Great Film overall

As Good As It Gets

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Enjoyed it immensely, however; it left me to consider the logistics of driving 400 horses over 2000 miles. At max the drive can move at about 3 miles an hour for 10 hours a day. No time line was provided in the movie. At 30 miles a day it would take between 2 to 3 months to get the horses to Canada if driven in a straight line without having to search out water. There was no mention of any supply line. What did the men and horses eat? How did they cross fence, the Rocky Mountains, and rivers? Since the story is based on a myth, it is obvious that the HBO researchers were unable to find any evidence that there is any substance behind the tale. It would have been much more likely, had the Army rid itself of surplus horses, that they would have been sold off either as working stock or to meat packers. At any rate, even during the depression, horses had significant value and it is doubtful that the Army would have overlooked that fact. All this aside, it is still a great story and a well done flick with good performances by human and animal actors. I would have loved a "How they did it" segment included on the DVD, especially on the horse slaughter with 50 cal. machine guns.

I first saw this film during a snowstorm at my dad's house in 1998 and got the video when IT came out, and the DVD when IT came out! It's a first-class film in every way. It takes place at the time when the army was just leaving the "old" cavalry and getting ready for the "new", mechanized cavalry, and a group of old-style cavalry troopers have to destroy a group of horses that the army no longer needs. James Sikking does a first class job portraying Douglas McArthur, first clearing out the "bonus" marchers from World War 1, then pursuing these old soldiers as they try to take these now useless cavalry mounts up to Canada, hoping they'll be safe there. If you love horses; great movies with little special effects-just great acting and a really nice end; you must see it; you'll be VERY glad you did!

Besides being an enjoyment for anyone who likes horses, this movie also covers shameful incidents from out nation's history. It identifies several issues that warrant further investigation by anyone interested in U.S. history. These include the rise of General McArthur, the treatment of returning W.W. I Veterans,the difficulty of changing the way war is fought.(an issue today)and the influence of the press.. All of this might shed some light on how decisions are made today by men in power. Excellent acting by some actors who are sometimes not praised enough for their craft. Personally, I would accept more movies of this genre.

A fine movie, good plot and solid acting. I enjoyed this TV movie on a Sunday rainy afternoon. I particularly liked Don Johnson's performance.The mere idea of destroying 500 hundred horses for economic reasons is simply disgusting, so viewers will easily take sides. The eternal discussion between blind obedience and common sense is frankly depicted here, and the debate reopens again. The note that states -at the end of the film- that no animal has been hurt while shooting this movie is fitting, because at times you get the feeling that the horses are enduring quite an ordeal and facing death in the hands of those who are trying to save them. I warmly recommend this film, it is good for all ages.