The Votes are in and "Buck" a documentary I helped to score about Buck Brannerman is one of 16 films from a field of over 300 chosen for the 2011 Sundance Festival.
"The Horse Whisperer" may be the stuff of Hollywood legend but the cowboy who inspired the novel and the film is very real. Buck Brannaman - master-horseman, trick-roper, raconteur and no-nonsense philosopher - is a true grit cowboy who travels the world enlightening his followers with a wisdom that's frequently more about human relationships than about horses. As Buck says in his signature, hard won wit. "Often instead of helping people with horse problems, I'm helping horses with people problems".
BUCK, a poetic and visually stunning feature documentary, follows Brannaman from an abusive childhood that almost “broke” him, through early fame and foster care, to a life of fiercely dedicated work as a teacher, who possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses with understanding and respect. He often expounds on the similarities of redirecting the mind and energy of troubled horses with the trials of parenting children.
The astonishing strength of character it takes Buck to overcome and transcend the darkness in his past is poignantly reflected in the relationship with his youngest daughter Reata, who is becoming nearly as good a rider and roper as her dad. Driven by his mission to enlighten his followers, he spends nine months a year away from home. He travels alone in his horse trailer from clinic to sold-out clinic, from Maine to California, from Beeville, Texas, to Libby, Montana, dealing with often fractious horses and humans. But as he says to his students: “If you got a taste of what I’m talking about, you couldn't get enough of it. You’d rather do that than eat. You may spend your whole life chasing it, but it’s a good thing to chase."
