By Kyle Buchanan
The movie won the Documentary Audience Award at Sundance.
Horses Offer a Glimpse into the Soul
May 10, 2011 by
Behind the Lens at HotDocs
In the film Buck, legendary horseman Buck Brannaman shows us what we can learn from our four-legged friends.
Buck Brannaman’s patience and compassion toward horses can teach us a lot about life. First-time documentary film director Cindy Meehl finds that similar patience is required in filmmaking.
Read complete 5/10/11 post at The Mark.
See Cindy Meehl on Buck interview
True Tale of Horse Whisperer Catching Buzz
May 6, 2011 by
By Claudine Zap
Fri, May 06, 2011, 11:48 am PDT
The real-life horse whisperer who inspired the 1998 fictional movie “The Horse Whisperer” is now the star of his own film. Called “Buck,” the documentary follows the life of the cowboy-philosopher Buck Brannaman, as he works his magic with horses and their owners. (And yes, Robert Redford even appears.)
The movie was directed by Cindy Meehl, who shot 300 hours of film to put together the narrative, which won the Documentary Audience Award at Sundance this year. Its first fans seem to be on to something, as the film is starting to pick up buzz. On Yahoo! in the last month alone, searches on the horse trainer have jumped 700%. The true tale follows the horse tamer, who was raised in Idaho and suffered an abusive childhood at the hands of his father. That led him and his brother into foster care. The young Buck found solace in horses, and training them became his calling.
Lost in Previews: Buck at SXSW
May 4, 2011 by
by Sarah on May 4th, 2011
The documentary Buck about the life and work of Buck Brannaman now has a new trailer that debuted yesterday. It is longer and more put together than the first one, which is still available for viewing on the film’s website. There is also a new poster, but I am partial to the look of the first one. The film is being released by Sundance Selects on June 17, 2011. Buck was my favorite film at SXSW 2011. My review of the film and my interview with Buck Brannaman and director Cindy Meehl are also posted to Lost in Reviews. I cannot wait to see this film again when it hits the theatres.
IFC.com – Roped in by Buck
March 18, 2011 by
Horsing Around With “Buck”
A real-life horse whisper brings some zen energy to the Crossroads House.
Buck Brannaman is one cool dude. And I do mean a dude: an authentic cowboy and horse whisperer. The horse whisperer, really; he served as an inspiration for Nicholas Evans’ novel and later became a technical advisor and stunt double on Robert Redford’s cinematic adaptation. The man is so good with horses it looks like he’s communicating with them telepathically. Read more and see video
Hartford Courant Review
February 6, 2011 by
Documentary About Real ‘Horse Whisperer’ Makes Sundance Splash for Local Filmmaker
Connecticut Connections to Park City Festival
Filmmakers from Connecticut made a huge impression at the recent Sundance Film Festival, but no one was a bigger surprise than Cindy Meehl. With zero filmmaking experience, Meehl, a 54-year-old Redding resident, made a movie about a horse trainer that won the festival’s U.S. Documentary Audience Award. “Buck” earned over-the-top reviews and a distribution deal with Sundance Selects/IFC Films. Read complete Courant article
Hollywood Reporter – ‘BUCK’ Gallops With Empathy
January 29, 2011 by
PARK CITY — (U.S. Documentary Competition) A quietly captivating portrait of an unlikely character,
“Buck” is as modest as its subject and wins viewers over just as easily. Holding strong appeal in the nonfiction arena, the pic could be a hit for distribs who manage to book it into Middle-American markets where few docs fear to tread.
Buck Brannaman, who inspired The Horse Whisperer, proves as impressively gifted in reality as any fictionalized version could be — and even, though his not-quite-handsome face would never compete with Robert Redford‘s, possessed of an undeniable magnetism. A quiet man who almost seems to mind-meld with horses, he makes no secret of the belief that his training helps both horse and owner. Read complete Hollywood Reporter review…
Sundance Video: Robert Redford at Sundance 2011, Buck, Owning Chaz, Oprah Winfrey
January 28, 2011 by
Thompson On Hollywood
Sundance Festival and Channel founder Robert Redford opened up the Fest with his customary press conference, where he talked about new Sundance initiatives and Slamdance. As a big supporter of the doc Buck, about the original inspiration for his film The Horse Whisperer, it was no surprise when the film sold to Sundance Selects. Read complete article at Thompson on Hollywood…
Deadline.com – Sundance: 2011 Film Directors to Watch
January 27, 2011 by
Cindy Meehl: This first-time filmmaker came to Sundance with U.S. Documentary Competition entry Buck, a cinematic doc which follows Buck Brannaman, the cowboy who inspired The Horse Whisperer. It was quickly scooped up by IFC Films’ sister division Sundance Selects. Connecticut-based Meehl met Brannaman at one of his horse clinics in 2003 and learned about his troubled childhood and transformed life. Read complete Deadline.com article