Dreamer (U, 105mins) Family/Drama. Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Elisabeth Shue, Kris Kristofferson, Luis Guzman, Freddy Rodriguez, David Morse, Oded Fehr. Released: October 21 (UK)

FOLLOWING in the horseshoe prints of Seabiscuit, Dreamer is a life-affirming tale of triumph against incredible adversity on the racetrack.

Ben Crane (Russell) is a talented horse trainer who has used his unique talents to line the pockets of greedy men, and to pay the upkeep on his farm.

He spends so much time caring for the great animals that he neglects his wife Lily (Shue) and his spirited and fiery young daughter, Cale (Fanning), who just wants to spend more time with her father.

During a rare day out with Ben, Cale witnesses her father arguing with his boss, Palmer (Morse), about the fitness of a horse called Sonador - affectionately known as Sonya.

Palmer overrules Ben and demands the promising filly make its way to the stalls.

With sickening inevitability, Sonya falls in the final stages of the race, breaking its leg.

Ben and his boss clash in the stables; heated words are exchanged and Ben is sacked, taking Sonya as part of his severance pay.

Injury

Like his former employer, Ben cannot see any future for Sonya - the injury to the leg cuts short the animal's glittering career on the racetrack.

However, Cale sees a spark in the horse's eyes and she sets about bringing together her father and the emotionally scarred steed.

In the process, the girl rebuilds bridges between Ben and his estranged father, Pop Crane (Kristofferson).

Aided by groom Balon (Guzman) and exercise jockey Manolin (Rodriguez), Cale compels her father to chase the seemingly impossible dream of entering Sonador - which means "dreamer" in Spanish - in the Breeder's Cup Classic.

Dreamer is a well-groomed adventure of sporting ambition, inspired by the heartwarming true story of filly Mariah's Storm, which recovered from a fractured left front cannon bone to gallop to glory in three stakes races.

First-time feature director John Gatins accomplishes the tricky feat of working alongside children and animals with aplomb.

In particular, the racing sequences are beautifully executed, using slow motion to capture the athletic grace of the horses in motion.

Russell delivers a strong performance as a family man learning to open his heart to his daughter, but once again it's Fanning who steals every frame.

Wunderkind

The 11-year-old wunderkind canters through the entire emotional spectrum to convey the determination and courage of a girl willing to put her heart on the line to chase her dreams.

In the final furlong, there's an excess of sentimentality, but when Sonya sprints towards the finishing line in those closing frames, it's hard not to feel even a small lump in your throat.

The children in my screening actually leap out of their seats and whooped and hollered with delirium.

A new generation of gamblers is born.

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