Filmed in rural South Carolina, Walt Disney Pictures 1991 adventure-romance, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken tells the story of a somewhat headstrong, rebellious teenaged girl whose dream and ambition is to become a "diving girl," a rather obscure activity involving horses diving into water with a rider.
Sonora Webster (Gabrielle Anwar) is the girl with big dreams, and remarkably, she achieves her goal, only to be blinded while performing her specialty at the Atlantic City Steel Pier. Shattered and temporarily despondent, Sonora displays her determination by working tirelessly to "get back on the horse," and although the odds are overwhelmingly against her, she eventually succeeds.
Potentially derivative and predictable, Wild Hearts instead, thanks to wonderful performances (especially by Anwar) and an intelligent storyline, is a wonderful, inspiring film.
Other notable performances among the cast include Cliff Robertson and Michael Schoeffling. Steve Miner, veteran of several movies and TV shows, directs with an unobtrusive, deft touch.
