Very disappointing...

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

"respect isn't fear..., it's acceptance" It is truly inspirational how a man with such etiquette and politeness can put aside his childhood traumas to touch the lives of many people nationwide. This movie is more than a must-see for any person with a love for human ingenuity. Coming from a history of an abusive father, Buck Brannaman, horse whisperer extraordinaire, masters a unique way of controlling horses without hurting them. If you have an issue with animal cruelty then you should not have a problem watching this amazing documentary.Throughout the film, there are multiple interviews with people from Buck's childhood and early beginnings. Each interviewee describes how overcoming the hardships of his father has made Buck into this respectable, horse-loving man. Although he does not attribute any of his positive qualities to his dad, Buck would not be the same man if it wasn't for him. In my opinion, the horse symbolizes Buck while he subconsciously treats every horse how he would have wanted his father to treat him as a young boy, with acceptance and respect. "Every horse mirrors the owner's personality and soul".

Remarkably raw, thought-provoking, and engaging, Buck sheds a new light on the long-standing relationship between man and horse. Never before, have I seen any fault in the ignorant and generalized view of horses. For most of my life horses have just been animals that are utilized for transportation and sport. But I've never considered how wrong I have been.Buck Brannanam, "the Horse Whisperer", brings a new perspective to the table. Rather than continuing the tradition of beating horses into compliance, he recognized at a young age that horses must be treated with more respect and empathy. Unfortunately, the idea was to "break down the horse" (Brannanam). However, Buck inquires, "why let an animal live in fear?" (Brannanam). He understands that there needs to be mutual understanding between horse and man, since they are also sensitive creatures.This genuine empathy that Buck has for horses almost appears to be a reflection of Buck's escape from his traumatic childhood of horrific abuse. He suggests that how one handles their horse reflects how they handle their loved ones. He further ads that, "People's horses are a mirror into their soul" (Brannanam). Similar to how one must have control over their temper with a child, one must also control their emotions when training their horse. Likewise, this philosophy reflects how Buck interacts with the horse owners at the clinics. As much as his job is to train the seemingly difficult horses, it's also to train the people how to respect the horse. He believes that when horses seem to fail at learning and becoming compliant, the human is generally the one at fault, failing the horse.All in all, I found this documentary entertaining and enlightening, and would most certainly recommend this movie.

"All your horses are a mirror to your soul. Sometimes you won't like what you see, sometimes you will"-BB. Through how we treat what we perceive to be a lesser creature reveals a lot about ourselves, that is the biggest lesson Buck portrays.This introspective documentary tells the tale of veteran horse trainer and equine fanatic Buck Brannaman. Born in an abusive household Buck and his brother lost their mother at an early age and were left at the mercy of their abusive father a drunk who beat buck and his brother senseless, Eventually Buck and his brother are rescued by the local community and put into the care of Forrest and Betsy Shirley who raised Buck.Through the movie we see glimpses of Bucks troubled past and also the source of his unparalleled horseman ship skills. His initial training with his father and later his mentorship with acclaimed horseman Ray hunt. The documentary itself lacks chronological order and through various time skips we see Buck both younger and older through anecdotes from his foster mother and quotes from Buck himself. Though we rarely see Buck and focus more on his work we are able to infer both his character from his brief statements and his documented interactions with both people his family and horses.A film that will be thoroughly enjoyed by both horse enthusiasts and simple movie watchers.

Honestly, I was not expecting Buck to be a movie which I would thoroughly enjoy, but I was presently surprised by this documentary. I believe this movie is well composed and in some cases a step above a lot of other documentaries. Throughout the film there are emotional transitions that seem rough, but are placed well to give the movie a good cadence. To add to the cadence of the film personal stories from people who have had their horse tamed by Buck Brannaman are added and give insight to how Buck is so inspirational to them. Humor is sprinkled throughout the film, by Buck, to emphasize how such a scared soul can heal and overcome the hardships he endured in his younger years. He does this with his hard work and dedication to better himself and save an animal he understands so well. As Buck Brannnaman puts it, he doesn't help people with horse problems, but instead horses with people problems, and throughout the movie this statement becomes more and more believable. Classic movie clips are given to show how horses used to be treated by humans and the physical and emotional pain we put them through. In one extreme case presented in the movie we see the more stern side of Buck when he confronts a woman who has let her horse become dangerous and in turn now endangers the horse, and as Buck puts it "the human has failed the horse". A relationship between a horse and its owner is that of up-most respect and this is what Buck instills in people he teaches so the horse no longer feels it has a people problem. Overall this was a successful documentary that didn't have the big Hollywood feel to it. Cindy Meehl's first shot at directing is one that punches above the waistline and should be watched by anyone who has been searching for an off-the-beaten track film.