An Uncommonly Gentle Man

Movies: Buck

Buck is a documentary about Buck Brannaman, a horse trainer who was one of the inspirations for Nicholas Evans's novel The Horse Whisperer (the book was, however, not solely based on him). Brannaman proves to be an ordinary man with extraordinary talents. Although he claims that any person with enough patience can become a horse trainer, Buck's way with animals seems truly exemplary. He trains young, spirited horses not by forcing the horse to obey, but by taking it at the horse's pace. He points out that a horse who acts wild and violent is often scared and on the defensive, so a good trainer will slowly gain the horse's trust by being gentle and non-threatening. Director Cindy Meehl shows Buck in action at various horse-training clinics. It's amazing to see how Buck's presence almost immediately calms the animals down.


In interacting with humans, Buck is similarly gentle, yet firm. He is not afraid to chastise owners of particularly unruly horses (he says that a horse's behavior is often a mirror of its owner), but he does so in a way that is helpful and never harsh. You can hear the pride and love in Buck's voice when he talks about his wife and children, though he doesn't gush. This man is the definition of the "strong and silent" cowboy type. He is soft spoken, but he's no pushover.

The truly extraordinary thing about Buck Brannaman is the fact that he emerged from an extremely violent childhood. Buck's father was physically abusive, beating Buck and his brother on a regular basis. The two boys were eventually removed from their father's household (their mother died when Buck was around 10 or 12 years old) and placed in foster care. Buck's foster mother is still alive and was interviewed for this film--and she is obviously a loving, gutsy lady who raised Buck to be the man he is today. Some people who come from violent homes grow up to perpetuate that violence; others have a difficult time with trust and communication as adults. Against great odds, Buck managed to thrive despite the horrible things he went through as a child. He discusses how when he first went to foster care, he was terrified of adult men and had difficulty speaking to them or looking them in the eye. But over time and with the help of a his foster mom and dad, he overcame these obstacles. It's pretty clear that Buck's experiences growing up--both being abused, and being rescued from that abuse--play a large role in his ability to understand and train horses. Buck says, "Abused horses are like abused children. They trust no one and expect the worst. But patience, leadership, compassion, and firmness can help them overcome their pasts."

Buck is a documentary that is inspiring without being sappy. The world would benefit from more people like Buck Brannaman.

4 out of 5 stars