Johansson first came to wider prominence for her portrayal in the film The Horse Whisperer (1998), which also starred Robert Redford and was directed by him. Prior to that, she had played supporting roles in the 1997 films Fall and Home Alone 3, both of which were in the same year. The drama is an adaptation of Nicholas Evans’ novel of the same name, which was published in 1995. It follows the story of a skilled horse trainer who is recruited to assist an injured teenager (Johansson) and her horse in regaining their health.
This was Johansson’s ninth role in a film, and she was given a “introducing” credit for her work on the project. Redford referred to Johansson as “13 going on 30” when describing her level of maturity. According to Todd McCarthy of Variety, Johansson “convincingly conveys the awkwardness of her age and the inner pain of a carefree girl suddenly laid low by horrible happenstance” in the film.
She was considered for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress because of her performance in the movie. She came to the realization that acting is the power to control another person’s feelings as a result of watching the movie, and she believed that it had a profound impact on her life.