This Christmas Day 2011, carve out some time to take the family to a movie that will inspire you and have you believing in the human spirit and the indelible connection between a man and a horse.

I’ll be honest, when I sat down in my seat at the Red Carpet Premier of War Horse in New York City a few weeks back, I was weary that this would be a bloody mess and that I would not be able to stand the animals getting hurt.  Fortunately, I was very wrong and was treated to a film that embodied elegance, heart and joy.

I love this movie.

Steven Spielberg asked his actors to do the impossible – take a novel that was then adapted for Broadway and turn it into a warm, family film that  we want to watch, over and over again.   And he did it perfectly with talented actors that portrayed their characters with great confidence and passion.

What struck me most at the premier was how still everyone was from start to finish.  When I usually see films, there is a lot of shifting and bending down to get things from a purse, and so on.  But we were 45 minutes into the movie when I realized that I had not even put my purse on my lap and was still clutching it tightly in my hand.

It is that captivating!  See an exclusive clip from War Horse below:

The other thing that impressed me most was how the film was shot.   It had almost a theatrical feel to it, with big sweeping landscape views and large, powerful scenes.  The battle scenes even held a sort of “stage” quality as they were designed not for the gore of war, but  for the symbolic measures of war.  The intelligence that was exhibited in preserving the story and not overshadowing it with special effects and impossible to watch drama, is evident.

And make sure you are consciously aware of the music in this film.  A “hidden” character in the film, it drives the movement and the emotion brilliantly throughout!

Steven Spielberg talks about War Horse below:

And the last note I made as I sat, tissue in hand, eyes glued to the actors portraying a story that is both heartbreaking and uplifting, is that it IS a family movie.   I think if your 8 or 9 year old can understand the realities of war and the love of something treasured, then this movie is perfect.  It is rated PG-13 but there is an absence of cursing, blood and inappropriate gestures so, if your child can grasp the concept that it is a movie with a compelling story line, they are old enough for this movie.

I think Christmas Day is the perfect day for War Horse to open in theaters.  The film connects a father and a son,establishes a mother’s wisdom and a boy and a unique animal.

On a day to celebrate family and dreams, War Horse will solidify and honor the human spirit!

**I traveled with a group of bloggers as an all expense paid trip for these events.  My writings and opinions are mine.  Please see my Disclosure Page for more information.**