Sylvester (1985)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Tim Hunter

Writer:

Carol Sobieski (written by)

Release Date:

15 March 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Plot:

Charlie is a 16-year-old orphan struggling to raise her two younger brothers when she endeavors to train a wild horse she names Sylvester and turn him into an Olympic jumping champion.

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Nudity | Attempted Rape | Vulgar Language | Kids And Family

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Richard Farnsworth	...	Foster
Melissa Gilbert	...	Charlie
Michael Schoeffling	...	Matt
Constance Towers	...	Muffy
Peter Kowanko	...	Harris (as Pete Kowanko)
Yankton Hatten	...	Grant
Shane Serwin	...	Seth
Chris Pedersen	...	Red
Ángel Salazar	...	Tommy John
Arliss Howard	...	Peter
Shizuko Hoshi	...	Mrs. Daniels
Richard Jamison	...	Capt. Marsh
James Gammon	...	Steve
Ariane de Vogue	...	Ariane
Norman Bennett	...	Lenny
Sam Laws	...	Sammy
Victoria Gallegos	...	Seamstress
Nigel Casserley	...	Announcer
Barbara Brumley	...	Secretary
Dabney Garrett Munson	...	Judge
Helmut Graetz	...	Dressage Official
Earl John McElroy	...	Auctioneer
Brian T. O'Connor	...	Broadcaster
Stuart Silbar	...	Broadcaster
Maggie Wise Riley	...	Steward
J.P. Robertson	...	Trucker
Michael Osborne	...	Irish Trainer
Linda Snead	...	Steward
Dan W. Lufkin	...	Starter (as Dan Lufkin)

Directed by
Tim Hunter

Writing credits
Carol Sobieski		(written by)

Produced by
Martin Jurow	....	producer

Original Music by
Lee Holdridge

Cinematography by
Hiro Narita

Film Editing by
David Garfield
Suzanne Pettit
Howard E. Smith		(as Howard Smith)

Casting by
Pennie DuPont		(as Pennie du Pont)

Production Design by
James William Newport		(as James W. Newport)

Set Decoration by
Robert L. Zilliox

Costume Design by
Sharon Day

Makeup Department
Paul Abascal	....	hair stylist
James R. Scribner	....	makeup artist (as Jim Scribner)

Production Management
Don Goldman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Crowley	....	first assistant director (as Pat Crowley)
Ric Kidney	....	second assistant director
Nancy King	....	second assistant director: second unit
Daniel McCauley	....	first assistant director: second unit (as Daniel J. McCauley)
Michael D. Moore	....	second unit director (as Michael Moore)

Art Department
Tom Duffield	....	set designer (as Thomas A. Duffield)
Mike Gammon	....	assistant property master
Fred Lucky	....	illustrator
Udi Nedevi	....	lead man
James F. Orendorff	....	construction coordinator (as Jim Ordendorff)
Vic Petrotta Jr.	....	property master (as Vic Petrotta)

Sound Department
Wayne Artman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Wayne L. Artman)
Tom E. Dahl	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gordon Davidson	....	sound editor
Doreen A. Dixon	....	adr editor
Petur Hliddal	....	sound mixer
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor
Steven Klinghoffer	....	cable person
Tom McCarthy Jr.	....	supervising sound editor
Roger Pietschmann	....	boom operator
Allen L. Stone	....	sound re-recording mixer
Don S. Walden	....	sound editor (as Don Walden)
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Clay Boss	....	stunts
May Boss	....	stunts
Roger Creed	....	stunt driver
Richard Epper	....	stunts
Cindy Folkerson	....	stunts
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunt coordinator
Joie Gatlin	....	stunt utility
Gene Hartline	....	stunt driver
John Hock	....	stunts
Walt La Rue	....	stunts (as Walt LaRue)
Mike H. McGaughy	....	stunts (as Mike McGaughy)
Shelly Peterson	....	stunts
Joan Randall	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunt driver
Greg Walker	....	stunts
Chuck Waters	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Rick Anderson	....	camera operator: second unit
Rob Archer	....	best boy
Vincent J. Baldino	....	assistant camera (as Vince Baldino)
Kathie Barrett	....	special photography
Robert W. Faison	....	assistant camera (as Robert Faison)
Maggie Fox	....	assistant camera
Gary Jay	....	assistant camera
Fred McClane	....	assistant camera: second unit
J. Michael McClary	....	camera operator: second unit (as Michael McClary)
Robert McClure	....	gaffer
Rexford L. Metz	....	director of photography: second unit (as Rexford Metz)
Frank Miller	....	camera operator
Edwin Myers	....	camera operator (as Ed Myers)
Mark A. Parsons	....	key grip (as Mark Parsons)
Mary Phelps	....	special photography
Ron Phillips	....	still photographer
Manny Vouniozos	....	key grip: second unit

Casting Department
Leslie Danis	....	casting assistant
Karen Standard	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julie Starr Dresner	....	costume supervisor
George L. Little	....	costumer: men (as George Little)
Sher Williams	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Cheryl Bloch	....	assistant editor
Cari Coughlin	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ira Hearshen	....	orchestrator
Lee Holdridge	....	orchestrator
Joel Rosenbaum	....	orchestrator
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Michael Kern	....	transportation captain
Ron Kern	....	transportation coordinator
Russ Powell	....	transportation captain
Marti Wells	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Benita Allen	....	equestrian consultant
C.W. Anderson	....	quotation from "The Crooked Colt"
Jane Atkinson	....	location consultant: Kentucky
Ray Barnidge	....	location consultant: Marfa
Frank Capra III	....	production intern
Hilary Clark	....	unit publicist
Patricia Fay	....	location manager (as Pat Fay)
Dennis Gassner	....	title designer
Gary Jouvenat	....	auditor
Trish Kinney	....	script supervisor
Nancy McLachlin	....	horse trainer
Christy Morais	....	production assistant
Donna Peters	....	production secretary
Rex Peterson	....	horse trainer
Dorothy Peth	....	horse trainer
Corky Randall	....	livestock coordinator (as Buford 'Corky' Randall)
Janis Rockwell-Strong	....	production coordinator
Tim Roper	....	production assistant
Jonathon Rosenfeld	....	production assistant
Eileen Spiropoulos	....	assistant to producer
Jeffrey Wetzel	....	production assistant (as Jeff Wetzel)
Todd J. Adelman	....	medic: second unit (uncredited)
Michael Roberts	....	production accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
Kim Walnes	....	special thanks: riding sequences

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Rastar Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (1986) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Doster, Keigley & Rhodes  castingL Texas
• Modern Film Effects  titles and opticals
• Noteworthy  music editing

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Alpine, Texas, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The horse which was the stand-in for Slyvester was The Gray Goose who competed several times at the Horse Park at the Advanced level.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Charlie is being raped, she pulls out of character by obviously scratching what must be an itchy nose.

Soundtrack:

TIMELESS LOVE

An all over feel good, get off your butt and ride your horse movie.

I watched this movie on TV and fell in love with it then. About five years later I bought it and watched it at least 6 more times. The acting must of been good because as a horse rider myself, I could see and understand the feelings that Charlie was going through herself. The only thing that made me rewind the movie back was the part where she caught Sylvester, calmed him down, and after it bit her in the arm you can notice the poor use of cartoon-like footage of the horse running away. Other than that I will always find this movie in my heart every time I think about giving up or when I need some encouragement to ride horses.