Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by |
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| Screenplay by | John Fusco |
| Starring | Matt Damon |
| Music by | |
| Editing by |
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| Studio | DreamWorks Animation |
| Distributed by | DreamWorks Pictures |
| Release date(s) | May 24, 2002 |
| Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $80 million |
| Money made | $122.6 million |
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (also known as Spirit) is an animated adventure film from 2002. It was made by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The movie was directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook. John Fusco wrote the story.
The film is about Spirit, a wild Kiger mustang horse. Spirit is captured by the United States Cavalry during the American Indian Wars. A Native American man named Little Creek helps him escape. Little Creek tries to lead Spirit back to his Lakota village.
Unlike many cartoons where animals talk, Spirit and the other horses communicate like real horses. They use sounds and body language. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron came out on May 24, 2002. It made $122.6 million around the world. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
This movie also started a whole series of stories! There's a Netflix TV show called Spirit Riding Free and another movie, Spirit Untamed. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is special because it's the only one in the series made with traditional hand-drawn animation.
Contents
Story of Spirit's Adventures
In the American Old West during the 1800s, a young wild horse named Spirit is born. He grows up to be a strong stallion and becomes the leader of his herd. Spirit is brave, but also very curious.
One night, Spirit sees a strange light and goes to investigate. He finds humans and their tame horses sleeping. The humans wake up and chase him. They capture Spirit and take him to a US cavalry fort.
Life at the Fort
At the fort, the US army is fighting the American Indian Wars. Spirit feels trapped among other captured horses. He meets "The Colonel," who wants to tame him. Spirit fights against every attempt to break him.
To weaken Spirit, the Colonel ties him up for three days without food or water. Spirit also meets Little Creek, a Lakota Native American man, who is also a prisoner. Spirit eventually throws the Colonel off his back. The Colonel tries to shoot Spirit, but Little Creek saves him. They escape the fort with other horses.
Meeting Little Creek and Rain
Little Creek's mare, Rain, and other natives meet them. Spirit is captured again and taken to the Lakota village. Little Creek tries to tame Spirit with kindness. He ties Spirit and Rain together, hoping Rain will teach him.
Spirit starts to like Little Creek and falls in love with Rain. Little Creek tries to ride Spirit again, but Spirit still refuses. Little Creek then decides Spirit will never be tamed and sets him free.
Danger and Escape
As Spirit asks Rain to join his herd, the cavalry attacks the village. Rain runs to find Little Creek. During the battle, Spirit saves Little Creek from being shot. But Rain is shot by the Colonel and falls into the river.
Spirit dives in to save Rain, but they both go over a waterfall. Spirit finds Rain badly hurt. The army captures Spirit again. Little Creek arrives and vows to free Spirit. He follows the soldiers after helping Rain.
Working on the Railroad
Spirit is put on a train and taken to a work site for the Transcontinental Railroad. He is forced to pull a steam locomotive. Spirit realizes the railroad will destroy his homeland. He breaks free and helps other horses escape.
The locomotive rolls down a hill, chasing Spirit. It crashes into other locomotives, causing a huge explosion. The forest catches fire. Spirit gets trapped, but Little Creek saves him. They jump into a river to escape the flames.
Freedom at Last
The next morning, the Colonel and his men find Spirit and Little Creek. Spirit lets Little Creek ride him, and they are chased through the Grand Canyon. They get trapped by a gorge. Spirit makes an amazing leap across the canyon.
The Colonel is surprised and accepts defeat. He stops his men from shooting and lets Spirit and Little Creek go. Spirit returns to the Lakota village with Little Creek. He finds Rain, who has recovered.
Little Creek names Spirit "Spirit-Who-Could-Not-Be-Broken." He sets Spirit and Rain free. After saying goodbye to Little Creek, Spirit and Rain return to Spirit's homeland. Spirit joyfully reunites with his mother and his herd.
An eagle, seen throughout the story, flies into horse-shaped clouds, showing Spirit's spirit is truly free.
Characters in the Film
- Matt Damon as Spirit (Horse)
- James Cromwell as The Colonel
- Daniel Studi as Little Creek
- Chopper Bernet as Sgt. Adams
- Jeff LeBeau as Murphy/Railroad Foreman
- Richard McGonagle as Bill
- Matt Levin as Joe
- Robert Cait as Jake
- Charles Napier as Roy
- Zahn McClarnon as Little Creek's Friend
- Michael Horse as Little Creek's Friend
- Donald Fullilove as Train Pull Foreman
- Frank Welker as Eagle
- Mickie McGowan as Female Horse 1
- Sherry Lynn as Female Horse 2
- Jennifer Darling as Female Horse 3
How the Movie Was Made
Creating the Story
John Fusco, known for his Western and Native American stories, was hired by DreamWorks Animation. He wrote a novel first, then turned it into the movie's script. He worked on the project for four years, helping to shape the story.
Animation and Design
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron took four years to make. It used a mix of traditional animation (hand-drawn) and computer animation. Animating horses was very challenging. The team used a real horse named "Donner" as a model for Spirit. They brought Donner to the studio so animators could study how horses move.
Sound designers recorded real horse sounds for the film. This helped make the horses' sounds and body language feel real. The animal characters don't speak English, except for Spirit's thoughts, voiced by Matt Damon. The production team visited places like Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park for inspiration. The cavalry fort was based on Monument Valley.
Movie Music
Hans Zimmer created the instrumental music for the film. Bryan Adams wrote and sang the songs for the movie. The main theme song, "Here I Am," was written by Bryan Adams, Gretchen Peters, and Hans Zimmer. The songs often talked about love, nature, and journeys in the American West.
When the Movie Was Released
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron first came out in movie theaters on May 24, 2002.
Watching at Home
The movie was released on VHS and DVD on November 19, 2002. It later came out on Blu-ray on May 13, 2014.
More Spirit Adventures
Video Games
Two video games based on the movie were released in 2002 by THQ. They were Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Forever Free for PC and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Search for Homeland for Game Boy Advance.
TV Show Spin-off
A computer-animated TV show called Spirit Riding Free started on Netflix on May 5, 2017. This show follows Spirit's offspring as he meets a brave girl named Lucky.
New Movie Spin-off
A new computer-animated movie, Spirit Untamed, was released on June 4, 2021. This film is based on the Spirit Riding Free TV series.
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Spirit: el corcel indomable para niños
