Dream Horse (2020)

What a feel-good movie! Based on a true story, it chronicles a group of Welsh village folks who pool their money to help bartender Jan Vokes raise a champion racehorse. A deglamorized Toni Collette does a wonderful job playing Vokes as does Owen Teale as her husband Brian. Damian Lewis comes in after a bit as a member of the Dream Alliance, and all the character actors are adorable.

Welshman Euros Lyn directs from a script by Neil McKay, and the music by Benjamin Woodgates can be streamed on Apple Music and elsewhere.

Collette was last blogged for I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Teale has dozens of credits but I don't know him. Lewis, who played Steve McQueen in Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood, is best known as Nicholas Brody in 37 episodes of Homeland and Bobby Axelrod in 60 of Billions. Lyn has directed dozens of TV episodes, two other features, and a couple of TV movies and this is the feature screenwriting debut for McKay. It's also Woodgates' feature debut.

There is a wonderful musical bonus during the credits. Do not miss it!

Rotten Tomatoes' critics are trotting along with an 88% average, with its audiences at a full gallop at 97.

We rented it on Apple/iTunes on August 21.