The director, writer, Viggo Mortensen, cast and crew put together a movie I truly enjoyed.

Did the claims at the end of the movie take away from the character of Frank Hopkins and the mustang, Hidalgo?  Not to me because most movies are "based on" life--real or imagined.

And that is why we can look at this movie and relate with one of the main concepts--of freedom for both Hidalgo and Hopkins.  Hidalgo is once again roaming free with the other mustangs and Hopkins can finally be set free because of his acceptance of his family bloodline.  This is what the Chief tells Hopkins.

Both Hopkins and Hidalgo are of mixed-breed.  This is another concept--that these breeds are not pure-bred and thus need a "headstart" as claimed by the announcer at the beginning of the race.  

Whether we personally prefer or live by the "pure powder" philosophy or not, there are problems with this philosophy.  In scientific terms, a method we understand, our molecular structure is made up of the same stuff.  After that come the differences.

That's when feelings come in again to connect us through another method we understand, movies like Hidalgo.  We can feel with the Sheikh and Hopkins when they say goodbye in the end, and we can feel with Hopkins when he lets Hidalgo go.

When somebody is heard crying softly at the end of the movie, that is something we all know and have felt, a language any breed can speak--mixed-breed or "pure-bred."

What is "purely mixed" is that the movie touches on the many things that compile in my mind when I think of Viggo Mortensen.

Go see Hidalgo!