Seabiscuit (Widescreen Edition)

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES

I just love this movie - and I have watched it many a times. Not only because it deals with horses, which I love, but more with the theme it is dealing with.You will no doubt find out what the story is, or you would have seen it already (it was released around 2003 or 2004?), but there is a line which came up in the movie a couple of times, and I like it a lot. It goes something like:"Just because someone's got banged a little, we are not gonna throw a whole life away".It's vitally important we give ourselves or someone else a second chance. It is just equally important that we grab that second chance ourselves, whenever it comes, before it fades away.There are many second chances out there to grab, it is just a matter if we would have the heart to grab them or not. Not everyone strikes out winning the first time, but to keep fighting without losing hearts is vital.Both the Horse (Seabiscuit) and the Jockey (Red) made a comeback when everybody thought they were out for good; one (the Jockey) broke his leg in a riding accident, the other (the Horse, Seabiscuit) sprained its ligament in a race. All the doctors and vets told them they would not ride nor race again in their lives, one even suggested to put the horse down, but the Owner gave them both a second chance, they took the time to recover enough to make a comeback. And they did it, together.It may sound an ordinary story, a plain sporting movie to try to inspire and draw a few tears in the audience, well, not for me. This actually happened in real life. And it happens on a daily basis to a lot of people. It matters if one has the heart to fight back.Another part I like the movie Seabiscuit a lot is that:The Horse Seabiscuit was a castaway whom nobody thought could achieve anything in racng - he was only 15 hands tall, not big enough for a racerhorse. The champion War Admiral he faced was a full 19 hands, and a thoroughbred."He may be little, but he is fierce" - and his hearts and racing spirits made up for it.The Jockey was a losing jockey, a nobody who lost his family in the Great Depression, had to beg to ride for racings, but he had the fighting spirits to give it a go, never giving up.The Trainer was an old man who knows his horses, but nobody thought well of hiring him because his ways were peculiar, even eccentricThe Owner was a divorced person who made out on his own, made his fortunes all by himself, but felt guilty for the death of his son. And he had had the hearts to give both the Jockey and the Trainer, and even Seabiscuit himself, a second chance(s).When Seabiscuit won the races, people said the 3 of them, the Owner, Trainer and Jockey had fixed a broken horse. In a way, they all fixed each other.It was a good story. It teaches me a lot. We could all learn something from it.

The film is visually appealing and is largely historically accurate. It is a feel good movie that I like to watch from time to time. While Secretariat was the most perfect horse in terms of build and temperament, Seabiscuit was not really perfect in terms of build. He did great and memorable feats in spite of his imperfections. And, miraculously, he (as well as his long time jockey) recovered from an injury to make a final win. After watching this film again, I decided to buy the book upon which it is based. That was also extremely interesting and was based on meticulous research about the times and the extreme hazards of the sport during those days. I like films that are period pieces, historically true, visually appealing, and are somewhat uplifting. This one hits every category. This is a fine film to add to your library!

They simply don't make them like this anymore. Studios simply do not cough up $80 million on a horse race movie with little or no CGI or an ensemble cast that may (operative word "may") appeal to young audiences. But kudos to Universal for taking a chance on writer/director Gary Ross' adaption of Laura Hillenbrand's novel "Seabiscuit," the story of a hardluck horse who found his way to greatness. To get him there, he needed the help of three emotionally bruised or distant men. One is C.S. Howard (Jeff Bridges) the founder of Buick, his owner, who lost his marriage and his son in a short time frame. Red Pollard (Tobey McGuire) is his jockey. Left by his family who wanted him to have a better life, Red is too big for a joackey and too blind to ride. Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) is the Biscuits' taciturn and eccentric trainer, but one who has an almost mystical understanding of what makes horses tick. When these three come together, they start winning, and healing each other.Writer/Director Gary Ross avoids corniness and cliche by making these stories seem genuine instead of contrived, and he gets a lot of help from his cast, who do the story justice. Chris Cooper is engaging as he hits all of Tom Smith's quirks and labored speech, Tobey McGuire gives perhaps his most heartfelt performance yet as the ailing jockey and Jeff Bridges is fantastic as the billionaire who found himself again after his divorce and his son's death. And the sanctuary these men find is the racetrack, where editor William Goldenberg and cinematographer Ed Schwartzbaum are superb, planting you right in the middle of the hectic races. And as perhaps the most entertaining part of this grand production is WIlliam H. Macy as the legendary race track commentator Tick Tock McGlocklin. Macy nails all of the glock's busy and inventive wordplay and rapid-fire delivery, making him as fun as anything else in this fine film.