Doggone it!
Even though Disney claims Hidalgo is a true historical fiction portrayal of the life of cowboy Frank T. Hopkins in the 1890s, a moment of research on the Internet suggests that he actually had a fairly normal existence, and the crux of the movie is completely fictionalized (1).
But never mind, put that aside for now. Let’s assume, as Disney does, that Hopkins, the son of a U.S. Army Lieutenant and an Indian chief’s daughter, bonded with an extremely intelligent mustang pinto named Hidalgo. By renouncing his half-Indian heritage and relaying the orders for the Wounded Knee massacre, which he was forced to watch, Hopkins turned to liquor bottles and became the laughing stock of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. In turn, when given the …show more content…
After all, he and Hidalgo did end up winning against the hometown crowd in the most legendary race to ever exist. In doing so, they barely escape being buried alive, shot at, and almost killed by sharpened stakes in concealed pits, while abstaining from Lady Anne’s seductive attempts to foil the outcome of the race.
Sadly, Hopkins may be the stuff of the Western tall tale, even though we wish his adventures were true. There’s no evidence to support that there was ever an Ocean of Fire event, or that Frank T. Hopkins won 400 long distance races (1). We also have no clue if he really was half-Indian or if he was a performer in Buffalo Bill’s show. His own memoir states his incredible adventures, but research by the Long Riders’ Guild has found no records of any of the awe-inspiring feats Hopkins described (1). We do know however, that Hopkins did have a mustang named Joe, so the basic storyline exists …show more content…
This was the era built on legend and lore where men like Hopkins and their stories may have existed, but were rarely documented. Disney did an exceptional job keeping the purity of a tale that represented a simple and more innocent time where heroes and their horses risked their lives because of pride and the desire for adventure. They created a modern movie that allows people to fall so in love with Hopkins’ struggle of self-acceptance and discovery that they believe in another
Even though Disney claims Hidalgo is a true historical fiction portrayal of the life of cowboy Frank T. Hopkins in the 1890s, a moment of research on the Internet suggests that he actually had a fairly normal existence, and the crux of the movie is completely fictionalized (1).
But never mind, put that aside for now. Let’s assume, as Disney does, that Hopkins, the son of a U.S. Army Lieutenant and an Indian chief’s daughter, bonded with an extremely intelligent mustang pinto named Hidalgo. By renouncing his half-Indian heritage and relaying the orders for the Wounded Knee massacre, which he was forced to watch, Hopkins turned to liquor bottles and became the laughing stock of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. In turn, when given the …show more content…
After all, he and Hidalgo did end up winning against the hometown crowd in the most legendary race to ever exist. In doing so, they barely escape being buried alive, shot at, and almost killed by sharpened stakes in concealed pits, while abstaining from Lady Anne’s seductive attempts to foil the outcome of the race.
Sadly, Hopkins may be the stuff of the Western tall tale, even though we wish his adventures were true. There’s no evidence to support that there was ever an Ocean of Fire event, or that Frank T. Hopkins won 400 long distance races (1). We also have no clue if he really was half-Indian or if he was a performer in Buffalo Bill’s show. His own memoir states his incredible adventures, but research by the Long Riders’ Guild has found no records of any of the awe-inspiring feats Hopkins described (1). We do know however, that Hopkins did have a mustang named Joe, so the basic storyline exists …show more content…
This was the era built on legend and lore where men like Hopkins and their stories may have existed, but were rarely documented. Disney did an exceptional job keeping the purity of a tale that represented a simple and more innocent time where heroes and their horses risked their lives because of pride and the desire for adventure. They created a modern movie that allows people to fall so in love with Hopkins’ struggle of self-acceptance and discovery that they believe in another