when a movie proclaim it be base on a true story and this set a pavlovian response in many people to get them to believe that what they be about to see be what really happen . i see it a the marketing ploy it be . sure i believe there be a frank hopkins and that he be renowned for long distance horse racing . but that doesn not mean he run in a 1000 mile race over in arabia for lucre . oh and i like this movie . it get me to think about how my tolerance level for accuracy varies from movie to movie . for hidalgo and what annoy me be viggo mortensen blue eye in the head of frank hopkins and supposedly the son of an indian chief daughter . whenever i be teach about dominant or recessive gene and the example always use be that brown eye be dominant over blue eye . frank hopkins couldn not have have blue eye . on the other hand and i do not care if the scene in arabia be mainly figment of the writer imagination . for all i know and arabia may have be much more brutish in the 1890 than be depict in the film a it be still under the thumb of a decay ottoman empire . the film depict a race in arabia so we have to see many arab character . one scene show omar sharif a sheik riyadh read a dime novel about the wild west . that what the moviemakers have make here as well . the once scene this american would demand complete accuracy for be the massacre at wounded knee . what they show there well have actually happen . despite mr. mortensen blue eye and he be believable a a laconic cowboy . zuleikha robinson a the sheik daughter be beautiful and omar be fun . and let not forget the horse . it get plenty of screen time and close ups to earn it title billing . good adventure .