Annie s earlobe-length hairdo lends her a masculine appearance, as does the hat she reluctantly borrows from Tom. That wouldn t do not in a movie about setting free those you love. It adds to the pensive mood of the piece. Contemporary Westerns often run long. With so few made, audiences have forgotten the conventions of the genre.
Westerns confuse length for art status.
Redford, the director infuses The Horse Whisperer with the rare subtlety expected from an actor. Everything else is just print on a page.