I love to watch this movie!!! It is such a good movie! I also like the fact that it is based on a true story. I loved Don in this movie! He did such a great job as Dante. I especially loved the relationship that Dante had w/Moondance.
I thought that it was very interesting how they meet in this movie, & how little by little, Moondance won & even brought Dante out of his "shell", so to speak. Dante had closed himself off after what happened to his student, which is never really made clear, even though they say something in the background when they are introducing the riders & their horses. It was like time stopped for Dante, & he wouldn't let himself teach anyone anymore, because he felt that he was guilty for what had happened.
As Moondance works for Dante, her attitude becomes infectious for Dante, & his wall begins to crumble. He acts as though all of Moondance's questions are tough; however, he finds himself answering them anyway. When she says that she wants to enter the Bow River Classic, he gives all of the excuses that are to be expected from someone that is not "sure" of themselves. It is once again Moondance that says something that gets Dante to take a chance, that was, "Are you afraid that Checkers won't be judged fairly, or that you won't ?" It is his answer that tells he is willing to take the chance, not just on her, but himself as well. He had his one spunky student, & she had one cool dude to teach her. I thought it funny when he said that, he had never been called that! I think back to Miami Vice, & he was consider the epitome of cool, & he was always called a cool dude.
As Dante teaches her, their relationship becomes closer, & even though she helped him to come out of his shell, he taught her to allow others into her life, just as he let her into his. It is because of this that, she allows herself to see the man that her mom started to date as someone that maybe different from her dad, but he was someone that she could care about, because he was important to her mom. Moondance also becomes close to Ben's son Josh, who she knew from school.
The one thing that Moondance & Dante share is when Checkers gets colic, & it looks like he might not make it, from what the Vet said. She is scared that Checkers might not make it, Dante gives her reassurance, by telling her that Checkers has a strong spirit, just like the little girl that rides him. She spends the night by Checkers side, w/Dante & her mother sitting in his office waiting to see what is going to happen.The next morning, Checkers gets up, & after she yells to bring Dante & her mother to see that he is standing up, You see don smile as only he does, & you know that the worst is over.
When they get to the classic, the 2 girls that have done nothing but make Moondance feel inferior the entire movie, show their "disdain" over the rubber ridding boots she puts on causes her to feel bad, Dante tells her something that brings a smile to her face, "You know why they are acting the way that way, because they are not sure of themselves." Needless to say that Moondance & Checkers tie w/Fiona, who won the year earlier, for 1st place!!!
I just loved how this movie ended, by Moondance riding Checkers & Dante getting a "new" student to teach. I loved how this movie shows that families can be made up of people that we would never think would ever become one. The characters in this movie became one, & it helps one to understand that families are not just blood relatives, they are the people that we choose to share our lives w/& when we least except it we find a home, just as Moondance & Dante did, in their friendship w/each other & the other people that came into their lives.
Don did such a great job in this movie & I love watching it again & again. I look forward to watching it w/my granddaughter, & I know that she will love it just as much as I do. If Don were ever to make another movie like this, I will definitely watch it as often as I like to watch this one!!!!
