Cedar Creek Productions | BUCK the Film in the Press
The wonderful team at FilmsWeLike has booked BUCK for theatrical release in Canada. Stay tuned for more announcements
Edmonton, Metro Cinema, Friday, Nov 4 – 10
Salmon Arms Film Festival, Friday, Nov 4 – 11
City Cinema, Charlottetown, Friday, Nov 11-17
Vancouver, The Vancity,Friday, Nov 18 – 25
Gravenhurst (Film Circuit),Tuesday, Nov 15 (One Night Only!)
Princess Cinema, Waterloo,Opens Friday Nov 18
Regina Public Library,Thursday, December 8-11
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Friday, Oct 21 at 6pm special screening
COLUMBIA, MO
Oct 28 at 7pm special screening
Skidmore College Zankel Music Center
Saratoga Springs, New York
October 29th at 7pm Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall
Ridgewood, NJ Library
Nov 4th at 7:30 followed by Q & A with editor Jen Stamps
Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival
Colorado Springs, CO
Nov 5th, two screenings followed by Q & A with film editor Toby Shimin
Rockport, TX
Sat Nov 5 at 7:30pm
DOC NYC
New York, NY
Nov 4th at 9:00 followed by
Q & A with Cindy Meehl Screening at IFC Center
Nov 5th at 10am at NYU Kimmel Center
Case Study: Making and Distributing BUCK
director Cindy Meehl, producer Julie Goldman, sales agent Josh Braun, and distribution specialist Ryan Werner of Sundance Selects
“BUCK The horse trainer Buck Brannaman, said to be one of the inspirations for ”The Horse Whisperer,” is the subject of this documentary directed by Cindy Meehl. ”He doesn’t just talk to the animals; he also transforms snorting, bucking horses into companions who follow his lead without a tether and even join him in a graceful meadow duet,” Ms. Dargis wrote in The Times in June.”
NYT Critics’ Pick by Manohla Dargis
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/464229/Buck/overview
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-new-20111002,0,7429665.story
“Dan “Buckshot” Brannaman is a renowned horse trainer who travels the world giving clinics that encourage riders to be more sympathetic to their animals. “Buck” is a documentary about Brannaman, covering both his philosophy and his life story (which includes child stardom in a cereal commercial, working closely with Robert Redford on the movie version of “The Horse Whisperer” and dealing with the emotional scars left by his abusive father). First-time filmmaker Cindy Meehl keeps “Buck” simple, letting the beauty of the countryside and the wisdom of Brannaman provide the movie’s considerable power. The result is a moving, unforgettable experience. The DVD adds a decent selection of deleted scenes.”
http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2011/10/documentary_charmer_buck_tops.html
Lead review: Documentary charmer ‘Buck’ tops list of new DVD releases this week
“Among the best documentaries to come out so far this year, “Buck” tells the feel-good story of the real man behind Robert Redford’s “Horse Whisperer.””
http://www.heraldextra.com/entertainment/movies/article_8b778b42-3def-5e6c-a594-bcd3fa979378.html
(syndicated to 30 + dailes) – Lead review
http://www.modbee.com/2011/10/03/1887596/dvd-whats-available.html
“Buck Brannaman is a most remarkable fellow. Abused as a child, he took his understanding of hurt and mistrust to the world of animals, becoming a real-life “horse whisperer.” The documentary about Brannaman is truly the story of an unsung hero, an ordinary man who made an extraordinary life for himself.”
Title: “Buck”
Tribune rating: *** 1/2
Synopsis: Dan “Buck” Brannaman is a renowned horse trainer who travels the world giving clinics that encourage riders to be more sympathetic to their animals. “Buck” is a documentary about Brannaman, covering his philosophy and his life story (which includes child stardom in a cereal commercial, working closely with Robert Redford on the movie version of “The Horse Whisperer” and dealing with the emotional scars left by his abusive father). First-time filmmaker Cindy Meehl keeps “Buck” simple, letting the beauty of the countryside and the wisdom of Brannaman provide the movie’s considerable power. (MPI)
Extras: The DVD adds a decent selection of deleted scenes. \
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/movies/7771566-421/new-on-dvd-due-out-next-week.html
“Buck Brannaman was the original “Horse Whisperer,” the character who inspired Nicholas Sparks’ novel and was hired by Robert Redford as on-set consultant for his 1998 film. He has a way with horses, and Cindy Meehl’s documentary is moving as he shows them engaged in dances of understanding.”
(Lead review)
http://www.denverpost.com/movies/ci_19032696
Four stars
(see attached scan)
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/entertainment/movies/stories/DRC_Arts_DVDs_1002.1bd948ad8.html
“Meehl chronicles the affable Buck as he conducts several of his seminars, but she also tells of his growing up in an abusive home with a father who beat him and his brother regularly. Brannaman, seen with his loving wife and daughters, was determined to grow up unlike his father, becoming a person who treats horses, and people, with love and respect.”
http://chronofhorse.com/article/critically-aclaimed-documentary-buck-coming-dvd
“BUCK is a richly textured and visually stunning film that follows Buck Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. A real-life “horse whisperer,” he teaches people to communicate with their horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment. Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses — and people with his understanding, compassion and respect. A truly American story about an unsung hero, BUCK is about an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds.”
(review + promotional giveaway)
http://www.cowboysindians.com/Blog/October-2011/Win-Buck-the-film-on-DVD/
http://www.holistichorse.com/In-the-News/buck-out-on-dvd-october-4.html
http://www.midsouthhorsereview.com/
(on cover of their print issue)
http://www.bridleandbit.com/artman/publish/index.shtml
http://www.equinejournal.com/articles/buck-3071
http://documentaries.about.com/od/revie2/fr/Buck-As-In-Buck-Brannaman.htm
“Gentle, calm and kind, Buck Brannaman can, it seems, tame any horse, and the creatures who ride them. The cowboy who is known as the ‘original horse whisperer,’ travels around the USA to various ranches, giving horse owners workshops about how to handle their steeds, especially those that have a will of their own and insist upon expressing it. Brannaman is followed by filmmaker Cindy Meehl, who captures the nuances of the horse whisperer’s communications — most of which are expressed through body language — as he shows humans how to ride as though they were one with their horses.”
“Brannaman was the prime inspiration for the hero of Nicholas Evans’ novel and Robert Redford’s movie adaptation “The Horse Whisperer,” and Redford appears in the documentary. A truly American story about an unsung hero, and one of the most successful documentaries of the year, first-time filmmaker Cindy Meehl’s “Buck” is about an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds.”
http://www.avclub.com/articles/dvds-in-brief-october-5-2011,62808/
http://buzzbo.com/stl/2011/10/04/today’s-dvdblu-ray-releases-are…-28/
http://www.thedvdmovie.com/buck/
“BUCK, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows Buck Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. A real-life horse-whisperer , he eschews the violence of his upbringing and teaches people to communicate with their horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment. Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses – and people – with his understanding, compassion and respect. A truly American story about an unsung hero and one of the most successful documentaries of the year, BUCK is about an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds.The documentary Buckexplores the potent emotions between humans and horses.”
http://moviebuzzers.com/2011/10/04/dvd-review-buck-documentary-paints-classic-allamerican-portrait/
“The highly acclaimed documentary Buck is nothing short of an all-American portrait of Buck Brannaman, the heroic force leading the culture of “horse whispering.” ”
http://equinejournal.com/articles/buck-3071
““Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes, you will.” So says Buck Brannaman, a true American cowboy and sage on horseback who travels the country for nine grueling months a year helping horses with people problems.”
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700183597/Capsule-reviews-of-movies-playing-in-Utah.html?pg=3
““Buck” is one of the family-friendly offerings at the Sundance Film Festival, which runs Jan. 20-30 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Provo. It?s directed by Cindy Meehl and is in the U.S. Documentary category.”
http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/10/04/new-on-dvd-blu-ray-october-4/
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/movies/s_760127.html
http://onvideo.org/weekly/tuesday.htm
“Documentary on Buck Brannaman (the man who inspired “The Horse Whisperer”), a true American cowboy and sage on horseback who travels the country for nine grueling months a year helping horses with people problems.”
RELEASE MENTIONS
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/avantgo/2016395290.html
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/movies/130792578.html
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Filmaker Cindy Meehl kicks off the first DO Lectures USA with her documentary ‘Buck’. Cindy was the first speaker to be heard by 6 Bloomberg scholarship winners at the first ever Do Lectures USA.
August 30, 2011
I went to see Buck for the usual reasons I go to see movies: because a friend urged me to, because I like to be informed, culturally enriched, entertained of course, and maybe if the film is good enough, inspired. I do not go to a movie for hope and solace, spiritual guidance and a renewed perspective on how to live a life that is good. And yet, this is what I got by seeing, Buck. Or I should say Buck Brannahan, a man I would have never been so fortunate to meet had it not been for the amazing medium of film. Read complete article >
Robert Hammerle, Esq. on “Buck” *Very Highly Recommended
“Buck” is an extraordinary film about the enduring power of simple human decency. In our jaded society, this fine documentary reminds us why there are no more admirable qualities in a human being than the all but dismissed virtues of kindless, patience, forgiveness and understanding.
As good as “Buck” is on a surface level as it tells the life story of Buck Brannaman, a cowboy/horse psychologist who spends 40 weeks on the road every year conducting seminars on how to train horses with the use of little if any force, it is really a story about life in general. Everything that Mr. Brannaman teaches about the need to approach young horses with empathy and consideration could equally be said about raising children. His admonishments to horse owners about the long-term negative effect of “breaking horses” with acts of verbal and physical violence applies with full force to explaining why children treated violently grow up to be adults who act violently.
The life story of Buck Brannaman, the inspiration for Robert Redford’s film, “The Horse Whisperer” (1998), is remarkable in and of itself. With his loving mother dying when he and his brother were quite young, they were violently abused behind the scenes by a father who paraded them across the national stage as young trick rope champions. When this abuse was discovered by a football coach at school, Buck and his sibling were removed from his father’s cruel care and placed in an extraordinarily loving foster home.
Buck’s foster mother became his surrogate mother, a bond on vivid display in this moving documentary. It is clear that Buck himself was able to move beyond his violent upbringing and,with the aid of his foster parents, become an admirable role model for everyone that he touches.
There are many poignant scenes in “Buck”, many of them involving the tearful reflections by horse owners as they express their everlasting regret concerning how they used to train horses through acts of violence simply because they didn’t know any better. In a sense Buck resembles a cowboy Ghandi or Martin Luther King, in that his teaching of non-violence has redefined a significant part of our national culture.
But the scene you are unlikely ever to forget involves a tragically abused horse that is even beyond Buck’s ability to reach. It becomes clear that this poor horse is mentally handicapped from an accident during his birth, problems compounded by an owner who was clueless to this poor stallion’s needs. As we watch Buck and his assistant try to psychologically crawl into this horse’s mind, we see a shocking scene where the horse attacks the assistant, viciously biting him in the head as he knocks him to the ground.
Subsequently, Buck addresses the crying owner as well as a group of concerned people who are attending his horse training seminar. He firmly but gently admonishes the owner that he suspects that part of the horse’s problems were a projection of the owner’s personal problems, something that she acknowledges while emotionally breaking down. He later tells the audience that this horse is nothing more or less than the equivalent of a child suffering from mental and emotional disabilities. I sat in the audience gasping in wonder as he told the audience that this poor horse may have had a chance if he had simply been given more tender, special care as a colt. As you watched the owner drive this poor, damaged horse away with the intention to have it “destroyed”, Buck reminds everyone that this is a tragedy that could have been avoided.
As a criminal defense lawyer who has represented people accused of violent crimes for over 35 years, I listened to Buck’s words and thought that they fully applied to human beings. No matter how hard we try to ignore the consequences of a person’s upbringing, the overwhelming majority of people who commit acts of violence are a product of a dysfunctional childhood. While I do not make that observation in an attempt to excuse someone who commits a violent crime, I look upon them with the same sense of sympathy and empathy that I looked upon that poor horse in this documentary.
My wife, Miss Monica Foster, is one of the leading national experts on the death penalty. She regularly lectures across the nation to other lawyers, frequently on the need to fully examine a client’s childhood and adolescence to determine what, if any, connection it has to the adult they have become.
In particular, she has a poster in her office which contains six pictures of young children, one a little girl in a Girl Scout outfit and another of a little boy making his First Communion. The top of the poster reads, “All of these children have one thing in common. As adults they are now on Death Row.” The bottom of the poster reads, “Don’t we owe it to society to find out why?”
Don’t we indeed. Go see “Buck” for yourself, and be prepared at some level for a transcendent experience.
Everyone from teenagers to adults to senior citizens have been touched by the story of Buck Brannaman in the documentary feature Buck. And it’s not just because of his incredible way with horses, which made him the inspiration for the book and the film, The Horse Whisperer. What makes Buck so inspiring is that despite the horrific abuse Buck suffered at the hands of his father when he was a child, he did not go the textbook route of continuing that cycle. Rather, with the help of his foster family, Buck grew up to not only help horses, but to help their human counterparts in the process. Complete article >
by Joe Leydon
July 6, 2011
If you’re in the know about horses, chances are good you already know a lot about Buck Brannaman, the celebrated trainer and equine expert famed for spreading the gospel of “natural horsemanship” — the process of communicating with horses through empathy and instinct, not threats and punishment — at the four-day clinics that occupy three-quarters of his time every year.
June 27, 2011
John P. Meyer
If you’ve seen Buck, you know that the subject of Cindy Meehl’s extraordinary documentary — Buck Brannaman — comes across as a naturally charismatic individual. His warmth and ready humor make him seem like the kind of person you’d want as a friend. His coolness under pressure conveys the sense that you could count on him to back your play. In Louis L’Amour terms, he’d be one to ride the river with. Read complete article >
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