THE NEW YORK TIMES”
Dave Carr’s Arts & Leisure column
“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
LOS ANGELES TIMES
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.”
NEW ORLEANS TIMES PICAYUNE
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.””
INDIEWIRE – Pick of the Week
WASHINGTON POST
http://www.heraldextra.com/entertainment/movies/article_8b778b42-3def-5e6c-a594-bcd3fa979378.html
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
(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.”
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
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. \
CHICAGO SUN TIMES
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.”
DENVER POST
(Lead review)
http://www.denverpost.com/movies/ci_19032696
Four stars
amNY
(see attached scan)
DENTON RECORD CHRONICLE
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.”
THE CHRONICLES OF THE HORSE
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.”
COWBOYS AND INDIANS
(review + promotional giveaway)
http://www.cowboysindians.com/Blog/October-2011/Win-Buck-the-film-on-DVD/
HOLISTIC HORSE
http://www.holistichorse.com/In-the-News/buck-out-on-dvd-october-4.html
MIDSOUTH HORSE REVIEW
http://www.midsouthhorsereview.com/
BRIDLE AND BIT
(on cover of their print issue)
http://www.bridleandbit.com/artman/publish/index.shtml
EQUINE JOURNAL
http://www.equinejournal.com/articles/buck-3071
BARNMICE
ABOUT
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.”
OKLAHOMA GAZETTE
“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.”
FILM SCHOOL REJECTS (Pick of the Week)
USA TODAY – Pop Candy Blog
AV CLUB
http://www.avclub.com/articles/dvds-in-brief-october-5-2011,62808/
BUZZ BO (St Louis Post Dispatch)
http://buzzbo.com/stl/2011/10/04/today’s-dvdblu-ray-releases-are…-28/
THE DVD MOVIE
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.”
MOVIE BUZZERS
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.” ”
EQUINE JOURNAL
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.”
DESERET NEWS
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.”
AOL MOVIEFONE
http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/10/04/new-on-dvd-blu-ray-october-4/
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/movies/s_760127.html
ON VIDEO
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
SEATTLE TIMES
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/avantgo/2016395290.html
THE BOSTON HERALD
JOURNAL SENTINEL
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/movies/130792578.html
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS
SPOKESMAN REVIEW
THE FRESNO BEE
THE RECORD
TIMES RECORD NEWS
VIDEODRONE
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