Posts Tagged "Temple Grandin"

Temple Grandin on HBO

Harbor Mist affectionally known as T, has a pivotal scene in the new HBO film, Temple Grandin.  Don’t worry if you missed the premiere, just check the schedule on HBO for listings.  Claire Danes gives a stellar performance as Temple Grandin.  The story of this remarkable woman is fascinating and a must see for anyone interested in the humane treatment of animals.  Rex worked with T on the film for a pivotal scene where the horse called “Chestnut” is wild and fights everyone until Temple meets him.  Later in the script “Chestnut”  dies and Temple is very upset when she sees him lying under a tarp.  You can see him rear, fight and play dead.  T lies absolutely still, fooling everyone on the set.  T was discovered on the racetrack where he won three races in his career.  He was cast as the lead horse in Dreamer.  T is a remarkable Hollywood horse who always delivers a solid and convincing performance.

Temple Grandin Feb 6 8pm HBO

I highly recommend a new film called Temple Grandin on HBO this Saturday at 8pm.  The film is about the remarkable work Temple Grandin has done in the field of livestock behavior and humane slaughter.  Rex worked on the film with Harbor Mist, also known as Mr. T has a pivotal scene in the film. Friends who have previewed the film say that it is very powerful on many levels and is worth watching.  The film has an excellent cast with Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, with supporting roles played by Julia Ormond and David Strathairn.

One day of filming required Mr. T to play dead and lay perfectly still under a tarp.   This would not have been easy on a quiet set and was especially difficult because the scene required Mr. T to lie absolutely still while Claire, as Temple, has a fit standing over him.  As you know horses are highly sensitive to energy and it is remarkable how Rex was able to convince Mr. T to lay perfectly still during the sequence.  This is the result of many hours of training and a tremendous trust between horse and trainer.  Mr. T also has several other scenes where he has to fight and rear as well as being gentle with his co- star.

I also recommend you read the review about the film in the New York Times today.

You can see the trailer here.