Dreamer (2005 film)
Encyclopedia
Dreamer is a 2005 American
family
drama film
starring Kurt Russell
and Dakota Fanning
, inspired by the true story of an injured Thoroughbred
racehorse
named Mariah's Storm
. It marked the directing
and screenwriting
debut of John Gatins.
Determined to make good on her father's overdue promise, Cale (Dakota Fanning) prods him one morning to take her along to work by standing in front of his pickup truck just as he starts to head out to the track. Ben, reluctant at first, finally gives in and drives off with her in tow.
Throughout the movie Cale continues to prod her father to take her along on some of his work trips, and succeeds. One morning, however, while with her father, a horse named Soñador falls during a race, injuring herself badly enough that Ben's boss, Palmer, demands the horse be put down. Having Cale along, Ben refuses and strikes a bargain with Palmer. Ben, now the owner of a wounded horse, with no job and facing foreclosure on his estate, decides to breed Soñador.
Cale, having fallen in love at first sight of Soñador before the accident, begins to sneak out to the barn at night to see her. Cale also sneaks over to see her grandfather, 'Pop', Ben's dad (Kris Kristofferson), who loves teaching his young and aspiring horse-loving granddaughter all about horses.
One day, overhearing her father's conversation with her mother, Lily (Elisabeth Shue), Cale hears her father say that Soñador has ruined them, to which Lily emotionally responds that Soñador is the best thing that has ever happened to them, alluding to the fact that Ben has finally been spending much needed time with Cale.
Emotionally hurt after hearing the conversation, Cale sets out to run away and saddles up Soñador. Not knowing of Cale's plan, Ben enters the barn. The door slams behind him just as his eye catches Cale's, sitting atop Soñador. Suddenly startled, Soñador bolts out of the barn with wide-eyed and terrified Cale gripping her bridle and hanging on for dear life. Ben scrambles to his truck and sets out after them.
This incident begins to cement the newly-forming bond between father and daughter, and also begins to heal the wounds of the whole family that had grown over the years. Soñador goes from being a negative focal point to the hero of the movie.
. She was a promising filly who was being pointed towards the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
in 1993 but then broke her cannon bone (the incident is mentioned in the film by Sonador's veterinarian
). She recovered and later won some graded stakes race
s. She started in the 1995 Breeders' Cup Distaff
and finished ninth. She was owned by Thunderhead Farms and trained by Don Von Hemel. She is now known mostly for being the dam of Giant's Causeway
. In the movie, when Cale and Ben go to Ashford Stud to check out the studs, the stallions they are naming, such as Fusaichi Pegasus, Giant's Causeway, Mariah's Storm, Johannesburg and Grand Slam, are real horses who actually stand at Ashford. However, the actual stallions were not used in filming. Stand-ins were placed in their stalls instead. In the scene where Sonya is considered for the Breeder's Cup, Prince Sadir says that his horse "Rapid Cat is sired by Storm Cat, the best sire in the world." Coincidentally, Mariah's Storm (on whom Sonya is based) was bred to Storm Cat.
While doing research in Kentucky, the director/writer came upon a vet who told him about a racehorse who miraculously made a comeback after a serious injury, and he loosely based the script on this story. Before being picked up by DreamWorks, the script was presented to Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros, but both declined. Director John Gatins was told that if he could get Dakota Fanning in the lead role his movie would get a green-light. He went to see Fanning's agent and finally got the young actress to sign on. The role of Cale Crane was originally written for a boy, and the role was changed specifically so that Dakota Fanning could play it. The first script that was sent to Fanning actually had the word "boy" in the character description.
To produce the soundtrack, an advance showing of this film was shown to a number of recording artists, who were then asked to submit ideas for theme songs. Bethany Dillon
's song "Dreamer" was chosen out of all the submissions.
After the movie, Kurt Russell bought Dakota Fanning a real Palomino horse, whom she named Goldie.
, with $9,178,233 earned for a $4,573 average from 2,007 theaters. In its second weekend, it held well with a 33% drop to fourth place with $6,132,856 earned for a $2,462 average from being expanded to 2,491 theaters and lifting its two-week total to $17,374,339. It held up even better in its third weekend, only slipping 22% to sixth place and $4,794,741 for a $1,832 average from being expanded to 2,617 theaters. In its fourth weekend, it once again held well with another 22% slide to $3,728,510 and ninth place, for a $1,363 average from being expanded to its widest release, 2,735 theaters.
The film closed on January 5, 2006, after 77 days of release and grossing $32,751,093 domestically along with an additional $5,990,639 overseas for a worldwide total of $38,741,732. Produced on a $32 million budget, the film is considered a so-so film at the box office, as it barely recouped its budget.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
family
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
starring Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
and Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
, inspired by the true story of an injured Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
named Mariah's Storm
Mariah's Storm
Mariah's Storm was an American thoroughbred filly racehorse, bred by Donald T. Johnson's Crescent Farm in Lexington, Kentucky...
. It marked the directing
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriting
Screenwriting
Screenwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is a freelance profession....
debut of John Gatins.
Plot
Inspired by a true story, Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning star as the father and daughter who lack a much needed bond. Ben (Kurt Russell), a horse trainer who takes his work very seriously, neglects his own aspiring daughter while he pours his heart into the care of the horses that he trains.Determined to make good on her father's overdue promise, Cale (Dakota Fanning) prods him one morning to take her along to work by standing in front of his pickup truck just as he starts to head out to the track. Ben, reluctant at first, finally gives in and drives off with her in tow.
Throughout the movie Cale continues to prod her father to take her along on some of his work trips, and succeeds. One morning, however, while with her father, a horse named Soñador falls during a race, injuring herself badly enough that Ben's boss, Palmer, demands the horse be put down. Having Cale along, Ben refuses and strikes a bargain with Palmer. Ben, now the owner of a wounded horse, with no job and facing foreclosure on his estate, decides to breed Soñador.
Cale, having fallen in love at first sight of Soñador before the accident, begins to sneak out to the barn at night to see her. Cale also sneaks over to see her grandfather, 'Pop', Ben's dad (Kris Kristofferson), who loves teaching his young and aspiring horse-loving granddaughter all about horses.
One day, overhearing her father's conversation with her mother, Lily (Elisabeth Shue), Cale hears her father say that Soñador has ruined them, to which Lily emotionally responds that Soñador is the best thing that has ever happened to them, alluding to the fact that Ben has finally been spending much needed time with Cale.
Emotionally hurt after hearing the conversation, Cale sets out to run away and saddles up Soñador. Not knowing of Cale's plan, Ben enters the barn. The door slams behind him just as his eye catches Cale's, sitting atop Soñador. Suddenly startled, Soñador bolts out of the barn with wide-eyed and terrified Cale gripping her bridle and hanging on for dear life. Ben scrambles to his truck and sets out after them.
This incident begins to cement the newly-forming bond between father and daughter, and also begins to heal the wounds of the whole family that had grown over the years. Soñador goes from being a negative focal point to the hero of the movie.
Cast
- Kurt RussellKurt RussellKurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
as Ben Crane - Dakota FanningDakota FanningHannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
as Cale Crane - Kris KristoffersonKris KristoffersonKristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
as Pops Crane - Elisabeth ShueElisabeth ShueElisabeth Judson Shue is an American actress and producer, most famous for her roles in the films The Karate Kid, Adventures in Babysitting, Cocktail, Back to the Future Parts II and III and Leaving Las Vegas, for which she won five acting awards and was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden...
as Lilly Crane - David MorseDavid Morse (actor)David Bowditch Morse is an American stage, television, and film actor. He first came to national attention as Dr. Jack Morrison in the medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988...
as Everett Palmer - Freddy RodríguezFreddy RodriguezFreddy Rodriguez is an American actor known for playing the characters Hector Federico "Rico" Diaz on HBO's Six Feet Under and El Wray in Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror...
as Manolin Vallarta - Luis GuzmánLuis GuzmánLuis Guzmán is an actor from Puerto Rico. He is known for his character work. For much of his career, he has played roles largely as sidekicks, thugs, or policemen....
as Balon - Oded FehrOded FehrOded Fehr is an Israeli film and television actor now based in the United States. He is known for his appearance as Ardeth Bay in the 1999 remake of The Mummy and its sequel The Mummy Returns, as well as Carlos Olivera in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction and Resident Evil:...
as Prince Sadir - Ken HowardKen HowardKenneth Joseph "Ken" Howard, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show The White Shadow...
as Bill Ford - Holmes OsborneHolmes OsborneHolmes Osborne is an American actor, best known for starring in Richard Kelly's films - Donnie Darko , Southland Tales and The Box . He's also played the father of Guy Patterson in the movie That Thing You Do!, and starred in the movie Bring it On. He has made appearances in TV shows such as...
as Doc Fleming
Production and cast
The movie is loosely inspired by the story of the mare Mariah's StormMariah's Storm
Mariah's Storm was an American thoroughbred filly racehorse, bred by Donald T. Johnson's Crescent Farm in Lexington, Kentucky...
. She was a promising filly who was being pointed towards the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
in 1993 but then broke her cannon bone (the incident is mentioned in the film by Sonador's veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
). She recovered and later won some graded stakes race
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
s. She started in the 1995 Breeders' Cup Distaff
Breeders' Cup Distaff
The Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Distaff from its inception in 1984 through 2007, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders'...
and finished ninth. She was owned by Thunderhead Farms and trained by Don Von Hemel. She is now known mostly for being the dam of Giant's Causeway
Giant's Causeway (horse)
Giant's Causeway is a Kentucky-bred thoroughbred racehorse who competed primarily in Europe. In 2000, he won five straight Group One races. His performance that year earned him European Horse of the Year honors....
. In the movie, when Cale and Ben go to Ashford Stud to check out the studs, the stallions they are naming, such as Fusaichi Pegasus, Giant's Causeway, Mariah's Storm, Johannesburg and Grand Slam, are real horses who actually stand at Ashford. However, the actual stallions were not used in filming. Stand-ins were placed in their stalls instead. In the scene where Sonya is considered for the Breeder's Cup, Prince Sadir says that his horse "Rapid Cat is sired by Storm Cat, the best sire in the world." Coincidentally, Mariah's Storm (on whom Sonya is based) was bred to Storm Cat.
While doing research in Kentucky, the director/writer came upon a vet who told him about a racehorse who miraculously made a comeback after a serious injury, and he loosely based the script on this story. Before being picked up by DreamWorks, the script was presented to Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros, but both declined. Director John Gatins was told that if he could get Dakota Fanning in the lead role his movie would get a green-light. He went to see Fanning's agent and finally got the young actress to sign on. The role of Cale Crane was originally written for a boy, and the role was changed specifically so that Dakota Fanning could play it. The first script that was sent to Fanning actually had the word "boy" in the character description.
To produce the soundtrack, an advance showing of this film was shown to a number of recording artists, who were then asked to submit ideas for theme songs. Bethany Dillon
Bethany Dillon
Bethany Dillon is a Contemporary Christian music artist. She is now married to contemporary Christian recording artist Shane Barnard of Shane & Shane.-Childhood:...
's song "Dreamer" was chosen out of all the submissions.
After the movie, Kurt Russell bought Dakota Fanning a real Palomino horse, whom she named Goldie.
Box office
Dreamer opened in second place at the box office behind DoomDoom (film)
Doom is a 2005 science fiction horror film, loosely based on the Doom series of video games created by id Software. It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak....
, with $9,178,233 earned for a $4,573 average from 2,007 theaters. In its second weekend, it held well with a 33% drop to fourth place with $6,132,856 earned for a $2,462 average from being expanded to 2,491 theaters and lifting its two-week total to $17,374,339. It held up even better in its third weekend, only slipping 22% to sixth place and $4,794,741 for a $1,832 average from being expanded to 2,617 theaters. In its fourth weekend, it once again held well with another 22% slide to $3,728,510 and ninth place, for a $1,363 average from being expanded to its widest release, 2,735 theaters.
The film closed on January 5, 2006, after 77 days of release and grossing $32,751,093 domestically along with an additional $5,990,639 overseas for a worldwide total of $38,741,732. Produced on a $32 million budget, the film is considered a so-so film at the box office, as it barely recouped its budget.