Wildhorse Hank

WILD HORSE HANK is a pleasing family film showcasing one of Linda Blair's best performances. She plays the titular Hank, daughter of rancher Richard Crenna who comes into confrontation with fellow rancher Al Waxman after she returns home from school. Her stallion has escaped the ranch and been seized by Waxman along with a herd of wild horses fated to become dog food. Blair breaks the herd loose in the dead of night and sets out to drive them across 150 miles of rough terrain, hopefully to safety on a Federal reserve.

It is obvious that Blair does much of her own riding here, and she delivers a performance as Hank that is both spirited and heartfelt. It is also a pleasure to see a young Michael Wincott - so frequently cast as cold-blooded villains - in one of his earliest roles, a somewhat unorthodox good guy. He plays Waxman's younger brother, who sides with Blair in her efforts to rescue the wild horses. WILD HORSE HANK was briskly directed by veteran Eric Till, and beautifully shot by Richard Leiterman on locations in both Alberta and New Mexico. I found the movie to be good, inoffensive entertainment.