Dark Horse (1992)
'90s drama about overcoming challenges has some violence.
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Dark Horse (1992)
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Dark Horse is an uplifting 1992 tale about overcoming life's obstacles aimed at tweens and teens. The movie targets the sense of powerlessness some high school-age kids feel knowing they are not yet in full charge of their lives. Still mourning the death of her mother and adjusting to a move far from her friends, Allie makes bad decisions, hanging out with teens who drink and drive, which leads to a car accident and court-ordered community service at a horse ranch. A girl's spinal cord is injured when she tries to save a horse after a car crash. The horse is injured, recovers, and is injured again when a tractor comes loose from its chains and plows into a barn. A vet must decide whether to put the injured animal down. A boy kisses Allie. Language is confined to "stupid," "idiot," and "jerk brain."
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What's the Story?
DARK HORSE refers both to depressive teenager Allie (Ari Meyers) and the high-strung horse she comes to love. Allie is still mourning her deceased mother, and her dad has geometrically increased her pain by moving the family away from her familiar big city and her friends. She sinks from straight-A to D student, and bad decisions cascade until she sneaks out with a teen drinker who pushes her into his car. She drives off without him and causes an accident that leads to court-ordered community service on a horse ranch. Her turnaround begins when she meets an equally troubled horse. They heal each other but not without another auto accident that wounds them both seriously and requires they both dig even deeper to return to health.
Is It Any Good?
Many touching and wise moments raise the old story of overcoming emotional and physical challenges to a level far above others in this genre. Allie goes jarringly from riding a powerful champion horse to wheelchair confinement. She begins to work toward recovery when she receives support and encouragement from the permanently handicapped kids she used to help. She is further stirred from self-pity and surrender to heroism when her horse is injured. Mimi Rogers is a ray of enlightenment as Dr. Hadley, the veterinarian who manages to nicely suggest the dad has shirked his responsibilities to his motherless children. Dark Horse is a fine choice for families with older tweens and up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Dark Horse wants you to view Allie's bad decisions. Does the movie show her learning from her mistakes?
How does the movie portray teen drinking? Does it make that illegal activity seem cool, or does it caution against it? How can you tell?
Does the movie suggest that sometimes kids can be wiser than their parents? What are some examples of that? Do you agree?
How do the characters in Dark Horse demonstrate compassion and empathy? What about perseverance and courage? Why are these important character strengths?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 7, 1992
- On DVD or streaming: February 16, 1999
- Cast: Ari Meyers, Mimi Rogers, Ed Begley Jr., Donovan Leitch
- Director: David Hemmings
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Horses and Farm Animals
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Courage, Empathy, Perseverance
- Run time: 98 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: for mild violence and language and for scenes of teen drinking
- Last updated: February 26, 2022
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