At six years of age, Buck Brannaman was a professional rope trick performer, a Kellogg’s Sugar Pops kid, and a broken boy. Now he’s known the world over as the horse whisperer: a man who starts horses rather than breaking them. Cindy Meehl’s irresistible portrait of this complicated cowboy makes it clear, however, that Buck’s calling—“helping horses with people problems”—has little to do with whispering and everything to do with Buck’s uncanny ability to transform fear into trust. At his clinics, Buck choreographs a pas de deux of mutual respect between horse and rider, teaching his students not only how to ride with compassion, but how to live that way. Certainly Buck is a must-see film for horse lovers, but this story will melt the heart of anyone who believes in the power of empathy, the possibility of redemption, and the healing magic of the human-animal bond.  MP