Having read a few tepid reviews of this film I hoped seeing it wouldn't be a disappointment. Instead, I found it quietly enthralling, leaving me wondering just who writes reviews and whether they can appreciate or understand anything but boobs, bombs, and special effects.<br /><br />Leaving aside the issue of whether the plot is factually based, which is irrelevant to the quality of the film, it is a terrific portrait of the encounter between a quiet, self-reliant American and Arab culture. Self-taught rather than "book-learned," Frank Hopkins is free of cultural prejudices and willing to meet the Arabs on their own terms. He reminds me of rural great-uncles and aunts long dead now, products of the 19th century, whose unpretentious outlook, practical energy, and egalitarian respect for the perspective and dignity of others (including animals) made them universally liked and respected. I've never seen another film character that so fully embodies this 19th century American mentality. Read Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance and you'll get the general idea.<br /><br />It's also a horse-lovers' film in a big way, from the mutually supportive working relationship between Frank and his paint horse, Hidalgo, to his use of the prize money from the race to save the Dakota mustangs from U.S. government extermination. As a mixed breed himself, Frank has a personal perspective on the issue of "breeding," whether in horses or humans, and the film demonstrates in many ways, without ever making an issue of it, how irrelevant race, parentage or culture are to the value of an individual. There are "goodies" and "baddies" on every side. Frank and Hidalgo overcome the initial hostility of Arabs to his cultural "strangeness" with integrity, fortitude, and a love of horses that transcends cultural barriers and touches their human commonality.<br /><br />Take the kids to see this one, a thought provoking story with minimal violence and an excellent, overall non-sentimental respect for the natural world as well as the humans and animals that inhabit it. They'll be thinking about it and asking you tough questions long after the popcorn is gone.<br /><br />