Summaries

Synopsis

Teenager Grace MacLean (Scarlett Johansson) and her best friend Judith (Kate Bosworth) go out early one winter's morning to ride their horses, Pilgrim and Gulliver. As they ride up an icy slope, Gulliver slips and hits Pilgrim. Both horses fall, dragging the girls onto a road and get hit by a tractor-trailer. Judith and Gulliver are killed, while Grace and Pilgrim are both severely injured.Grace's mother Annie is the editor of the Cover magazine and a career woman. Grace feels neglected by her. Annie is married to Robert, but both are struggling with the marriage. Annie is also under pressure at work as an insider, has alleged that Annie routinely fakes circulation figures. Annie is suing the whistle blower.

Grace, left with a partially amputated right leg, is bitter and withdrawn after the accident. Meanwhile, Pilgrim is traumatized (he was found hiding under a bridge with severe injuries) and uncontrollable to the extent that it is suggested by the stable head Liz Hammond (Cherry Jones) that he be put down. Grace's mother, Annie (Kristin Scott Thomas), a strong-minded and workaholic magazine editor, refuses to allow Pilgrim to be put down. At first, she says that it is Grace's horse so she can decide what she wants to do when she is well.

Liz bandages pilgrim up and keeps him under close observation. Grace returns home but dislikes the pity from her parents. Grace can't adjust to life at school. She was training to be an equestrian, but her dream is in tatters now. She goes back to see Pilgrim and is devastated to see the huge gashes on its face. Pilgrim charges Grace with aggression.Pilgrim stares at Annie, and Annie senses that somehow Grace's recovery is linked with Pilgrim's. Annie orders all books, journals and publications on horses. She finds about the delicate balance between humans and horses for millions of yrs. and she reads about the legend of Horse Whisperers who are said to be able to heal a horse's soul.

Annie finds the number of a noted Horse Whisperer Tom Booker and asks him to come to NYC for a day to meet Pilgrim and Grace. Tom refuses and says that he has a ranch to take care of in Montana.Desperate for a way to heal both Grace and Pilgrim, Annie tracks down a "horse whisperer", Tom Booker (Robert Redford), in the remote Montana mountains. She wants to take both Pilgrim and Grace to meet Tom. Robert is against this idea, and he feels that Grace needs proper medical and mental care, but Annie is adamant and says they are losing Grace, unless something is done about it. Annie puts Pilgrim in a trailer and drives Grace all the way to Montana. Grace sulks throughout the way and when Annie confronts her, Grace alleges that Annie is only doing this to maintain her own control over everyone and that she never really cared for anyone.

Tom lives with brother Frank Booker (Chris Cooper), Frank's wife Dianne Booker (Dianne Wiest) and their son Joe Booker (Ty Hillman). Tom's mother Mrs. Ellen Booker (Jeanette Nolan) also stays with them.Tom agrees to help, but only if Grace also takes part in the process. Grace reluctantly agrees, and she and Annie go to stay at the Booker ranch with the family. Annie is still trying to run the magazine from Montana. Frank invited Annie and Grace to move in as the motel in town was too far from the ranch for a daily up and down commute. Dianne objected, but Tom left the decision to Annie.

Tom gives Pilgrim a proper bath in a river and then lets it loose in the ranch to run around. At the end of the day, Pilgrim returns to Tom. Slowly Tom understands Pilgrim's scars and gets close to him, petting him and in response Pilgrim starts trusting Tom.Tom assigns Grace and Annie tasks around their cattle ranch, including medications, cleaning the stalls and branding of cattle. Tom also asks Annie to relax and enjoy the countryside. Tom asks Grace to start driving and treats her like a normal person.

As Pilgrim and Grace slowly overcome their trauma, Annie and Tom begin to develop a mutual attraction. However, they are both reluctant to act on these feelings - Annie is married TO Robert (Sam Neill) and Tom had his heart broken before (his wife left him because she belonged in the city). They go horse riding together and enjoy many hours together in company. Annie invites the Bookers over for dinner to reciprocate the kindness they have shown in hosting Grace and Annie. Grace can see the growing fondness between Annie and Tom.

Tom also asks Grace to tell him what happened with her and Pilgrim to understand what Pilgrim is feeling. At first, Grace is reluctant, but eventually gathers up her courage, and tearfully describes the accident. Tom says that Pilgrim reared up at the oncoming truck as he loved Grace very much and was trying to protect her.

Annie is fired from her job for being away from it for so long. Annie confides her feelings to Dianne who warns her against harming Tom. That night, Annie and Tom kiss. Tom Asks Annie point blank if she wants to stay behind and she says yes, but she is not ready to confront her family about it.

The status Quo between Annie and Tom is broken when Robert MacLean (Sam Neill), Grace's father and Annie's husband, unexpectedly shows up at the ranch. Annie is increasingly torn by her feelings for Tom and her love for her family. Soon, with Tom's help, Grace finally takes the last step to heal herself and Pilgrim - riding Pilgrim again.

As the MacLeans get ready to leave the ranch, Robert tells Annie that he knows he loved her more than she loved him, and that if he could be a better father, husband, or lawyer then it didn't matter, he did it all for the love he had for her. He felt that he didn't need more, he knows she is not sure how she feels about him, and now he wants her to make a choice, and not to come home until she is sure.

Although Annie wishes she could stay with Tom on the ranch, she also knows that she belongs to the city, just like Tom's wife. Annie departs, driving away from the ranch, while Tom watches her go from the top of a hill.