If you want something with love and touching character and not this perverted new "Parents are not supposed to be your friends" nonsense (I mean I believe parents have to be strict but this is some new garbage), watch the "Cheetah Girls." If you hate the lack of mother daughter and father son bonding, skip this one. Nell is also a despicable character. Forget the fact that Maria Bello is an imbecile who thinks "bro" is black or white slang. Can't stand these idiots who think "bro" is black, white or Visigothic slang or that Visigothic girls are the most broish. They might as well have thought "Friends" was more pop than "Seinfeld." Please avoid this stupid ass one. Ghetto Italian/Puerto Rican movies are better. "Bro"-saying Annabella Sciorra could have played a better role as mother, and Aleska Palladino could have done a better role as Katy and there would be much more love. Sciorra playing a "bro"-saying ghetto Italian/Spanish mother and Aleska Palladino being a proper belle. And there would be hugs and it would be like that in real life.

I get it – Hollywood hates fathers. Fathers in Hollywood are all stupid – I get that too. Twelve year old girls (or maybe thirteen or fourteen or – who the hell really cares – are so smart and so informed - - - in Hollywood at least). OK….I got that too. I do not want to knock the talent in this movie…it was good. The actors in this flick(a) did an excellent job making the story's points – bravo! Hell, they did such a fine job I ended up despising my parents. Just kidding, I love my mom and dad – God rest their souls. In my opinion, I think this movie is a terrible example of a nice 'family' picture…if anything…it is a prime example of an anti-family film. I could not believe the amount of paternal spite vomiting from the thankless and arrogant brat's pie-hole. I know parent-hating children are popular nowadays, which leads me to my next point. I am not surprised when children (upon reaching a certain age) are kicked out of the family nest. They are often shocked to find that their hands do not leave holes in buckets of water when removed. Yes – that water comes rushing back in to fill the voids. For this reason I was waiting for the Tim McGraw character to boot wicked Katy to the curb. Oh yeah! Wasn't there a horse in this movie somewhere? I got the answer. Glue factory sounds like a plan. Yup, Mean ole me, but parents should never be doormats for rotten offspring. If it were up to me, I would have loaded Katy on the soonest bus out of town, sat on the porch watching until it disappeared and then sold the house and moved. I would definitely want to make sure that useless, greedy, heartless kid was gone, never to return. I swear that Katy-kid acted more like the spawn of Satan, than the child of Rob and Nell McLaughlin. Anyways…as you can guess…this movie does not warrant a '10' from me. I think someone in production, just plain hates their daddy, and, of course, we are supposed to blindly climb on-board the 'I Wish Daddy Was Dead' Express. This was a very difficult movie to watch (even if I actually did hate my parents). The acting, photography and scenery were all very good. But the story…what a hack-job on parenting and family. It was gross. I cannot recommend this to anyone.

During the rodeo the thing that bugs me the most is the barrel racing. It's like the movie is trying to make fun of the sport. If they're going to film a barrel race, they need to have someone who knows what they're doing, on a horse that knows what it's doing. In the movie they have a horse that has no idea what its doing with an inexperienced rider. Also, the chute dogging sucked. I know plenty of kids who are only in junior rodeo who can do so much better than what was shown in this movie.Now granted, the rest of the movie was a great recreation, but I still like the original better. They changed the movie here and there, all around it was great. I just wish that they had spent a little bit of money just to get people to come in for the rodeo who have experience in that area. I mean come on, the focus of the movie is about horses. The least they could do is not disrespect people who rodeo for a living.

This film is just HORRIBLE! Its not even true to the original at all! This film totally ignores the original book.There are also many, MANY changes in this one from the original, like this one:The main character is changed to female Katy McLaughlin, when in the original it was male Ken McLaughling.Horses even died on the set of this film.And I'm sick of EVERYBODY saying ''No horses died, its just a rumor.'' or ''They just made that up, no horses were killed.'' Well, horses WERE killed! Isn't that horrible? Horses have helped us in dozens of ways and they shouldn't be slaughtered! This is just a stupid, horrible movie! Two words: SKIP IT.The original is much better than this movie.If you watch the original, trust me, you will NOT be displeased.Down with this horrid remake! 1/10