not fast enough for Ben’s boss, Palmer (David Morse). Palmer insists on racing their prize horse. Against his better judgment, Ben obeys his boss and allows it, even though he knows the horse is telling him she is not ready to race on an unstable leg. Sonya does not finish the race, and Palmer blames Ben for the tragedy and wants the horse shot on the spot. Cale is observing the whole interaction between her dad and his boss. Ben knows of Cale’s affection for the horse, so he avoids making the decision about the abrupt ending of Sonya until later. For this, Ben is fired and stuck with seriously injured horse.

Based on events of a true story, Dreamer tells the story of how a broken family and their crippled horse choose to pull together to be a family again with big dreams. Everyone wants a winner, but only a few know the art and sacrifice to winning. (Karen Pecota)