source: Spirit Riders

Spirit Riders is such an inspirational film. It's about a teenage girl who is having behavioral problems, and as a result, is ordered to complete a work-release program at an equine therapy farm. A couple of other teenagers, a girl and guy (who is autistic), try to befriend her, but she's rude to them. She constantly pushes people away. She's suffering mentally and emotionally after losing her younger brother, which she blames herself for. Her parents got divorced afterwards, and she blames herself for that as well. It doesn't make her feel any better when she finds out her dad is remarrying. Training a retired racehorse helps her do some soul searching. She realizes the importance of accepting support from people when it's offered, and to stop being so hard on herself. I felt like this film did an excellent job of portraying the issues that teenagers commonly experience: lack of confidence, depression, and the separation or divorce of parents. It's an awesome family movie.

If you can get thru the first 45 minutes then this movie picks up and tells a great story.

I love this movie I've seen it about 26 times my ex gf Maddy Davidson is the red head in this movie you will notice her in a blue spirit riders shirt she is the one petting the horse 🐎 in one of the scenes she is awesome I enjoyed the movie i always love watching it

This is a rare opportunity for an entire family to sit down together and watch a good movie based on solid, timeless, basic core values that seem to be missing with many young teenagers of this generation The soundtrack is superb and frames each scene with a rich, velvety- smooth orchestration of melodies and themes that perfectly colors the story. Congratulations to Mr. Justin R Durban! Allie DeBerry is a wonderful, talented actress who communicates the self-centered, volatile and troubled life of a teenager trying to process a tragic incident at an adult level while still clinging to the childlike threads of hope that she can fix everything wrong with her world. Yes, the budget did not allow for all scenes to be edited perfectly, and some of the young supporting cast can appear rigid and unfamiliar with the overall process, however, the film is to be championed for it's vision and purpose rather than scorned by those who demand instant gratification that doesn't require insight and empathy for other people.

I recently came across the movie Spirit Riders while shopping for a family-style video. The jacket photos and write-up caught my eye and, after watching it, I can say that I was pleased with my choice. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. At the beginning of the movie, I wasn't sure that Allie Deberry as Kacie, the main character, would capture my sympathy, but she did. She even managed to evoke a few feel-good tears from me near the end of the movie. One character I was drawn to was Rex, played by Lance Henriksen—kind, tough, and patient all rolled into one. I did disagree with some of the direction in the film; the main instance that comes to mind occurs when Kacie races back into a burning barn to rescue a camper—everyone just watches from a distance (even Rex; they call for her to stop, but not a sole takes a step toward her); no one helps even after she exits dragging an unconscious male camper until she collapses. But while I noticed things like this, they did not spoil the movie for me—there were a myriad of well-done moments and a meaningful story throughout.

This is one of the best family films I've seen in years. It deals with choices children,teenagers and young adults have to make in life. The story and locations bring some other sensitive issues into play that many children and young adults have not had an opportunity to consider in their lives yet. The characters were interesting and the performance by Lance Henriksen brought to the screen represented a very touching and sensitive character with the wisdom that years bring. The messages were subtle but strong and dealt with visually and by example instead of some of the in-your-face preaching that children and young adults are constantly pounded by. What a great DVD to share with the family and the kids will enjoy it as the life's lessons will be delivered every time they watch it. The company that made this is EDGEN films. I will be looking for more of their productions.

I admit — it was my curiosity of seeing veteran actors Lance Henriksen ("Aliens) and C. Thomas Howell ("The Outsiders") on screen again that initially made me pick up a copy of "Spirit Riders." But what I actually found was a great little family movie that I enjoyed throughout. "Spirit Riders" is an uplifting story of second chances that takes place at a horse therapy ranch. When troubled teen Kacie (very well played by actress Allie DeBerry from the Disney Channel series, "A.N.T. Farm") is ordered by the court to work at the Spirit Riders ranch, she tries to get her life back on track … while helping a stubborn, retired racehorse re-acclimate to life off track. The story is simple enough to appeal to kids, yet offers a fresh take on the typical bad-teen-gone-good movie that will hold parents' attentions, too. The cast of young talent did a great job and really held their own against the pros! A great family-friendly DVD. Definitely worth checking out.

This movie is OK for kids and maybe some teenagers but I would not recommend it for the mass. The camera work and scene editing is amateurish. Some of the transitions and scenes make me cringe and this goes on throughout the movie. The acting all around is quite bad. The lead actress Alexandria needs more work. The exception is Mr. Henriksen. The script is good for the most part just but without good acting and screenplay it's not going anywhere. Some parts are acted out horribly, especially by Alexandria *cringed* This movie is a slight step up from your sci-fi channel TV movies like Sharknado...maybe.

Trailer—Spirit Riders