Rating: 
Summary: A MUST SEE FILM THAT BRINGS OUT THE WINNER IN US ALL!!
Review: Ok, I am totally stunned by how great this movie turned out. I watched it once in theatre & was very impressed. I have recently purchased the DVD & have watched it nearly 10 times. My favorite line in this movie is "It's better to break a man's leg than is heart" This is such a great feal good movie for when you are feeling a little down.I live in Kentucky so, it was nice to see them shoot part of the movie here. I am not really a horse fan at all. If you watch this movie you will truly not regret it. IF I COULD GIVE THIS MOVIE TEN STARS I WOULD!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring TRUE story of horse that inspired a nation
Review: Thelonious Monk was a genius at what some call the "implied note". He left notes out of the music, but the listener's ears and mind filled them in. It is part of what made him a jazz titan. "Missing notes" are used brilliantly and to great effect in this movie. We don't have to see Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) and his wife becoming distant or fighting after their son dies to know why she leaves him. The way the director sets it all up, we know their pain without even seeing the struggle. Similarly, we don't have to see the years go by from the time 16 year-old Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire) was left by his once wealthy family to do menial labor for a horse rancher to know how that turned him into an angry man. Just knowing it happened is enough. This is brilliant directing, for putting those kinds of intermediary scenes in the movie would have been cliché'd. It would have been just using valuable screen time to tell us what we already know. Instead, the pain is implied, and we each experience it in our own way. That's just one of the brilliant aspects of this MUST-SEE FILM. THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER 'ROCKY' MOVIE. IT IS A STORY OF HOW HURTING PEOPLE (AND A HURTING HORSE) CAN HELP EACH OTHER TO OVERCOME THEIR HURTS. Charles, Red, and the trainer, Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), each help the down-and-out horse, Seabiscuit, to learn, once again, how to be a horse-to learn what was literally beat out of him by other cruel owners. Seabiscuit, as an animal, and as a failure as a race-horse, can't disappoint them the way that others in life have. That's often the case with animals, which is why we love them so. Seabiscuit repays the favor in spades, helping each one of them to overcome the hurts of their pasts and by helping a nation to forget the pain of the Great Depression. PROS
* Narrator (David McCullough, from Ken Burns' documentaries) used effectively to provide the context for the challenging times of the Depression out of which Seabiscuit triumphed-may we never forget what a horrible time it was * Good acting all around, particularly Tobey Maguire and Chris Cooper * Gorgeous scenery and cinematography: How did they get those incredible race shots? * This really happened! It is fascinating to know that the country was once riveted by the rivalry between Seabiscuit and the triple-crown winner War Admiral. Great history! CONS
Honestly, I can't think of any. Some reviewers criticize that it takes 45 minutes before we meet Seabiscuit. But that's crucial setup time for the characters. That time was well-spent and certainly was used efficiently, as I noted above in my comparisons to Thelonious Monk. PURCHASING RECOMMENDATION
Get it. You'll watch it many times. There are some fight scenes early in the movie that may not be suitable for young children. But other than that, this is a wonderful family film.
Rating:
Summary: An instant classic - a real keeper!
Review: Words cannot describe my appreciation for this movie. Magnificent! www.jafguitar.com
Rating:
Summary: And the Winner Is.....Seabiscuit
Review: "Seabiscuit" is one of the best film releases of 2003. It stars Tobey McGuire, Jeff Bridges, William H. Macy, Chris Cooper, and more. This film explores the true story of a man determined to follow his dream of being a horse racer. The writers brilliantly combine that with two other stories: a man whose business is hurting because of The Great Depression and a man determined to save the horses from slaughtering. Such added substance keeps the audience interested. The emotional aspect of the plot is wonderfully expressed through the words and the events. It wonderfully keeps this film unique rather than the average horse racing movie. The actors follow the emotional value brilliantly. Whether they express pain, anger, happiness, determination, or sadness, they always perform at their finest. Tobey McGuire and Jeff Bridges capitalize this. McGuire takes his career to new and better levels with his demanding role as the determined horse racer. His character's painful childhood is never held back with his reactions to everything in life. Bridges behavior roles express his character's turbulent times perfectly. This is his best role in years. Chris Cooper's acting quality in this movie lives up to his Oscar winning role in "Adaptation". His character's love for animals is obvious thanks to him. The set-up construction and the costume designs are accurate to the American early 1900's style. Obviously, the artists researched this time period thoroughly. Even the character's make-up is flawless. The months spent perfecting every detail paid off. "Seabiscuit" is a great movie for those looking for something great and inspiring. This is sure to please many audiences for a long time. Some may have to watch it more than once to fully understand all the details, but in the end, many will be glad once they did.
Rating:
Summary: MUST SEE
Review: MUST SEE, THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY. Great Moive. Classic
Rating:
Summary: A moving and inspiring story - well told - amazingly filmed
Review: This telling of the Seabiscuit story captures a lot of the mythic power that made this odd little horse such a national passion during the Depression. Some have expressed a problem with the way the story is told visually. They find it jumpy and have a hard time following some things. But I liked it a lot. I think the images used tell the several stories moving through this movie are selected and filmed very effectively. The movie isn't an exact or historical document. Certain events are elided and others left out. Betting, a very important aspect of horse racing, is hardly mentioned. This is really a poem that captures the heart of the story trying to pull out the timeless qualities that make the story of the little horse with the big heart so compelling. The racing sequences are very effective and at times I was simply stunned at what I was seeing. However it was done, it was supremely effective. All of the principle roles were performed wonderfully. Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire have a very touching relationship. Valerie Mahaffey and Elizabeth Banks are very effective as the women in Charles Howard's (Jeff Bridge's) life. Chris Cooper is amazing as the trainer, Tom Smith. And William H. Macy functions as a Greek chorus and comic relief in the role of the announcer. I don't know the name of the actress who plays Macy's girlfriend, but she quietly steals a couple of scenes as well. I think that Michael O'Neill and Annie Corley were very touching as Red Pollard's (Tobey Maguire's) parents. I wanted to see more of them and find out how they ended up. We all need stories about overcoming obstacles and sticking with things even when they seem hopeless. Some people find such stories saccharine. For me, this is a very effective story that inspires without being oversweet. I think it depends on your own sense of irony, I suppose. But I don't see or hear this movie as a cynical telling of a sugary story to extract money from the rubes. There does seem to be a heart in this telling of the story. Maybe that is because of my own view of the world. I think a lot of life is aggressively persisting when circumstances are telling you to abandon the field. There is a lot to be said for simply ignoring all the voices telling you that you can't in order to find out that you can. You might surprise even yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Truly in the winner's circle
Review: What an absolute gem of a picture. Everything -- the writing, directing, acting, cinematography, everything -- was nearly perfect. To take a fairly old and mundane subject (come on now, it was a racing horse, after all, not a world-shaking topic or event) and turn it into a movie that reflects the history and spirit of this country, and the class rivalry at the time, was an accomplishment in itself. By making the film almost a documentary in parts was inspired. And it's amazing how the film develops character with just a few quick scenes, yet the characters never lapse into cliche or stereotypes. I liked them all (and that's important to me ... why spend 2 hours with people you don't like?) It may not be the perfect movie (which is?) ... but it is truly one of the best to come out in recent years.
Rating:
Summary: Heartening & Hopeful True Slice of American History.
Review: During the Great Depression, Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) a former bicycle repairman who made a fortune selling automobiles, acquires an under-performing thoroughbred horse named Seabiscuit. Under the tutelage of a patient trainer named Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) and ridden by a down-and-out jockey named Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), Seabiscuit thrives, winning race after race to the astonishment and delight of racing fans across America. Charles Howard, being a great salesman, shrewdly presents Seabiscuit's successes and failures as a metaphor for what Americans are experiencing in the Depression, helping the horse become the most written about and adored public figure in 1938. "Seabiscuit" is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Laura Hillenbrand, and was directed and written for the screen by Gary Ross. This is a classic feel-good story, beautifully told, about three men, Howard, Smith, and Pollard, who have experienced great loss in their lives, but who are brought together by a horse and a dream. That horse and the dream they have for it fill the voids in the lives of these men and go on to provide hope and happiness to millions of Americans who are also suffering from great losses during the Depression. If it weren't a true story, it might be a little too sweet. But it is a true story, as can be seen in old newsreels and newspapers. Horse racing was one of the most popular sports in America at the time, and Seabiscuit inspired a nation. A book can tell more stories successfully than a movie can, and Gary Ross has done a good job of selectively adapting Hillenbrand's 416-page book into a film. Ross demonstrates especially good judgment in what not to show the audience. Several key events in the story are not revealed on screen, but instead we see reactions to them. This leaves the audience on the edge of its seat, but sucks us in all the more. Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper are excellent in their roles, as we have come to take for granted from these great actors. Another great, William H. Macy is hilarious as the fictional race track announcer Tick Tock McGlaughlin. George Woolf, the celebrated jockey who rode Seabiscuit in his famous match race against War Admiral, is played convincingly by another celebrated jockey, Gary Stevens, a Hall-of-Famer himself. "Seabiscuit" is a heartening slice of American history and an enjoyable story for all ages. The DVD: Bonus features include an audio commentary by director Gary Ross and producer Steven Soderbergh, a "making of" documentary, "Anatomy of a Movie Moment" featurette in which Gary Ross explains how he creates a scene, a documentary about horse racing in the 1930s and the real Seabiscuit, Jeff Bridges' on-set photography, bios of the cast and filmmakers, and a DVD-ROM (Windows only). The "making of " documentary features a lot of interviews but discusses nothing in enough depth to be very informative or interesting. I recommend the documentary about the history of horse-racing and the audio commentary if you have the time. The commentary by Gary Ross and Steven Soderbergh is more about the film's themes than its technique, but it's good.
Rating: 
Summary: This DVD Would Make a Great Coaster
Review: Using your copy of "Seabiscuit" to set drinks on would be a more interesting use for it than actually playing the boring thing. Oh, what a safe, boring, dull movie this is. Gary Ross obviously went to the Ron Howard school of directing, where points are pounded home with a hammer and anvil and manipulated emotions are manufactured with assembly-line rapidity. This is the kind of movie where everyone delivers lines that sound like they should be on self-help bumper stickers; homilies are handed out like parking tickets. And the movie doesn't end until each character gets to deliver at least one clunker, and most of them get to deliver many more. "Seabiscuit" isn't even really a bad movie--it's an uninteresting movie, which is much worse. Even bad movies can be fascinating, but the filmmakers here aim so low at trying to please the lowest common denominator of viewer that they've put together a batch of pandering mush that has not one genuine emotion in it. Yuck...
Rating: 
Summary: The horse is a bit player is this ego-induced history lesson
Review: Like "Radio" or some other uplifting, compassion-for-the-challenged melodrama, "Seabiscuit" is not so much a movie to feel good about horses as it is a movie to feel good about ourselves - the titular thoroughbred doesn't make his entrance in the first hour of Gary Ross's sun-dappled gloss and, afterward, is merely a muse for ego-inflated history lessons. For lovers of "Pharlap" and "The Black Stallion," - or Laura Hillenbrand's book, for that matter - it is a letdown. As in the book, "Seabiscuit" opens with a short history of the automobile in early 1920s (nicely narrated by historian David McCullough) that brings us to Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges, doing a hammy riff on his performance in "Tucker") an engine pioneer who builds a fortune off the machine -and symbolically uses his horse stable as a garage - before losing his young son (in an auto accident! and only because the six-year-old knew how to drive!) and plunging into a shadowed dispair mirroring the 1929 Wall Street collapse. Parallel stories develop the plights of horse trainer Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), who stands by a newly built road in the West and knows he's lost the frontier, and jockey Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire) who fights his oversized frame and rotten luck while partaking in back-barn brawls for room and board money. Howard meets Smith at a campfire. Smith meets Red at a stable. Then, out of the racetrack mist one morning, comes Seabiscuit. There wasn't much to the horse; despite his extrodinary pedigree - he was cousin to future rival War Admiral, and grandson to Man O'War - he was small and lazy, and, by 4 years old, ornery. Yet Seabiscuit had wild, unbridled strength, as if his larger ancestors had packed their spirits into his body, and he won races by stalking down speed horses, then demoraliziong the hard-chargers. Smith saw that quality, and the movie, at times, sees it too. It's just buried under director Ross's need to tell the "larger" story of a broken America, match it up to a broken Howard - who applies his "finish line is the future" analogy so many times you yearn for the deep past - then match up Seabiscuit to Red, played unconvicingly by Maguire. Ross triples back to reinforce themes of perseverance, sacrifice and struggle, then measures each of Seabiscuit's races with the same rising orchestral score that booms and cheers at victory. There is extrordinary amount of fat begging to be trimmed. A horrible Elizabeth Banks, as Howard's wife, inhabits the little kid role - she certainly looks like one - existing solely to stand open-mouthed while hitting up Red and Smith for reactions to the horse. And William H. Macy, in a cameo as a radio announcer, takes his cues from Ross and pounds the same gimmick-laden routine into the dry earth. Only Cooper, and jockey Gary Stevens in the movie's best performance as Red's friend/rival George Wolff, seem to be in a Horse Movie; they understand that subtle awe and companionship works better than sales hamming (Bridge) and boyish yelping (Maguire). "Seabiscuit" does manage to capture some of the excitement of the War Admiral duel, as Howard challenges the Triple Crown winner's legendary owner, Samuel Riddle (Eddie Jones, nicely taciturn), on a whistlestop tour around the country. Howard gets his race, though Red is hurt in an accident and doesn't get the ride. After Seabiscuit wins with a surge in the final turn, he's hurt in a later race, and, wouldn't you know it - horse and Red rehabilitate one another for one last hurrah in the big Handicap. These scenes, and others, would be more powerful were they not chopped into two-minute soundbites, of which the entire movie seems comprised. Ross bleeds Hillenbrand's book dry of the facts while leaving its essence on the page: Every race is more about the jockeys than the horses, every win more about its effect on "the people" than the glory of the beast. The War Admiral scene proves it, cutting from the very start of the duel to a still photo of folks listening to the race out of a vehicle. Yes, it's irony, but who cares? "Seabiscuit" is far too impressed with its own term paper.
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