Movie Review

Seabiscuit

Seabiscuit is that rare summer movie ? the only one that believes in more than just explosions, chases, special effects and just trying to make money off the success of the predecessor.

It is a drama that is as caring as it is inspirational, and after weeks of big budget action films, calling this movie anything less than refreshing would be a major understatement.
Based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit?s story takes place during the depression; something that director/writer Gary Ross does very well in the opening couple of scenes is conveying the tragedy of the time. As my friend and I walked out of the theater, we agreed that the movie starts out like a biography on A&E.

Though black and white pictures from the era as well as excellent voice-over narration, director Gary Ross immediately pulls at our heartstrings, showing the country and the people in great wound. Then it seems like the movie never lets up; this is a great emotional story, centering on three men whose lives have become a shambles, and the broken down horse who they thought they were saving.

One of the characters is Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire); Pollard is a smart young kid from a literate family who has a love and a gift for riding horses. As the depression begins, his family is forced to give him up so that he can become a jockey, since at the time gambling at the racetrack was very common. To make ends meet, he is also thrown into boxing, although he is not as good at the later.

The next character is Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), a horse whisperer who had an interesting ability of finding the good in even the lamest of horses; only once the depression started, he became a wanderer without much of a cause. And the final character is Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges), a bicycle salesman who found real money in selling Buicks out west. Howard?s whole outlook on life was that the future was his only finish line, but when his son is killed and his wife leaves soon after, Howard becomes a man who must begin again at the starting line.

These three characters (Howard the owner), Smith the trainer), and Red the Jockey) will, of course, finally meet and find a small, abused horse named Seabiscuit. This was a horse, that because of his size, seemed lazy and good for nothing; and so he was trained to lose on purpose so that the bigger, faster horses would gain confidence from racing him. Together the four of them must face tough and tragic obstacles, including Pollard being blind in one eye and the big showdown between Seabiscuit and the champion horse, War Admiral.

This is the stuff of classic underdog stories, and the fact that it?s all based on fact makes it even more inspirational. This movie has such a great handle on all of its characters and the performances should surely be remembered come awards time. Tobey Maguire is perfect as a damaged human being with the heart of a champion. Chris Cooper, who is probably the movie?s cheesiest character, makes Tom Smith anything but that. And Jeff Bridges is kindly and reassuringly optimistic as Charles Howard.

Seabiscuit is the treasure of this year so far, and in a summer where movies have amassed over two hours worth of running time, we finally have one that deserves every second. The horse races combine great excitement and danger, and Randy Newman?s musical score could not suit the film better; but the real movie here is about the characters, including Seabiscuit needing the support of the other, and that is a dynamic that Ross makes you care about and love. In a summer full of duds, you won?t find a movie that?s any more of a stud than Seabiscuit.

Craig's Grade: A

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%