Dreamer bears the subtitle, inspired by a true story. Just as well, because it does seem a bit far-fetched. However, we have seen Seabiscuit and know that horses which have been injured and written off can rise to occasions and become champions.

The press book gives information about the story on which Dreamer is based and the real horse seems to have been even more successful in races than Sonyador in the film.

Director John Gatins has made a career of writing sports films. They include Coach Carter (basketball) and two baseball films, Hardball and Summer Catch. He knows the successful formula for a heart-warming sports film.

However, this reviewer’s heart turns a little cold when Dakota Fanning appears on screen. A journalist described her as ‘the whey-faced girl with the frightening work ethic’. This work ethic is to the fore in Dreamer. We know she is a little girl who likes horses but she comes across less as a child than as a mini-adult in the way she bears herself, walks and talks, she has no scruples in emotionally blackmailing her father after he did the right thing in letting the horse go – and, not only does he buy the horse back, he makes her a major owner with power to make decisions, front acceptance boards and confront a tycoon owner. She also has to face up to a tycoon sheikh to get over $100,000 dollars to enter her horse in the championship race. Of course, she does. She is never plagued by self-doubt.

So, if you don’t mind Dakota Fanning and her precocious presence, the rest is standard ‘family’ fare with Kurt Russell agreeable as the father, Elisabeth Shue with less to do as the mother and Kris Kristofferson as the grumpy then kindly grandfather. There are some exciting race and training sequences which make it a pleasantly standard racing film.

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