HULU.com Movie Review; The Horse Boy

Another find on hulu.com, since I am cable free. The Horse Boy is a documentary film about a family with an autistic boy. I guess he was about seven when this saga began.

The film covers the family's desperate journey to Mongolia of all places, to travel in van and on horseback to the northern region of the reindeer people. Did you know the first animals used for riding were reindeer?

Anyway, they saw shamans and such, which may sound crazy and new agey, but the flick is not like that. These parents had nothing to lose, and both had backgrounds in going to strange places in the world for one reason or another. His work is pretty much centered around that sort of thing, and he has seen all kinds of healing rituals and whatnot.

The wife was more skeptical, but what's to lose?

The adventure they had, camping in the middle of nowhere Mongolia with their guide, and riding horses to the reindeer herd was visually beautiful and a great off road, road trip. The other part of the adventure was seeing the progress of their child. In their shoes, even the thought of one day toilet training the kid seemed beyond all hope.

An interesting aspect of his progress is that it all started due to his uncanny comfort with animals, and their comfort with him. It has been observed that some autistic people have an inexplicable connection to animals which is mutual. Almost telepathic. Animals seem to sense something special in them and react differently.

I may have a little more interest than most in those who are wired differently or not at all. Not sure why. I have my theories. Whatever the reason, I have always felt at home with people who were severely or mildly mentally disabled or different.

This was not a sappy, cheap tearjerker. This is purely an excellent and enthralling documentary which I highly recommend. And it appears that the ranch they set up for autistic kids in Texas may be on my way, should I get this new improved BallisticTour on the road. I might ask them for a job. I think it would be difficult not to take a job if they offered it, but that's a big long shot. At any rate, I'd love to stop by to see the place and the people.

Many documentaries are boring, and lack the sort of flow you want when watching a movie. This one is not like that. It is paced like a good story, and it avoided the kind of goop and sap that usually fills the voids in such works. beautifully done.

And, I tend to like horses so I guess that helps, although it wasn't all horse stuff by any means.