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The Horse Whisperer

The Horse Whisperer

1998169 minPG-13Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Director
Robert Redford
Starring
Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, Scarlett Johansson

The mother of a severely traumatized daughter enlists the aid of a unique horse trainer to help the girl's equally injured horse.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Horse Whisperer?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Horse Whisperer to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Horse Whisperer?

The Horse Whisperer earns 11 badges, led by Visual feast and Atmospheric.

Show 3 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Horse Whisperer worth watching?

The Horse Whisperer's Midcredits score is the 71st percentile of all films, from 72K ratings across 6 sources. 61% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

71st percentile

Better received than 71% of films

73rd percentile among Drama73rd percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)73rd
Approval (how many liked it)67th

68 /100

73rd percentile of all films

75th percentile among Drama76th percentile among 1990s

Critics 65 · Audience 68

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.8 — solid but not unanimous.

61% liked it

67th percentile of all films

68th percentile among Drama69th percentile among 1990s
61% rated it 7–1039% rated it 1–6

Critics 73% · Audience 72%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 18 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Music, Original Song
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Director - Motion Picture

95th percentile

72K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Drama92nd percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

Box office

Budget$60M
Opening weekend$14M
Domestic gross$75M
Worldwide gross$187M

Returned 3.1× its budget — 98th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a long, beautifully shot, slow-moving melodrama about healing, centered on the mother-daughter bond and a controversial romance.

Fans praised

  • stunning Montana cinematography
  • Redford's steady direction and quiet-star presence
  • moving story of physical and emotional healing

Detractors panned

  • bloated runtime that drags terribly
  • unconvincing, poorly motivated central romance
  • lack of chemistry between Redford and Scott Thomas

What stands out

Cinematography90

breathtaking Montana landscapes and sweeping vistas

AtmosphereDivisive85

immersive Montana ranch setting and sense of place

ActingDivisive75

strong performances, especially young Scarlett Johansson

Emotional impactDivisive75

moving for fans, manipulative or dull for detractors

CharactersDivisive65

well-drawn supporting ranch family, unlikable leads for some

Plot and storyDivisive60

predictable healing and romance storyline

EndingDivisive60

satisfying for some, contrived or confusing for others

PacingDivisive30

excessively long at nearly three hours, drags badly

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 10 points higher than men.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Under-30s

Under-30s scored it 13 points higher than over-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Horse Whisperer like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a story that moves you and leaves an ache.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Moving and bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: Moods
MelancholicHopefulBittersweet
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its characters' pain and recovery with earnest, gentle care, never undercutting the emotional stakes.
The rideThe film starts with tragedy and slowly builds toward cautious hope, with the emotional weight most concentrated in the farewell scenes.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from the accident through the healing process and the family's departure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a gentle, uplifting sense of recovery alongside the melancholy of love left behind.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film follows a family's journey from trauma to emotional recovery, centered on the healing of a girl and her horse.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsIdentity · 14% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe story explores the mending of a mother-daughter relationship after trauma, while also examining marital strain and a fleeting romantic connection.
StanceThe film questions what it means to heal a family bond and whether personal fulfillment can be reconciled with responsibility, without settling firmly on one answer.

The world

ContemporaryRuralDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Thomas Newman
SettingA Montana cattle ranch and a New York magazine office
MusicNewman's score is gently melodic, weaving piano and strings to underscore the emotional landscape.

Content guide

Is The Horse Whisperer okay for kids?

PG-13

The Horse Whisperer is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for a disturbing accident scene” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (57/100), sexual content at mild (17/100), language at moderate (43/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (10/100) and frightening material at intense (62/100). Overall it is heavier than 62% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UKPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany6
  • FranceU
  • Ireland15A
  • JapanG
  • Brazil12
  • Belgium18
  • CzechiaU
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • Hungary18
  • Netherlands14
  • Norway12
  • PortugalM/12
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 39% of all filmsHeavier than 62% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 65%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 23%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 54%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 10%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 78%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Horse Whisperer have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Horse Whisperer?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Robert Redford
as Tom Booker
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Director - Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kristin Scott Thomas
as Annie MacLean
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sam Neill
as Robert MacLean
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Scarlett Johansson
as Grace MacLean
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Dianne Wiest
as Diane Booker
Chris Cooper
as Frank Booker
Cherry Jones
as Liz Hammond
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ty Hillman
as Joe Booker
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Kate Bosworth
as Judith
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
newcomer then · star now
Austin Schwarz
as Twin #1
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Horse Whisperer?

Movies like The Horse Whisperer include A Little Princess (1995), The Rider (2017) and A River Runs Through It (1992). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Richard LaGravenese, and several are films set in the American West.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its subject: family bonds. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with The Horse Whisperer?

3.9K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: forbidden love. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.