• The Hollywood Reporter on LinkedIn
  • Follow THR on Pinterest

Buck: Sundance Review

6:54 PM PST 1/22/2011 by John DeFore

PARK CITY -- A quietly captivating portrait of an unlikely character, "Buck" is as modest as its subject and wins viewers over just as easily. Holding strong appeal in the nonfiction arena, the pic could be a hit for distribs who manage to book it into Middle-American markets where few docs fear to tread.

Buck Brannaman, who inspired The Horse Whisperer, proves as impressively gifted in reality as any fictionalized version could be -- and even, though his not-quite-handsome face would never compete with Robert Redford's, possessed of an undeniable magnetism. A quiet man who almost seems to mind-meld with horses, he makes no secret of the belief that his training helps both horse and owner.

Social & Mobile

From our partners