Line #2 Heartwarming/SpiritStallionOfTheCimarron


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spirit_stallion_disneyscreencapscom_4984.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:♬ [[WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTramp Side by side with your loved one, you'll find enchantment here.]] ♬]]
3	* The entirety of the opening narration:
4	--> '''Spirit:''' The story that I want to tell you cannot be found in a book. They say the history of the West was written from the saddle of the horse... but it's never been told from the ''heart'' of one. Not till now. I was born here, in this place that would come to be called "The Old West". But to my kind, the land was ageless. It had no beginning, and no end. No boundary between earth and sky. Like the wind in the buffalo grass, we belonged here... we would always belong here. They say the mustang is the spirit of the West. Whether that West was won or lost in the end, you'll have to decide for yourself. But the story I want to tell you is true. I was there. And I remember... I remember the sun and the sky, and the wind calling my name, in a time when wild horses ran ''free.''
5	** Without even watching the film, try and read the quote while listening to the accompanying soundtrack [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqWLHqMCx08 "Homeland"]] without getting chills. Not an easy task.
6	* One that comes to mind with a little thought via FridgeBrilliance: during the instrumental piece "Run Free", there are plenty of places where the main melody of "Homeland" seems to intrude on the rest of the song. Why? Because ''Spirit is always thinking of his home''. The first time the song plays is when he's first met humans and is trying to lead the wranglers away from his herd (after having accidentally led them right to it), so naturally it will be forefront in his mind. Later, through each of his captive experiences when "Run Free" plays again, as he alternates from hopeful, to desperate, to despairing, he would be thinking of home either to sustain himself, from missing it, or as a last memory of something he thinks he'll never see again. Obvious in hindsight, but a bit of a GutPunch once realized.
7	* The whole "Horsey" scene with the little Lakota toddler and Spirit seems designed to make you go "d'awwww." Spirit quickly goes from snorting and jerking away in pain when the toddler grabs his nose to comforting and nuzzling her. The cherry on the sundae is the little smile on his face with the toddler leaves; given how he previously felt about humans, it's a small but lovely scene.
8	* The scene up to [[ShooTheDog Little Creek deciding to release Spirit]]:
9	** Spirit grabs Little Creek's riding blanket with his teeth, making Little Creek chase him around for it. After Little Creek tires out, Spirit gently gives it back to him.
10	** After Spirit pranks Little Creek by offering to let him climb on his back but then suddenly bucking him off, he neighs loudly to convey laughter. It takes a moment, [[ActuallyPrettyFunny but Little Creek laughs along with him]].
11	** When Little Creek's friends start laughing at him mockingly, Spirit gets mad and [[BigShutUp neighs at them to make them stop]]. He then walks back to Little Creek on the ground, gazing at him softly to make sure he's okay. Little Creek smiles and holds up his hand, so Spirit closes the gap and lets Little Creek touch his nose.
12	** Rain watches all this and smiles, happy that the two "men" in her life are finally getting along.
13	** When Little Creek opens the fence and tells Spirit he can go, Spirit, either uncertain of his intentions or having second thoughts, hesitantly inches forward. Little Creek smacks him on the rump to make him dart out faster, but Spirit stops and looks back at him. They finally exchange warm looks and smiles, and Spirit gallops away to meet up with Rain and tell her he's free.
14	* Only a small moment, but a telling one nonetheless. Just before Spirit's loaded onto the train and "[[BSODSong Sound the Bugle]]" starts up, one of the train workers pets him kindly and speaks calmly to him, saying that it'll be alright. It's good to see there are 'two-leggeds' that treat horses with genuine compassion, and who ''aren't'' Lakota.
15	* While "Sound the Bugle" starts out depressing, it ends on a note of hope. Many viewers who are suffering through depression have cited the final verses as helping them cope:
16	-->''Then from on high\
17	Somewhere in the distance\
18	There's a voice that calls\
19	"Remember who you are"\
20	\
21	If you lose yourself\
22	Your courage soon will follow\
23	So be strong tonight\
24	Remember who you are\
25	\
26	Yeah\
27	You're a soldier now\
28	Fighting in a battle\
29	To be free once more\
30	Yeah, that's worth fighting for''
31	* The other Lakota horses, who are obviously scared, pushing their fear aside to trying cheer Spirit up after they were captured, him joining them after the short dream sequence, and he calming them when they're led off the train. After his initial hostility toward everything related to the two-legged, this is beautiful to see.
32	** When Spirit pretends to collapse from exhaustion, the other horses are afraid he's dead. They soon cheer up and look overjoyed that Spirit's alright and hasn't given up.
33	* The next morning after they escape the forest fire, Spirit and Little Creek take a moment to enjoy their reunion by playing in the water and running around each other. It ends with Little Creek placing his hand on Spirit's nose like he did earlier.
34	--> '''Little Creek:''' I knew I would find you.
35	* Spirit finally letting Little Creek ride him. It doubles as a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome as he allows him in order for them to escape the Colonel's army together.
36	** The moment after they escaped the Colonel at the end, in which Spirit allows Little Creek to ride him so they can return home. Especially since this is a CallBack to the moment earlier during their training in which Spirit trolled Little Creek by making him think he would let him ride him, only to throw him off.
37	** In particular, the moment after they leap the gorge together. Spirit lands, Little Creek falls off of him, both of them roll to a stop beside each other. Little Creek sits up... and for several long moments, they both just breathe hard and stare at each other, Little Creek holding onto Spirit's mane as the enormity of what just happened sinks in. And in that moment, they're more united than they've ever been.
38	* In a weird sort of way, the Colonel's decision to let Spirit and Little Creek go. He even goes so far as to stop one of his men from shooting and killing the pair of them, before sharing a nod of acknowledgement and respect with Spirit for all he has done (not least of all, jumping a freaking CANYON to escape). It's a WorthyOpponent moment at its finest.
39	* Doubles as a TearJerker: It's impossible to watch the scene where [[spoiler:Little Creek and Spirit part for the last time]] without feeling a little choked up.
40	** "Take care of her. Spirit... who could not be broken."
41	** Spirit "hugs" Little Creek by nudging his head against him. Little Creek desperately hugs him back with a face looking like he's on the verge of tears, before saying "I'll miss you, my friend."
42	* Spirit reuniting with his mother Esperanza at the end, to the fitting music of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVWQkah4xTQ "I Will Always Return".]]
43	-->''Now I know it's true''
44	-->''My every road leads to you''
45	-->''And in the hour of darkness''
46	-->''Your light gets me through.''
47	** The understatedness of said reunion. It's like she always knew he'd be back.
48	** Gets even more heartwarming if you realize the symbolism behind this. "Esperanza" is Spanish for "hope."
49	* The romance between Spirit and Rain is full of them:
50	** When the two are grazing together under a tree, Rain sees an apple hanging overhead just out of her reach. Spirit notices this, and jumps up to pick the apple off himself, causing Rain to roll her eyes at his apparent showboating. In reality, Spirit grabbed it for her and offers it, much to her delight. They end up sharing halves of it.
51	** The scene where they go swimming in the pond, circling each other as romantic music plays. When they're finished, they nuzzle each other and stare into each other's eyes.
52	** Doubles a bit as a TearJerker: When Spirit sees the Eagle in the distance and calls out to him, he's distraught when his friend doesn't respond to him. Rain notices how sad he is, and is perhaps worried that he's considering leaving the village to return to his herd, so she nickers softly in an attempt to comfort him. Spirit smiles in response and follows after her, but he clearly still has a lot on his mind.
53	--> '''Spirit:''' For the first time in my life, I felt my heart torn two ways.
54	** Also doubles as a TearJerker: After Spirit is freed by Little Creek, he meets Rain to tell her, and wants her to come back to his homeland with him. She is startled by this change of events, and refuses sadly when he starts to move away. Spirit responds by going back to her and nuzzling her.
55	--> '''Spirit:''' I knew that this was hard for her, and that she was scared. But more than anything, I wanted to share my homeland with her.
56	** Spirit's reunion with Rain after he'd thought she'd been killed. Just... ''d'aaaaawwwwwww!!!''
57	** Rain goes with Spirit to live in his homeland, and is immediately accepted by the rest of the herd. The film ends with them standing beside each other looking up into the sky as the Eagle flies overhead.

Context Heartwarming / SpiritStallionOfTheCimarron