Redford as director takes time to enjoy the magnificence of Montana. And unlike "Legends of the Fall" where the characters tried to make themselves as huge as the scenery, "The Horse Whisperer" ensures that all the concerns of our physicality have a place within a larger reality.

So "The Horse Whisperer" becomes a parable about the problems of family life in a furiously paced capitalistic society. There are few surprises in the plot, which is light on action but heavy on symbolism. We learn everything about the central characters from the opening scene. 13 year old Grace climbs out of her country bed to ride her beautiful horse, Pilgrim. Her father sleeps oblivious in another room. Meanwhile her mother's day begins with a determined run through the streets of New York City.

Then follows a horrible accident--and be warned that the first ten minutes of this film are really gruesome--to shake up the uncomfortable status quo of the family. The visual result of the accident is a lost limb for the teenager, and some nasty wounds on the horse. But the real damage, of course, is deeper. The horse is but a physical manifestation of the traumatized family. So the story becomes a simple matter of, you know, fix the horse, and the rest will all fall into place. But picking a horse out of the teeth of a hornse is no mean feat, so the mother, packs horse and child into range rover and trailer, and heads out to Montana to find healing from the "horse whisperer"--Robert Redford.

Like the absence of speed limit, the plot is merely a guide to get us from one place to another. Redford as director is ponderous and pleasing. As a Montana rancher he is also believable. But as romantic interest with Kristen Scott Thomas develops, Redford might be more credible as her father than her lover.

In short, "The Horse Whisperer" is a slow moving thoughtful parable on a theme we've heard before. The real strength of this film is that the whole cinematic atmosphere conveys the same theme as the plot. If you have three hours to spare and are willing to take the time to move slowly, then you'll love "The Horse Whisperer." I did.