''Shannon's Rainbow'' (also listed as ''Amazing Racer'') is a 2009

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

and

family film A children's film, or family film, is a film genre that contains children or relates to them in the context of home and family. Children's films are made specifically for children and not necessarily for a general audience, while family films are ...

both produced and directed by Frank E. Johnson. It stars

Julianne Michelle Julianne Michelle (born September 5, 1984) is an American film and television actress. Retrieved April 5, 2010 She has appeared in more than 23 productions, beginning in 1990 when she was six years old. Personal life Julianne Michelle began he ...

and

Claire Forlani Claire Antonia Forlani (born 17 December 1971) is an English actress. She became known in the mid-1990s for her leading role in the film ''Mallrats'', and in the Jean-Michel Basquiat 1996 biopic, '' Basquiat''. In 1998, she achieved wide rec ...

, with a musical score by Charles David Denler.kdka.com
, by John Shumway, "Larry Richert Plays Key Role In Making Major Movie", accessed 12-29-2008
, by Michael Machosky (June 24, 2008), "Pittsburgh film production boom continues", accessed 12-29-2008 The film was shot in western

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

from a script written by John Mowod and Larry Richert and based on Mowod's own experiences seeing his brother rehabilitate an injured horse and win a championship horse race. The main character's story about recently experiencing the death of her father is loosely based on the death of Jeff Gardner, good friend of Mowod and Richert. Mowod and Gardner collaborated on the outline of the film before Jeff Gardner was killed in an accident. The film takes its name from Jeff's oldest daughter, Shannon, and is dedicated to Jeff.

Plot

A 17-year-old girl named Shannon (

) faces and overcomes hardship with the discovery of the mother she never knew and with her love for a hobbled horse named Rainbow. With her father dying in the earliest moments of the film Shannon has to learn from a friend of the family that her father participated in kidnapping her from her mother (Christine) moments after birth. Once the hospital therapist is through with her she ends up moving from Florida to Pennsylvania where Christine lives and works as a neo-natal pediatrician. She gets involved in the lives of Christine's boyfriend Eric and his nephew Brandon and niece Rio. They have a stables that works in harness racing and have been bringing along a filly named Rainbow who takes very strongly to Shannon. Eric and those around him are targets of a spiteful grudge held by the rich Mitchell Prescott who buys the filly for $15,000 in a claiming race she was entered in for experience. Mitchell runs Rainbow into the ground, having her beaten until nearly dead for the sin of having a mind of her own and an unshakable preference for Shannon, then sells her off to the knackers. Eric is alerted to this and tracks down the horse van en route to the location where Rainbow is due to be slaughtered and buys her back for $400. The filly is returned to Shannon's care and a trainer with a murky past (Max) is given the task to return her to health and soundness. They move Rainbow to a neighboring farm to train her to racing fitness while avoiding a spy at Parker stables. The culmination is at the Pennsylvania Cup harness race.

Cast

as Shannon Greene *

as Christine Pearson *

Daryl Hannah Daryl Christine Hannah (born December 3, 1960) is an American actress and environmental activist. She made her screen debut in Brian De Palma's supernatural horror film ''The Fury'' (1978). She has starred in various movies across the years, in ...

as Dr. Rita Baker *

Michael Madsen Michael Søren Madsen (born September 25, 1957) is an American actor. He has starred in many films and television series, frequently collaborating with director Quentin Tarantino, most famously in the latter's debut film ''Reservoir Dogs'' (19 ...

as Dave Blair *

Eric Roberts Eric Anthony Roberts (born April 18, 1956) is an American actor. His career began with a leading role in '' King of the Gypsies'' (1978) for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He was nominated again at the Golden Globes ...

as Mitchell Prescott *

Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...

as Floyd *

Steve Guttenberg Steven Robert Guttenberg (born August 24, 1958) is an American actor, author, businessman, producer, and director. He is known for his lead roles in Hollywood films of the 1980s and 1990s, including '' Cocoon'', ''Police Academy'', '' Three Men a ...

as Ed *

Stephen Colletti Stephen Colletti (born February 7, 1986) is an American actor and television personality. He portrayed Chase Adams on The CW drama series ''One Tree Hill'' and appeared for two seasons on the MTV reality television series '' Laguna Beach: The R ...

as Brandon *

Jason Gedrick Jason Michael Gedrick (born February 7, 1965) is an American actor best known for his work on the television series '' Murder One'' and ''Boomtown'', and the motion picture '' Iron Eagle'' as Doug Masters. Early life Jason Michael Gedroic was ...

as Eric Parker *

Louis Gossett Jr. Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (born May 27, 1936) is an American actor. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, He had his stage debut at the age of 17, in a school production of '' You Can't Take It with You.'' Shortly after he successfully ...

as Max * Tom Atkins as Captain Martin *

Krista Allen Krista Allen (born April 5, 1971) is an American actress, model and stand-up comic. She is best known for her work in the television series ''Days of Our Lives'', '' Baywatch Hawaii'', and the erotic TV series '' Emmanuelle in Space''. Allen als ...

as Jessica *

Lauren Potter Lauren Elizabeth Potter (born May 10, 1990) is an American actress, advocate, and comedian known for her role as Becky Jackson on the FOX series ''Glee''. Potter advocates for those with disabilities through organizations including AbilityPath, Be ...

as Kerry *Carson Brown as Rio *

Scott Eastwood Scott Eastwood (born Scott Clinton Reeves; March 21, 1986) is an American actor. His notable films are '' Flags of Our Fathers'' (2006), '' Gran Torino'' (2008), '' Invictus'' (2009), '' The Forger'' (2012), '' Trouble with the Curve'' (2012), ' ...

as Joey *

Joanna Pacula Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, ...

as Emily Blair

Additional sources

*Thoroughbred Times: "Harness racing movie to be filmed at the Meadows" *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "British actress enjoyed time with good ol' boys" *Harnasslink: "Shannon's Rainbow begins shooting" *KDKA Television: "Larry On The Job: Movie Director"kdka.com
, accessed 12-29-2008

References

External links

* * *{{official website
''Shannon's Rainbow'' at New York Times
Films about horses 2009 drama films 2009 films 2000s English-language films American drama films English-language drama films

Plot

Cast

Additional sources

See also

References

External links