SnoopyStyle Eddie Burton (Casper Van Dien) is a troubled city guy from Queens. His mother is caring for his son while he's in prison. He gets into a fight. The superintendent wants to reform him. He hears about a horse farm from another prisoner and convinces her to send him on work duty. It's a retirement farm for race horses run by Jake Cotter (Graham Greene). He befriends newly-arrived, abandoned horse named Big Spender. He saves the abused horse from being euthanize with the same candy that its former jockey Mel Tennant (Tara Spencer-Nairn) used to give it.This Animal Planet film is sincere but lacks any drama or tension. Everything is telegraphed. The horse jumping is probably the only surprise. Casper plays the jerk with a golden heart for the horse inside his outer hardened shell. Tara is too big to be a jockey. Graham is the wise man. The production is weak but otherwise, there is nothing terribly wrong. It is a TV movie of the week for horse lovers.

groucho3710 (There's a "spoiler" that's not really a spoiler in paragraph 3.)There are two ways you can approach movie criticism: try to judge by some absolute standard, or come a little closer to reality and realize that not every movie is Gone With The Wind, and in fact most aren't even trying to be. There are classics and cult favorites and monster hits nobody remembers 10 years later. So, here's this nice little movie called Big Spender, which right away makes me think of Shirley MacLaine and Chita Rivera except that in this case, it's the name of one of the characters in the film, who happens to be a horse. In fact the whole movie is sort of a big commercial for The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which tells you something right off the bat. This isn't Turner Classic Movies, it's an Animal Planet original. It has an agenda, part of which is to not offend anybody because it's trying to sell you something while it's entertaining you.What we have then is a rather formulaic and predictable story that relies heavily on simply whether you like the protagonists or not. Luckily you do. First and foremost is Eddie Burton, a small-time but incorrigible convict who seems to be rather well intentioned but just can't seem to shake the loser label he's worn all his life. About the best and most positive thing he's done is produce a sweet little 8-year-old son, whose fate comes into question as the movie goes on. Also at risk is the retiring racer Big Spender, who is dramatically saved from the dogfood factory by being fortuitously splashed all over the front pages of the local papers. However, even the TRF ranch proves not to be a totally safe haven, as its continued existence depends on the whim of the government and whoever else can be persuaded to donate funds.Can Eddie survive prison, and his own occasionally sharp tongue, earn a certificate in 'horse management' (or whatever it's called), become employable, and make a home for himself and his child? Will the pretty jockey find a place in their lives? Will Big Spender, seen initially as little more than a wheezing bag of bones, recover and find a new lease on life? Will the TRF ranch itself survive? Do we ever really doubt that the answer to all the above is yes?The ranch is not Tara and it is not run by Gerald O'Hara but Graham Greene doing another of his crusty curmudgeons with heart of gold, wry wit and a twinkle in his eye, and as usual he's great fun to watch. Casper Van Dien does a nice turn as the irresponsible but ultimately redeemable Eddie, whose past sins are never spelled out, but who just couldn't be that bad and still have such a soft spot for kids and animals.There's more than a little overtone of Seabiscuit-everyone deserves a second chance, and in rescuing we are rescued-and we have no doubt that man and horse are destined to follow parallel paths when we see that they both love the same kind of peppermint treats. And when Big Spender is described as having been up to his knees in his own manure when he was rescued, we're smart enough to make the connection between him and Eddie. But we can't help pulling for the skeletal stallion with a sweet tooth and the feckless and temperamental Eddie. We just know they've got the right stuff in them somewhere and want to see them bring it out of each other. It's just a sweet little family movie, but then that's all it ever intended to be. Get some popcorn and watch it with the kids.

hotchicofessex i caught this film last week on sky and i have to say it brought a tear to my eye, Casper was brilliant. the film is set basically on a racehorse retirement farm, and its the story of a racehorse called big spender, it shows the dedication of the local prison inmates to care for these horses and Eddie (Casper) and the horse named big spender have a special kind of relationship where each relies on the other to survive and survive they do.Eddie gets his life sorted and in doing so gets his parole so that he can care for his son and also a job in the bargain at a horse stables. Big spender the horse may be a failed racehorse but he reemerges as a quality show jumping horse. its brilliant and i think could bring a tear to the hardest of hearts.

till_human_voices_wake_us Got nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon before going out for the night then catch Big Spender.Casper Van Dien gives a subtle but powerful performance as the convict trying to make a new life for himself and son beyond prison through rehabilitating horses that people have given up on, just as many people have given up on him. Van Dien shows not only his strong acting talents but his skill with horses and that he is more than capable of carrying a tune when his character has to sing. You will have to watch the movie to find out why!A perfect film for all the family as it appeals to people of all ages and reinforces the message of being kind to animals, as well as people.