4 out of 5 stars
In our world today, we are looking for a bit of hope. To hear a story of overcoming odds and achieving tasks that seems impossible offers something that allows us to escape the mediocrity of daily existence. Dream Horse is one of those tales that finds its humble beginnings in a small village in Wales. Then unexpectedly culminates at the pinnacle of the country’s horse racing calendar, the Welsh Grand National.
Jan Vokes (Toni Collette) had lived in Cefn Fforest, Wales, throughout her life. Even though the mining community had been in decline over the years, she had hoped to rise above the hardships experienced in the community. She worked in the local cooperative as a cashier and as a barmaid at the local pub in the evenings. Still, her passion was found in raising prize-winning animals. In the past, the working-class woman had raised dogs and pigeons for show. Now her focus turned to a new motivation, breeding a racehorse. No small feat for the Vokes as a couple, but Jan decided to involve people within the community. Each of the members of this group rallied to this unexpected opportunity and became the syndicate that would invest in this racehorse.
With the help of her husband, Brian (Owen Teale), who had experience in animal husbandry and the financial advice of Howard Davies (Damian Lewis), the group started the process. Jan did the investigation to find the best broodmare and stallion to sire a potential champion. After Dream Alliance was born, the next step was to find the best trainer to guide them through to their goals of seeing the horse on the race course. Despite having the cards stacked against them at every turn, the village began to see their hope become reality as their beautiful horse was chosen to represent them at the races.
It does not take too many clicks into a Google search about the famous racehorse to know the outcome of this odds-breaking story. Yet, the race results are not where you find the value of this film, this can be found in the journey. Dream Alliance is a magnificent animal to study. Yet, the magical element can be found in being introduced to the Vokes and the fantastic cast of characters who reside in Cefn Fforest. This community had very little to offer a dream of breeding and raising a racehorse, but they paved the way for all who hope to overcome all the naysayers who want to keep dreamers from dreaming.
Toni Collette and Damian Lewis are unassumingly ideal as leaders of this ragtag lot of investors. Still, they are only as good as their supporting cast and every member of this group of actors adds the right amount of spice to this tasty mix of characters. Euros Lyn (Dr. Who, Sherlock) manages to direct this talent down the track with their horse leading the way towards a film that will have audiences cheering in their seats. Each element of the story and the pacing is perfect for race enthusiasts, but even more for those looking for inspiration at the cinema. Dream Horse becomes one of those movies that should to be on everyone’s watch list this season.
Reel Dialogue: What can we really know about courage?
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. - The Apostle Paul
An underlying message of Dream Horse is the notion of human courage. Some may come away with the idea that this is a man-made concept. People are confronted with opportunities, ideas and dreams, but many never take the step to achieve them. Hard work and investigation does factor into life’s decision. Still, there is always that moment when you have to take the courageous step to commit to the task. Something to consider is that courage is more than a heart issue for people and an alternative might be that God has a plan for his creation to live courageously. The only stipulation is that we should live to his standard, not based on our preconceived notions.
Many see the Bible as a book of limitations and regulations, instead of seeing it as an instruction book. A guide to genuinely engaging with and getting the most out of the life that we have been given. Have you taken the time to read the instruction manual?
Passages on living courageously: Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 90:12, Proverbs 27:1, Matthew 6:34, Philippians 4:13, John 10:10
