Man From Snowy River is a Dream

While my mom was pregnant with me, my parents couldn't decide what to name me. They talked about it and looked up names, but nothing impressed them. When they stumbled across the VHS version of the 1982 "Man From Snowy River", they suddenly had it--my name would be Jessica!

My best friend, a fellow horse lover, would watch this movie with me repeatedly while we were growing up. I bragged to everyone that my parents named me after a character in a movie. I was so awesome!

SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

I have loved this movie since I was around six years old, when I first watched it. All I could gather then was that
there was a boy who rode a pretty horse and liked to hug a girl who had my name. With so many gorgeous horses in the film, it was enough to keep anyone captivated.

FANTASTIC PLOT

When I became older, the movie actually made sense. Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson), the protagonist of the movie, has recently lost his father in a work accident and is left alone to herd cattle and take care of his farmhouse in the remote mountain range of Australia.

Shortly after the funeral, he goes to work for Mr. Harrison, an ornery old man with more money than Jim could ever imagine. He's a Yankee who was widowed and left a daughter, Jessica (Sigrid Thornton).

As with every fabulous story line, Jim and Jessica fall in love (I had a boyfriend named Jimmy once--I thought if we got married that we could get a Buckskin and live happily ever after as Jim and Jessica. Now my husband's name is Mike. Oh well). Her father, however, doesn't want her daughter mixing with the riffraff of the mountain folk.

They struggle throughout the whole movie to discover the truth of why Mr. Harrison is such a bitter old man, which includes the help of his brother, Spur (both of which are played by the extremely talented Kirk Douglas).

The movie ends with one of the most incredible scenes ever made. One of Mr. Harrison's colt was let loose and blamed on Jim, so everyone with a horse is invited to get it back for a reward.

Jim jumps his faithful steed over a straight up and down mountain side and chases the herd of mustangs and is able to herd them all into a corral, much to the rage of Mr. Harrison.

Having proved his abilities, Jim doesn't take the reward, tips his hat toward Jessica and rids back up to the farmhouse where he will late reunite with his true love.

EMOTIONAL

Each character is deep and well developed. My heart ached for Jessica when Jim left her and her eyes watered over with tears. I was angry when Spur and Mr. Harrison reminisced over who truly deserved Jessica's mother. I was overjoyed when Jim and Jessica were finally reunited.

FABULOUS MUSIC

The soundtrack to this movie touched me deeply when I first heard it at six years of age. My favorite was the touching piano piece entitled "Jessica's Theme (Breaking in the Colt)." It portrays perfectly through the chords how Jim and Jessica begin to fall in love.

The chase scenes are one hundred times more intense with the music pulsing in your ears. With the thundering of hooves and yells of Australian cowboys, the composers hit the nail on the head.

I have gone to sleep listening to the soundtrack of this movie since I was young. I have transitioned from a tape to a more modern, better quality CD. This movie is a part of me and needs to be within everyone else as well.