[Rating: Minor Rock Fist Up]
In theaters on May 21, 2021 and On Demand June 11, 2021
People exhibit signs of a mid-life crisis in different ways. Some people quit their jobs, others might buy that car they’ve been dreaming of their whole lives, and others, like Jan Vokes (Toni Collette) in Dream Horse, find themselves beginning a brand new hobby.
Dismayed with her life, Jan is looking for a spark. Her husband, Brian (Owen Teale), is content with life. After spending a full day at work at the local grocery store, Jan often comes home to find Brian sitting in his chair, watching TV, asking what’s for dinner before Jan has even had a chance to breathe. There is clearly love between them but the connection that the two once shared is waning.
While working her side job at a bar, Jan overhears a customer talking about horse racing. When she asks him about it, Howard (Damian Lewis) is very off-putting. He puts Jan down and talks about how much it costs in an insulting way, as if to put her down. Instead, it lights the fire that Jan was looking for. She begins doing her research and finds a horse that will breed her a racehorse. With little money though, she enlists other people from town. About ten people, including Howard, invest to support their new racehorse, Dream Alliance.
With a movie like Dream Horse, you have an idea of what you are getting into. It’s a feel good movie based on a true story that is perfect to put on on a Sunday afternoon with the family. What is surprising about this movie is just how sweet it is. As someone whose interaction with animals is exclusive to those of the four legged, furry kind that stays indoors, I was not expecting to get as invested in the story as I was.
Director Euros Lyn does a fantastic job at keeping the film light but with meaningful stakes. In the first act of the film, we get to know Jan and the townspeople. Understanding who they are and how they live is crucial to how much we care about Dream Alliance. Seeing their lives for what they are, we get a sense of how important this horse is to them. It’s not that they are living in shambles or anything like that. They are just regular people with regular lives who need something to give them hope and something to look forward to.
Jan’s connection is especially touching. She was a daughter for the first part of her life, a wife for the next, and a mother after that. Now that she is older and their kid has moved out, she gets to be her. For the first time in her life, Jan gets to exist for herself. Investing in Dream Alliance is more than just the money – Jan is investing in herself. As she spends time with the horse one on one, it is clear how much this means to her. She is finding herself through Dream Alliance and it is giving her a greater sense of purpose.
Having the stakes set up for us makes it even easier to be in Dream Alliance’s corner. As he struggles early on, we feel the crushing blow that it is to the town. It’s just one more in a long line of disappointments in their lives. They don’t give up on him though and Dream Alliance slowly but surely starts rising through the ranks in the horse racing world.
Now you may be thinking, “I’ve seen this movie before.” And it’s true! If you have seen just about any sort of underdog sports movie, you have seen this movie. Any story beat that you think might be in this movie, almost certainly is. It does not reinvent the wheel but it also does not try to. It knows what it is and instead of trying to be something different, it focuses on what makes those movies work and strengthens those qualities.
Toni Collette as Jan Vokes in Euros Lyn’s DREAM HORSE, a Bleecker Street release. Credit: Kerry Brown / Bleecker Street
The acting, especially, is better than most movies of the sort. The whole ensemble is good but unsurprisingly, it’s Toni Collette that really breathes life into it. The story arc of Jan could veer into melodramatic territory without someone like Collette to ground it. She does not play the character in an over the top manner at all. In fact, Jan’s struggle is internalized but as viewer’s, we experience every emotion with her. It makes each race more impactful than the one before it.
Dream Horse is a classic underdog (underhorse?) story that is difficult not to enjoy. The hope that the town builds from seeing their horse gain notoriety is wholesome in such a genuine way, which can be hard to pull off. The story is successfully built on the people themselves rather than just the idea of winning. It makes an enormous difference and is what ultimately makes Dream Horse a winner.
Logan Van Winkle is an aspiring film critic, born and raised in Kansas City. Since he was a kid, Logan has known two things about himself: He loves movies and he has opinions. A lot of them. Combining those two things is his #1 dream in life. Having people actually read those opinions is his second dream.
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