Parents' Guide to Buck

This documentary is a remarkable tale of a man who transcended abuse and now channels that pain for the greater good through teaching gentle horse training. In every instance where Buck could turn sentimental or sweeping, it remains soft-spoken and understated. That may be due to its subject, a soft-spoken character who chooses gentleness instead of anger in spite of his own tumultuous background.

Parents and kids who are drawn to horses and their training will find valuable information here but also an incredibly moving and often difficult story of childhood abuse. The upside is that this is a powerfully told story with a one-of-a-kind subject, and in the end, it becomes a much bigger story than one about a good horse trainer. It's really about the way we treat each other, what we can learn from pain, and how we can make the world a better place because of it. Though most horse documentaries are strictly for super fans, this is one that anyone can take something away from -- at the very least, a great deal of admiration for a triumph of the human spirit that will make you wonder why we break horses when people can barely survive it.