It's 1932. Sonora Webster (Gabrielle Anwar) is a head-strong orphan in Waycross, Georgia living with her younger sister under her aunt. She gets into trouble at school. Then she reads an ad for a diving horse rider. Her aunt is about to give her over to the State. She runs away to ride the diving horse for Dr Carver (Cliff Robertson) in his carnival act. First she comes to the rescue to Dr. Carver's son, Al (Michael Schoeffling) after he's caught cheating at cards. Bumbling Clifford Henderson (Dylan Kussman) immediately falls for the beauty. The diving horse job is already taken by Marie (Kathleen York). Al helps Sonora to tame a new wild horse.This movie has the feel of a well-made TV movie. Director Steve Miner can't seem to raise the level of the production. Anwar is a beauty but there is a spark of innocence missing. She is playing only a plucky one-note performance. That is more due to the writing. There's also an over-romanticization in this movie. In the end, this is at the level of a simple watchable TV movie but not much more.

When I learned Disney was going to make this film, I was excited because I heard there were once diving horses. But I could not have been more pleased with the intro given when I watched it and taped it off TV with Michael Eisner introducing it. He assured the viewers that no horses were injured and they jumped willingly. I knew it would be interesting then. So, I just cannot stress enough how wonderful and well made this film is ... it is family friendly, yet not sappy sweet... it is strong and interesting every bit of the way. While I enjoyed this film multiples of time, I try to pick it apart, but cannot find flaws in continuity or anywhere else. It is very entertaining and enjoyable to watch. After watching this film for about the 20th time (by myself, or with my kids) it was then only after reading the credits that I learned that the gray horse was played by two different horses and myself and my good eyes for horses could not pick that out. This is the best equine continuity job I've ever seen in a film (where more than one horse was used for the same horse). I love the acting, the interaction between characters and the gentle and strong ways love is depicted. I never get tired of this movie and rate it only second to The Black Stallion as the 2nd best equine movie ever made... and that is coming from somebody that knows horses.

You know as much as I don't like comparing movies, "Wild Hearts Can't be Broken" is like "Rudy" The only difference is that a movie like this appeals more to women. Frankly I can't fairly say that because "Rudy" was made after this movie, but my subject heading isn't a bad thing. The lovely Gabrielle Anwar plays Sonora Webster the typical girl whose lost her parents and has discipline problems. So yes we've established that she has issues that can be considered as "odds" against her. Nobody really cares that she wants to dive horses, but she sees it then decides she wants to do it. So what does she do, goes through blood, sweat and no tears because her trainer Dr. Carver played by Cliff Robertson doesn't like criers. Anyway this movie is fast paced, but it gets a decent story across about a young girl who overcomes odds, at a time the odds are death threatening and makes her dreams come true. A real heartwarming movie.

This movie is a typical Girl and her Horse tale (no pun intended), but it's one that has more heart and realism than any movie of it's kind. It's a perfect family movie, something you should feel good about showing your kids and can enjoy yourself... but you should know that it has many of the clichés of the genre. (You'll understand when you see it) also, it doesn't completely focus on the horses, they remain in the backdrop while the entire movie focuses on this girl and her love story with a really attractive young man. If you have really young kids, this might not interest them... However, this is also a strength of the movie, since you don't have to love animals (or horses for that matter) in order to appreciate the depth and emotion in this heartfelt and sincere but often overlooked movie.