Movie Review: Amazing Racer
So what is that new horse movie that keeps popping up on Red Box all about? Is it worth my hard earned dollar, you might ask? I hate to admit it, but I will probably watch ANY horse movie I can find. So when I saw this on Red Box, I decided to check it out. My husband has bravely endured more cheesy horse flicks than I can count and kindly searches the $5 movie bins for them whenever he sees them. And, even though my standards are pretty high when it comes to actually enjoying and then recommending a horse movie (think National Velvet or War Horse), I have been known to actually like some of those that were geared toward teen girls. That being said, I would probably give “Amazing Racer” a 3 out of 4 horse shoe rating. Here’s why….
The plot was slightly different than the average horse movie. If you see a horse and a teenage girl on the cover, you can pretty much bet that the movie will feature the girl either a) losing a parent and connecting with a horse who brings her out of sadness and depression, b) the girl getting injured in some way and bonding with a horse who helps her recover, or c) a girl without many friends who doesn’t fit in discovers horses and comes out of her shell… This movie was only slightly different from scenario “a” in that the girl doesn’t just lose one parent, she finds out that her mother did not die when she was a baby, but is still alive and competes in harness racing with her horse. This is honestly the first movie I’ve seen that focuses on harness racing. Almost all others are regular horse racing or jumping. So that was a nice change! As with most horse movies, the acting wasn’t going to win any Oscars, but it also wasn’t going to make me cringe quite as much as some of the others I’ve seen. I also appreciated the fact that Shannon, the main actress, doesn’t have any major on-screen fights or huge dramatic scenes with her movie mom. Too many horse flicks are filled with long, dramatic segments that usually include fights with a parent or a caretaker and some type of rant or fit. Shannon actually seemed to genuinely want to get to know her new mom and it was nice to see that their relationship developed in a positive way without too many speed bumps!
Typical of most horse movies, Shannon does bond with a particular horse and develop a relationship with that horse. However, I like the fact that the owner of the stable doesn’t let her just slide by without doing any work because he’s dating her mom. He gives her a job and she works hard to earn time with her horse. I think it’s good for young girls to see the value of hard work – too many kids have things handed to them and never learn the importance of setting goals and working hard! I also appreciated the fact that the other teenagers at the barn were actually nice to Shannon! How many of us experience that in real life?! I know I’ve had my share of barn drama, but I’m all about living life drama free! I consider this another great example for young equestrians – supporting each other is much nicer for everyone in the barn (including adults)!
I could go on with my summary, but I think it might be worth the extra dollar for you to check it out on your own!
