Cedar Creek Productions | BUCK the Film in the Press
PASTE Magazine
December 9, 2011
18. Cindy Meehl – Buck
Meehl allows the story of the real-life Horse Whisperer to take its cues, its themes, even its rhythms from the man himself, Buck Brannaman. It’s a touching reminder of the gentle wisdom that can emerge from chaos and suffering.
Mario’s movie reviews for December 16, 2011
“Easy and fascinating ride…” Hear complete review >
Buck Review starts at 2:30.
December 16, 2011
Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan
Sundance gets real: More memorable documentaries come from this festival than anywhere else. This year’s group included “Buck,” “If a Tree Falls,” “The Interrupters,” “Project Nim,” “The Redemption of General Butt Naked,” “Senna” and “We Were Here.” Mention should also be made of non-Sundance docs “Circo” and “Nostalgia for the Light.” Read complete article >
December 15, 2011: This Months Film – Buck
“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. Read complete post >
Dana Stevens, December 14, 2011
“Buck. Forget War Horse: Cindy Meehl’s modest documentary was 2011’s one-stop shop for equine uplift. Meehl follows the itinerant life of Buck Brannaman, the horse-training consultant who was the inspiration for the novel and movie The Horse Whisperer. Brannaman survived a childhood of early loss and horrific abuse to grow into a preternaturally gentle man, the kind of born teacher you’re lucky to study with once in a lifetime. His end-of-film encounter with a dangerously aggressive stallion and its troubled owner made for some of the year’s most affecting unscripted drama.”
Washington Post
4. “Buck”
One of the most riveting films of the year, this gorgeously filmed documentary revolved around Buck Brannaman, the real-life “horse whisperer” whose work with horses takes on transcendent, life-healing dimensions.
Courtesy IFC Films
Underrated/Overrated
November 13, 2011
‘Buck’: A winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, this moving documentary about Montana-raised trainer Dan “Buck” Brannaman won’t just change the way you look at horses, it’ll probably alter the way you view people as well. Brannaman is a soft-spoken advocate of “natural horsemanship” in clinics and consultant on movies such as “The Horse Whisperer.” His warm, compassionate approach is a study in tapping the best in human nature as well.
By Katherine Monk, Postmedia News October 27, 2011
VANCOUVER — He was one of the Sugar Pops kids, but life for Buck Brannaman wasn’t all that sweet. Physically and verbally abused by an alcoholic father from the time he can remember, young Buckshot probably would have ended up a statistic with cirrhosis of the liver, had be not been saved by a higher presence.
Buck’s salvation came in the form of a great beast: the horse.
Easily one of the most compelling animals to grace the big screen, the horse represents a unique connection between man and nature, because it’s a true example of poetic engagement.
Leonard Maltin reviews and gives the DVD release of BUCK his highest recommendation on Maltin on Movies for ReelzChannel.
BUCK review starts at minute 13:00
“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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