Audiences watch “based on a true story” movies because they love tales of individuals overcoming the most unbelievable of obstacles for a deeply inspiring cause. Dream Horse fits that mold well, portraying how a working-class Welsh community bred a racehorse that, against all odds, became a prize-winning underdog champion. (It was also the subject of Louise Osmond’s documentary Dark Horse in 2015.) As a film, it hits all the expected plot points affiliated with the sports movie genre. Yet Dream Horse also never fails to uplift, thanks to a likable roster of villagers who find in their horse’s accomplishments a means of escaping their day-to-day malaise.

This sense of unfulfillment is felt most in the opening morning routine of Jan Vokes (Toni Collette), a former dog and pigeon racer now working as a store clerk by day and bartender by night. It’s a monotonous life, one matched by the lackluster state of her marriage with longtime husband Brian (Owen Teale). Then one night at the pub, she overhears a drunk conversation about racehorses from accountant Howard Davies (Damian Lewis) and suddenly Jan knows what she wants to do.

She buys an old mare, has Brian build a stable, then contacts Howard about setting up a village-owned syndicate to buy the stallion and, by extension, own the colt it births, which they name Dream Alliance by committee vote. It’s a longshot proposition—there’s no guarantee that the horse will win anything—but for Jan it’s a worthwhile catharsis. As she explains to Brian, she “needs something to look forward to in the morning.”

The townspeople who get on board with her syndicate idea are certainly a motley crew: the local butcher; an older woman with a proficiency for chocolates; the owner of Jan’s pub; and Kerby (Karl Johnson), the elder alcoholic. Any profits are to be divided between them, but preparing Dream for racing is a task given to trainer Phillips Hobbs (Nicolas Farrell), who, while initially skeptical, sees “spirit” in the young horse. This gamble pays off, and as Dream proceeds to surpass expectations, Jan’s town receives a publicity boost while her compatriots begin to feel more alive than ever. Cue a tragic injury that puts Dream’s racing future in jeopardy and, by extension, the village’s hope.

Predicable as Dream Horse’s formula may be, it’s often balanced out by the Welsh villagers’ interplay. Thanks to a dynamic supporting cast, each character builds and plays off the other’s quirks, allowing them to feel like genuine neighbors. The endeavor is as much a wager for the town as it is a chance to have fun and to regularly bond on bus rides to race tracks, where they mingle with the United Kingdom’s upper class. Yet aside from the occasional rivalry with a nobleman competitor played by Doctor Who’s Peter Davidson, the real conflict is how long it takes for this group to realize Dream means more than just a side gig. It also helps that the film’s race scenes are engaging and put the viewer in a crowd-cheering spectator position, even if the script notably skips over large portions of his victories to fit a conventional arc.

What anchors the human/horse drama is Collette, who has the most to juggle character-wise. As Jan, she’s a driven woman frustrated by both her husband’s resignation to past setbacks and her parents—particularly her dad—who view her achievements with disinterest. Collette makes you understand why Jan’s so adamant about Dream’s prowess and safety, even if it puts her at odds with fellow syndicate members. Less impactful, however, is Howard’s story line about having a pang of consciousness over his white-collar profession and how co-raising Dream concerns his wife due to past financial mishaps with racehorses. Both B-plot events feel too detached to fit in with the syndicate narrative and, despite some attempts at a dramatic conflict, they ultimately amount to background filler.

Chances are that those interested in Dream Horse know it won’t break new ground. Yet they’ll still want to feel inspired by its story that feels tailormade for cinema. Thanks to Collette and the supporting cast, that bar is mostly achieved. Dream Horse isn’t going to win any awards, but, like the titular horse, it has a good amount of spirit.