User Reviews

I am a Julie Benz fan from her days on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as the vampress Darla. I nice to see her in a good old Hallmark film.

**Spoilers ahead**

The film itself is what your expect from a Hallmark Drama. The shiftless husband abandons his wife and daughter with no money and a bank lien on their horse. She finds work on a horse ranch with the owner who lost her own daughter. Her horse goes blind and she finds a love interest in the local veterinarian. In order to save her horse from the bank she enters a horse dancing competition. This being a Hallmark film I am guessing you know how is will end. The fact is the Julie Benz, along with her young co-star, make this movie believable and enjoyable Hallmark movie.

Sorry folks, but if you are looking for a good horse movie, this is NOT one to watch. While I can appreciate the back story, this movie was a mess. Poor acting, editing and research fails this movie.

As an equestrian, there is nothing more frustrating to watch inaccuracies in film. While I would not get too technical, there are blatant, obvious , most BASIC errors made in this film that makes this movie laughable. I've worked with a semi-blind horse, and I know many older horses that went blind, and the fact still remains, each horse handles this differently. The fact that the 'vet' said this horse would not be able to eat or drink is completely incorrect, and really is a poor testament to the research of the team. If this horse had a condition, it should have been mentioned in the film. Horses just don't up and go blind all of a sudden. Also, horses don't lead themselves to a trailer and I know for a fact that blind horses do not load trailers easily.

Also, in regards to other horse aspects of this film. Trainers who work dressage horses do not give up if a horse won't move forwards, riders actually RUN their stirrup irons up before leading a horse around, as it can bruise a horse's shoulders along with ruining those saddles, which can run close to five grand for the top kind. Added to the fact that horses and rider who preform freestyles(kurs) actually ride to music, and that they are warming up a lot sooner than just 'appearing' for their class. They also have time to trot around the ring and cue the music before entering. The horse that was being used was at best, PSG level. He was older, and that was apparent in his movement. While this isn't as much of a problem, by the time you get past all the other inaccuracies, what is left is a movie that really has nothing to stand on.

For people in Hollywood--PLEASE. take the time to research horses for films. There are many, many things I see that are so basic in knowledge, yet films still forget to show these facts. It is frustrating to have young riders come to me for lessons, and except them to run like a Disney movie. True horsemanship requires a lot of work, very few ribbons, and the occasional blood. Lots of sweat, lots of tears, and in the end, it all about the relationship of horse and rider.

Better equestrian movies or movies that families might enjoy are: Internatiol Velvet, Sylvester, Man From Snowy River, Black Stallion, the Horse Whisperer. Sure, these movies also have their quirks/errors, but by and large, had better research and workings with their horses in the films.

This soap opera movie succeeds because it ties together strong family values in the face of tremendous adversity.

We have 2 women, one of whom lost a daughter and the other a sister, who bond together.

The film shows the above tragedies along with an abandonment of a wife and daughter, a horse that goes blind, and many other problems as well.

Marsha Mason is quite good here as the mother whose daughter killed herself. She takes in the woman to work with horses after the latter's husband walks out on her with the child. To complicate matters, the former's mother blames her for the death of her sister years before.

Stay with this film as triumph of life beats out adversity. Poor Julie Benz, as Mrs. Garrett. What she goes through-death of her sister, blame by her mother for her sister's death, a miserable marriage where her husband abandons her and her daughter, her dog going blind, her husband trying to sabotage her success in a competition by hurting the horse she is riding and thereby forcing her to ride her blinded horse instead. If Marsha Mason, the woman who takes her in, gets any heavier, she will be a definite look-alike for Shirley Knight. That aside, this is a wonderful film.

The Long Shot is by far the best movie that Hallmark has ever done. Julie Benz is spectacular in this movie. It's a feel good movie. I cried at the end. I normally don't cry at movies, but this one made me. I give it two thumbs up. I definitely think that anyone who loves or even likes a good feel good, gives you goose bumps good movie should see it. If I can find it anywhere. I'm going to buy it. It's that good. I can't state enough how great Julie was in it. I think it's her best work. Next to her work on the Angel and Buffy series. Also if any of you are horse lovers, you'll also love this movie. Hallmark should show this movie more often. I've only seen it on t.v. three times. I don't know what else I can say about this movie. Except that it's a great family get together movie. If there is anyone out there who thinks this movie sucks, then you just don't know what a great movie is. The best part of the movie is when Annie's horse is learning how to adapt to his surroundings when he's blind. I love the way that Annie loves her horse so much that she wouldn't put him down. She knows that he can function even without seeing where he's going. She doesn't give up on him and it can teach people that even though things don't look so great. That you don't have to give up. I think that's what the movie is all about. Not giving up even though everyone else has. It just goes to show that you can overcome even the worst obstacles to achieve your goals and what you believe deep down in your heart. But I would have to say that the best part of the movie is when Annie decides to ride in the competition with her horse. Also the fact that they will was just heart wrenching. I cried at that moment. The other actors in the movie also do a great job. They add great energy to the story. They all play so well off each other and that's what makes the movie so great. They all make this movie great. All that I have written above is how much I love the movie. Also why I gave it a 10 out of 10.

By, Katie (bartholomeu421)

I initially watched "The Long Shot" because it features Marsha Mason, one of my favorite actresses, but quickly became involved. Central to the story — dominating it — is a woman and her daughter — and a horse — abandoned by the woman's shiftless, perhaps vicious husband, who, mostly offstage, remains an important contributer to the plot. There is little that can be said about the movie without risking a spoiler, except that Mason remains as entertaining as she ever was. It is, despite the focus on horses, very much a "people" movie and the result is so exciting — especially emotionally — and satisfying that I think it's enough to say simply don't miss it. I grew up around horses and horse people and am normally suspicious of "horse movies." I wasn't even aware that this was one. And it turned out delightfully.

Nuff said.

Annie was so brave and charming and warm.. I'd like to have a wife like her(in the movie). That was a good mother, a role model. I respect her from the bottom of my heart.

But however back to the filming process, wouldn't it be hard for Julia to control the horses? I love Tolo so much.. so beautiful and tame.

This is a good production. Thanks for the director for making out such quality and healthy film. I salute you from the bottom of the heart dear director.

The last scene of the movie was most touching when the family reunited. It was the best ending story I have ever known.

I love this movie so much! I saw it on the hallmark channel and every chance I got to watch it, I would. Then, 2 years later, they stopped airing it. Now, I got it on DVD, and I love it a lot! I watch it all the time! It sort of gives me an 'edge of your seat' kind of feeling. When I discovered how mean Ross Garret was, I wanted to yell at him. I don't have a horse, but when I watch this movie, I put myself into Annie's shoes. Then, when Tolo goes blind, I want to cry. When he can't canter, I feel frustrated. I really get into this movie. My Oh my gosh what happened feeling kicks in when Annie gets hurt on the ladder. When Ross tries to cripple Red, I start screaming at the television, as though Ross can really hear me. Finally, when Tolo wins after going blind, I cry happy tears.

I owned a blind horse who went blind later in life. Horses can smell food and water... that is why horses in a desert can find water 7 miles away!! They also have long hairs on their nose that they can use to feel their way around. And as for the other comment about horses not loading well, my horse loaded just fine. He was so in-tuned to me riding him that he could snake through forests with his front end going one way around a tree while his back end went the other way around the last tree. The people who got him from us used him for barrel racing. He was amazing.I liked this movie up until the horse went blind and the vet stopped making any sense what so ever!

This is not a great or complex movie but treats a family subject very well. It is refreshing for not having sex or bad language in it.

Julie Benz is Annie Garrett. In a tragic turn of events when she was a teenager, her sister was killed in an accident and Annie's mother never was the same. Annie internalized this as her mother blaming her for the death, since the sister was running an errand that Annie had forgotten, so as an adult Annie had a very strained relationship with her mother.

As a married woman with a young daughter, her life is further complicated by a husband who is very unreliable, and doesn't seem to really love Annie or their daughter, and regularly disappears.

As the story starts, the family of three travel from Colorado to California for him to start a new job at a horse ranch, but when they arrive the job is gone. Quickly he is too. So Annie and daughter, broke, have to scrape for an existence.

Their salvation is Marsha Mason as Mary Lou O'Brian, who runs a horse training farm, and agrees to hire Annie and let them stay in the guest house temporarily for $10 a night.

The story develops from there as Annie blossoms on her own. Nice story. Gage Golightly, who at that age looked so much like a young Drew Barrymore, is the young daughter Taylor Garrett. John Livingston is the dastardly and unreliable husband Ross Garrett.

SPOILERS: Annie also had her own horse, which came with an $8000 mortgage, and in the process he also became blind. Annie had been training for a show dressage competition, with $20,000 to the winner, using Mary Lou's red show horse, but the dastardly husband showed up and injured the horse, so she had to do the improbable, win the show on a blind horse. Which she did. She divorced her dastardly and unreliable husband and was developing a relationship with the nice local vet. Plus Annie and her mother began to heal their old wounds.