Horse trainer Buck Brannaman is the sweet-souled star of Buck. Cindy Meehl's documentary begins as the portrait of a remarkable professional and turns unexpectedly into a Dickens­ian tale about the consequences of a turbulent childhood.

Brannaman's moment in the spotlight came when Robert Redford signed him on as adviser for his 1998 film The Horse Whisperer and wound up using him as the model for his character. But for horse owners all over the country Buck has long been a legend, and his insistence on treating horses with fairness and compassion—a legacy from the man who taught him, Roy Hunt—has been an inspiration.