DVD Review

Seabiscuit

When I first saw Seabiscuit in theaters, I got heat from people because I not only disliked the film but it happened to be the first movie I?ve ever walked out of (ten minutes before it was over). At the time I didn?t think it was a poorly done picture, but it just seemed so average and run of the mill in its story and I didn?t see the performances that the critics were talking about.

I didn?t think the story was told in the right fashion for personal attachment to be in gear, and the film had a sappy attitude, shoving all of its themes and messages down the viewer?s throat. I was fed up with that aspect, especially since the film is over two hours long.

I decided to rent Seabiscuit to give it one more chance to woo me over; I wasn?t positive that there was going to be any change in my opinion, but I was willing to give the film another shot since not every first impression is final. There have been times where I?ve liked films more in the second viewing (Lost in Translation, for example), and even times where my opinion has downgraded over time, so I wanted to see where Seabiscuit would land.

While I still think Seabiscuit is sappy and cheesy at times, the directing and cinematography save the show. The performances are not Oscar-worthy in my book (but I did have a better appreciation for Jeff Bridges) and the film isn?t anywhere close to one of my favorites of the year, but it definitely isn?t as average as I first proclaimed. I found myself wanting to continue watching the film after being distracted a few times, which is a good thing considering that I?ll contemplate stopping a film if it doesn?t catch on with me.

After the film had been playing in theaters for a little bit, I had made it abundantly clear that I had liked Gigli more than Seabiscuit, a statement that many people probably considered outrageous and which probably placed me on several hate/hit lists in the world as well. Having seen Seabiscuit again, I can boldly admit that that statement is just downright wrong. Seabiscuit has components that are much better than Gigli, and while I still claim that Gigli isn?t that bad (I still consider it a C or C+ movie), placing the two on the same level is just downright criminal.

One aspect of Seabiscuit that bothers me ? and sometimes immensely ? is the once and a while narration that peeks in. In the beginning, I didn?t mind this storytelling approach, as it seemed like an okay device to start this particular story with; but bringing the device back several times throughout the movie turned me off in scenes where I didn?t feel it was necessary to be talked to.

There are times where the narrator describes the conditions while we see shots of subtle scenes supported by light emotional music. Had there been no narration and simply images with a musical score, I probably would have liked these clips, as it would allow the viewer to quietly observe the scenes and connect with the images rather than being told the obvious.

The cinematography in Seabiscuit is often attractive and the music attached can be poetic, and disturbing these moments by the obviousness of the narrator ruins the moment. There was at least one occasion where I was literally yelling at my screen, wanting the scene to play without a voice in the background, as an impact would probably be greater in such a format. I tend to like subtle storytelling, so when issues or themes are spoon fed to me I can get quite frustrated, especially when the absence of that device could make a big impression.

I don?t get emotional while watching Seabiscuit, but there are filmmaking aspects of it that are done quite well. The film is directed very well and edited very nicely, but had the story been told in a less sentimental fashion and not nearly as cute, there?d be chance I?d quite like Seabiscuit. As it stands, I will firmly agree that it is a good movie, but not a great one; its defect is that it?s too familiar to countless of others films of its genre without a differentiation factor.

These feel-good formula stories usually have to offer some sort of unique element or something that stands out from the rest of the genre to win me over; Seabiscuit isn?t really that special in its story, as I still didn?t really care about the horse races. But in my first viewing, I was so distracted by my frustration of the cutesy and sappy areas that I failed to acknowledge the visual achievement that director Gary Ross succeeds in. Many of the scenes are shot on very appealing landscapes with a great perspective, and many close-ups are shot quite elegantly.

Technically speaking, the film is well done and something I?d actually be able to watch again due to some of the scenes? visual authenticity (which is something I never imagined myself saying after first seeing it). While the film doesn?t totally succeed in its storytelling, Seabiscuit is diverting, and sometimes that?s all a film needs to be.

Lee's Grade: B-
Ranked #54 of 132 between Return of the King (#53) and Terminator 3 (#55) for 2003 movies.

A	0.4%
B	30.0%
C	61.7%
D	8.0%
F	0.0%