Grade: B | Genre: Drama Summary: Dreamer is a quality family film that, while formulaic and sap prone, really caters to the budding talent of Dakota Fanning and gives her a strong supporting cast to work with. Disney's signature is their animated features, most of which are being farmed out to Pixar these days. They are also known for their goofy kiddy fare, be it Freaky Friday, Little Big League or kids going as far as imagination will propel them. There is a third kind of film they are really staring to embrace as their own, and that is the heart warming true story. These are the stories of overcoming insurmountable odds to accomplish something that no one has before, and that no one believed was possible. They did a very good job executing this formula with Dennis Quaid in the Rookie. As the title implies, Dreamer is the same slice of boundless optimism set in the sport of horse racing. While it's certainly no Seabiscuit, Dakota Fanning rescues this film from teetering into the sap heap to give us a compelling drama, illuminated by her young talent.

In the opening scene, we find Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) reluctantly taking his daughter Gale (Dakota Fanning) to the racetrack where he works as a horse trainer. The horse that his owner, a wealthy Saudi prince, is to run that day had a bad preliminary run on the track, favoring one leg. She doesn't look up for racing, but Ben's boss, Palmer (David Morse), overrides his assessment, clearing her to run. All is well until about three furlongs in when the leg breaks and the horse goes down with the same spectacle as a stock car careening against the wall at Daytona. This poor horse has seen her last days running and has to be put down. The want in Gale's eyes and the unmitigated rage that Ben feels towards Palmer gets Ben fired. He buys the broken philly for a paltry $3000.

Kurt Russell is still sore about not getting to be the Horse Whisperer Dreamer Starring: Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Kris Kristofferson, Elisabeth Shue & Freddy Rodriguez Director: John Gatins View the Trailer (Quicktime) You Might Also Like Seabiscuit The Rookie

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Really I don't need to tell you the answer to that because you already know. This film's largest curse is in its breeding. With these Disney, overcoming all odds, inspired by a true story, you know you aren't going to get the shaft in the waning minutes of the film. It's Disney for goodness sake. Does the Beast get bolted by Beauty because he gives her hairballs when they make out? Does Jasmine ditch Aladdin because his shoes are too pointy? Of course not. You get what you came here for. Its second hurdle is to overcome the natural tendency to drown the feel good piece in sappiness. This heavy burden seems to rest on the shoulders of Dakota Fanning, and I'm happy to report that she does a really good job battling off most of those sentiments. She is a really talented actress and Hollywood is maximizing her gift, this being her fourth film this year. She has that wide-eyed innocence, filled with the joy of life, that make you believe that impossible things are nothing more than hurdles of the mind.

The film is basically her undying desire to have a horse and to unlock her father's heart. She follows him around like his shadow, constantly craving his company. The problem is that he doesn't really know how to act, having largely been neglected by his own father. Dreamer is rounded out with a very able cast with Kris Kristofferson as the grandfather, Elizabeth Shue as wife and mother and Freddy Rodriguez (Six Feet Under) saddling up as the jockey. This marks the second film this month set in Kentucky, Crowe's Elizabethtown being the first. While it will never been Hollywood East, it is nice to see the largely neglected bluegrass state get to show off its lush landscapes. As an unofficial second son of Lexington myself, I can say the filmmakers really captured the spirit and vitality of the region and especially the track. The final race was filmed at Keenland, which is a heavenly course, attracting horse racing aficionados from across the world.

Dreamer is a quality family film that, while formulaic and sap prone, really caters to the budding talent of Dakota Fanning and gives her a strong supporting cast to work with. She is proving to be the new 'It' child actress of the moment like Macaulay Culkin or Haley Joel Osmond before her. Being a high profile child actress is a heavy burden to bear. Just ask Drew Barrymore. Hopefully she can steer clear of the sticky pitfalls and questionable roles to have this lead her into a solid film career that won't be limited by the cuteness of her youth.

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