In 2013’s Storm Rider, Dani Fielding (Danielle Churchan) is a rich, spoiled teenager who loves to compete in horse shows with her horse, Admiral. However, when Dani’s father (C. Thomas Howell), is arrested and charged with financial fraud, Dani’s life changes forever. The government seizes Admiral and sells him to Dani’s rival. When Dani’s younger half-brother, Jordan (Jacob Buster), is sent off to live with his gold digging mother, Dani is sent to live with her uncle, Sam (Kevin Sorbo).
Sam is a taciturn veterinarian who lives on a ranch in …. well, I assume it’s Montana. Don’t most of these movies take place in Montana? Wherever the film was shot, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. Sam’s not really comfortable with people in general and he has no idea how to deal with teenage girl, especially one who doesn’t eat meat. As for Dani, she’s initially miserable because she’s been separated from her former life and her former horse.
Fortunately, Sam owns a lot of animals. Dani notices an orphaned mule named Stormy and she takes it upon herself to train him. Taking care of Stormy helps Dani let go of her bitterness. Soon, she’s watching the blossoming romance between Sam and Jody Peterson (Kristy Swanson) and she’s got a romance of her own going with Kevin Winslow (Darien Willardson). Kevin’s father owns a horse that Dani starts to train in the hopes that she can enter a regional horse show with her.
However, when Sam, Jordan, and Kevin’s father get stranded in the mountains, it’s Stormy who helps Dani find them. When night falls and they find themselves surrounded by wolves, will they even make it back to civilization?
It would be a really depressing movie if they didn’t! Fortunately, Storm Rider is not a movie that was made to spread depression. Instead, it’s a rather heart-warming tale about a young woman who conquers her anger and discovers that a mule can be just as strong and brave as the biggest horse. This is very much a film that was designed to make viewers smile and feel good about life and, for the most part, it succeeds. Of course, I still cried constantly while watching the film because I kept thinking about my mom and my dad and how much I miss both of them. This film definitely made me emotional. Often, the best thing that a film can do is to make you cry. Sometimes, I think people forget just how important it is to cry when you’re feeling sad.
As I think I’ve said in the past, I’ve always has a weakness for films about angry or rebellious girls who find peace and grace through taking care of an animal. Whether it’s a cat or a dog or a horse or anything else, there’s something undeniably wonderful about winning the trust of another creature. “You can’t be a jerk and love animals,” someone once said and I imagine that’s true. This film, well-acted and featuring beautiful mountain scenery, made me smile even when I was crying,
