If you're not dabbing your eyes in at least three scenes towards the end of this emotive epic, it's not the film for you.

Thirteen-year-old Grace (Johansson) goes riding with her best friend and is involved in a horrific accident with a truck, which results in the death of the friend, the removal of Grace's right leg and the traumatisation of her horse Pilgrim.

Faced with a shattered daughter, but refusing to have the badly-injured horse put down, her mother Annie (Scott Thomas) takes them both hundreds of miles from husband (Sam Neill) and home to find legendary horse doctor Tom Booker, who lives in the Montana mountains.

As Tom is played by Robert Redford (who also directs), it goes without saying that Annie, who rekindles her own enthusiasm for horses, falls in love with him.

Changed for the better from the best-seller - out go the graphic sex and tragic ending - the film has some gut-wrenching scenes involving the girl, and a wonderful performance by Scott Thomas that conveys all the character's conflicting emotions.