“Close your eyes!” I yelled across the pool this summer as my 5-year-old jumped off the diving board for the first time. This drew a strange look from her father. But, deep down in my heart, I knew I was right: jumping into a swimming pool with your eyes open can make you blind. I saw it in the movie once and will never forget that warning—or the movie, for that matter. Released in 1991, A wild heart cannot be broken is a film based on a memoir A girl and five brave horsestells the real-life story of a real person, Sonora Webster. Do you remember how that movie killed our youth?
Of course, if you grew up in the 90s, you know what I’m talking about. And, if you live without anxiety, you probably know that my daughter is fine. After all, there is a slight difference between my daughter’s casual leap from a plank two feet above the water and Sonora’s spectacular horseback diving feat. Still, that memory and panic reminded me exactly how obsessed I was. A wild heart cannot be broken In elementary school. I can’t be the only one, right? And it’s obviously still as awesome as I remember it…right?
Time for a refresher! (BTW, it’s on Disney+.)
30 second summary
If you weren’t a self-proclaimed “horse girl” in the ’90s, or didn’t grow up with a weird obsession with anything predating the Great Depression, you don’t know what you were missing. A wild heart cannot be broken It tells the story of Sonora Webster (played by Gabrielle Anwar), a young orphan girl who pursues fame. She saw an advertisement for a “horse-diving girl” in the newspaper, so she went to the market and temporarily settled down as a groom, but never gave up on her dream.
The people of the traveling circus, especially those associated with Dr. Carver’s diving horse show, became her family. The willful and aggressive Dr. Carver is almost like a father figure to Sonora. While Carver puts her demands aside, his son Al trains her, teaching her how to mount a moving horse and dive into a 40-foot-deep pool below (yes, Al inevitably becomes Sol Nora’s lover). Sonora got her wish when Mary, the current diving horse girl, fell off her horse and dislocated her shoulder, ultimately unable to perform.
But during a fateful performance in Atlantic City, the crash of cymbals rocked Sonora’s horse and she dove (you guessed it) into the swimming pool with her eyes open. The impact of the water on her eyes caused Sonora to go blind. However, she still won’t give up on her dream, even if her now-future husband Al bans it. With the help of an old friend (also a death-defying motorcyclist), Sonora deceives her family and the crowd. Still blind, she mounted her horse and jumped into the water, a condition she continued for another 11 years.
big trouble
wild heart So dramatically done, yet so beautifully written, it’s hard to believe it’s true. But it is. most.
and still is so good. most.
If you’re an adult who hasn’t seen wild heart Decades later (or forever), I 10/10 recommend you watch it. The cinematography, the story, the beautiful scenery, the horses, the actors – all of this makes this movie worth your 90 minutes. It’s the perfect way to shake off a bad day. Would I show this to my daughter? I haven’t quite decided yet.
It’s worth pointing out that this movie was released in 1991 and is set in the 1920s, two decades where standards were very different from today. This is also not a story made up by a man to suit his own interests, but a true story about a real woman’s growth, her triumphs and her tragedies.
One of the most problematic aspects wild heart The relationship between Sonora and Al still exists.
In real life, Sonora and Al’s age gap is almost 20 years, and they met when she was a teenager. In the film, Sonora’s age is unknown, but she was still in school until she ran away. There was a 10-year age gap between the actors – Anwar was 21 and Shevlin was 31 at the time. Norm, Sonora and Al’s partnership might be less fraught.
To be honest, the film probably made the partnership worse, since Sonora’s youth is emphasized multiple times, while Al is clearly an adult. Sonora and Al only shared (or even hinted at) a few kisses on screen. However, there’s a very palpable sense of romance permeating the plot (they even get engaged on screen).
Because context is so important, so is the maturity of your audience. Although I don’t think wild heart This is a movie that my five year old needs to turn off as soon as she enters the room, I’ll probably wait until she’s a teenager for a proper “show” so we can talk about issues like consent and consent appropriately in modern society age gap.
Feminism ~ Notes ~
I’m not sure we can call either wild heart While we certainly had feminists in the 90s, we are no longer feminists now. On the surface, it’s about a headstrong girl who leaves behind a life of abuse to pursue what she wants in life. Sonora was rejected again and again and fought back. She literally went blind and was told she could no longer pursue her passion; Sonora Webster was a feminist icon during the Great Depression, and the movie version of her became a feminist icon for pony girls everywhere in the 1990s.
Still, modern feminists might take issue with a few things.
Sonora and Mary’s relationship is tenuous at best – they see each other as competition for Al and the job, and Mary is often snarky and mean to Sonora. I think modern moms expect more from their female relationships and the women we share with our daughters. What was commonplace in 1924 is downright cringe-worthy in 2024.
Sonora also had troubled relationships with the men in her life. Al always supported Sonora’s dreams, even when she lost her sight. Yes, this is the kind of partner we want for us and our daughter. what is the problem? The constant need for male permission. Sonora seems to need approval from the men in her life every step she takes. It can be said that men hold the reins.
Granted, this may not have been a problem in the 1920s, but it was hardly considered an issue in the 1990s. It is only under the magnifying glass of modern feminism that this subject becomes an issue. Do I want my daughter to think that all her achievements must be recognized by a man? If I were honest and grumpy, I’d say quite the opposite.
So, where A wild heart cannot be broken Standing in the long list of great movies from my childhood? To be honest, the ranking is still very high. Under the magnifying glass of any decade, the story of Sonora is wonderful and beautiful. I almost have to thank that memory of nearly having a heart attack poolside for sparking memories in me. I will absolutely wow my kids with “The Diving Pony Girl” wild heart….one day. I just want to wait until I can explain something properly first.
