Stefan and I recently watched War Horse at home because I practically begged him. I love all horse movies, and assuming they're made for adults (ugh, Flicka), they're usually just enough "American Bootstraps" mixed with sentimentality and one of my favorite animals to give it a good evening rating for me.
The story starts out with a struggling family and a horse auction in a local town's square. The local drunk has just bought, with every last cent, a horse that 'won't amount to much'. The caring son of the man befriends and trains the horse, only to realize the horse is smart, and who is able to completely plow a field, in driving rain, within a day.
Fast forward a bit, and the story takes many unlikely turns. The story follows the horse as he is passed around from master to master, as it's WWI. Money is tight, fast exits are needed, and leisure is looked for in every nook and cranny to get back to 'normal'.
This movie is a very sweet family film, though for the older kids. There are graphic war scenes, but plenty to talk about with children over the age of 10. There is even a wonderful scene between an Englishmen, and a German soldier, who are able to forget what's going on around them for 10 minutes, while they help War Horse free from barbed wire, of which will kill him if he stays where he is.
I would give this story 3 out of 5 stars because I liked it. It kept a good pace, the audience is sympathetic to many (if not all) the characters in the story, and it's a token tale of strength, spirit, and endurance. Definitely a great story for the animal lover, this film which was originally a book will bring a sweet comfort and good conversation about destiny.
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