Parents' Guide to

Running Wild

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Horse drama pushes agenda but is still heartwarming.

Movie PG 2017 89 minutes
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age 3+

Based on 1 parent review

Windhorse49
Windhorse49 Adult
October 20, 2019
age 3+

This movie is a complete fiction!

This movie is another one of the prop movies from the enemies of the wild horses; ranchers, BLM! If Wild Horses are "starving out in the range it is because they have been intentionally fenced off by the greedy welfare ranchers, from their rightful domain. Please don't drink their "cool aide"! the alleged "over population" is a complete myth. Today there is less then 20 000 Free Roaming Mustangs left on the range. They have been exploited, and managed for extinction, by the very agency that was trusted with their protection! It is a mortal shame because these animals were chosen by the American people to be their "Symbols of Freedom"!
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

RUNNING WILD follows the story of Stella Davis (Dorian Brown), a wealthy Texas horse rancher's wife who's widowed in the movie's opening scene. Stella soon discovers that her husband left her nearly bankrupt and that she has only a couple of months to pay down massive debts if she doesn't want to lose her ranch. She asks go-to ranch hand Brannon (Jason Lewis) to help brainstorm money-making ideas, which initially seem limited to putting their prized stallion out to stud. Then, while surveying her land, Stella comes across starving wild mustangs that have strayed onto the property, and she convinces Brannon to help her feed and pen them. They stay within the law by applying for a program that pairs prison inmates with ranches for off-site work with animals (the ranch gets money for participating). The inmates include Jon (Tommy Flanagan), an older Scottish convict; young Debrickshaw (Tom Williamson), who was tried as an adult for arson; and several others. Things progress well until billionaire Meredith Parish (Sharon Stone), an activist for the rights of wild horses, arrives in town; her sister, Jennifer (Christina Moore), wants to buy the Davis ranch and thinks Meredith can help her get her way. Meredith believes domesticating wild horses is akin to equine slavery, so she protests in front of Stella's ranch daily and even incites younger activists to do "whatever's necessary" to sabotage the ranch.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Despite the filmmakers' overtly anti-activist agenda, this drama is well acted and has a couple of surprisingly empowering messages about women and even prison rehabilitation. There are really several stories rolled into one in Running Wild: One is the framing story in which Stella, whom Brown plays charmingly, havs to find her own way after her dead husband all but loses the family ranch. Second is the tale of the prison rehab program about the inmates allowed to work on the ranch. And third is the plot's politically motivated arc about the extremist activist who cares more about horses than people. There's also a slight romantic subplot between Stella and Brannon, but that takes a backseat to the ranch saving and self empowerment themes.

With decent production values and talented actors, Running Wild is like a Lifetime movie that happens to be produced by a conservative billionaire who thinks animal rights activists are fringe extremists trying to curb freedom. On the surface, the story makes sense, because Stone's character is misguided, misleading, and misinformed. She's willing to lie, cheat, and bribe her way to get what she wants (the mustangs' freedom), and she doesn't seem to grasp that wild horse overpopulation is a serious problem. Of course, by the end of the movie, justice prevails, but somehow the message isn't quite as heavy handed as it was in The Dog Lover. Still, it's important to know that even though the movie clearly has heart, it was definitely made with an agenda.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the messages in Running Wild. Do you think it's OK for movies to promote specific points of view/ways of thinking on potentially controversial issues? Do you need to agree with those positions in order to enjoy the movies that promote them?

  • What did you learn about the overpopulation of wild horses/mustangs out West? Did you realize that was an issue?

  • Who do you think the movie's intended audience is? What message do the filmmakers want them to take away from watching it?

Movie Details

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