Buck ****

"Buck" is a touching portrait of a real life cowboy who teaches horsemanship in 4-day clinics around the country (and even Italy, according to this year's schedule). Buck Brannaman is a gentle soul who suffered as a child at the hands of a violent father, and he treats horses with the consideration and respect that his father never game him. And as he says, he often finds that he's dealing more with horses with people problems than people with horse problems in his classes. One of the real life models for "The Horse Whisperer," Buck is profiled in interviews with his friends, family, and co-workers, including Robert Redford, who employed Buck on his "Whisperer" project.

This documentary is a first effort from Cindy Meehl, a horsewoman who decided she had to be the one to tell Buck's story. It's a wonderful effort, was a fan favorite at Sundance, and actually got a warm round of applause from the audience I saw it with in Denver today. See it.