Rating: 
Summary: It would've been good, but it feels so overdone.
Review: Based upon Laura Hillenbrand's biography of Seabiscuit, the film SEABISCUIT is mixed bag.The story, of course, was good. The acting, of course, was good. At least, it was good when they let the actors actually have scenes or lines of dialogue without outrageous jump cuts to suggest the passage of time. But SEABISCUIT's direction was completely annoying. And so was Randy Newman's LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE-inspired score. It's rough to have to watch a movie and say, "OK, I wouldn't have included that. OK, why did they cut away from that? OK, what the hell is with this narration telling us what's going on right now onscreen when we can just watch it???" Maybe it's just me, but I realized that the Depression was horrible for people before I watched SEABISCUIT. I didn't need historian David McCullough's overhead narration to tell me about it. I feel like Jeff Bridges could've gotten an Oscar nomination on the strength of his early scenes, when his character loses a son and divorces his first wife. He could've, that is, if the director had been daring enough to actually show us scenes of full emotional resonance or given Bridges dialogue that would've allowed him more of an opportunity to emote. Instead, we get Bridges sitting alone, jump to Bridges and his wife, played by the always-excellent and completely-underused Valerie Mahaffey, in a one-minute scene about a mop; jump to Mahaffey leaving Bridges and the film forever. The whole movie's like that. You feel like Ross went through with the editor and said, "Hmm ... OK ... this scene's gone on long enough. Don't you think the audience has gotten the gist of it?" It's like watching SEABISCUIT: THE CLIFFSNOTES VERSION. Chris Cooper, additionally, is good, playing someone far older than he actually is, but he doesn't get much to say. And, at this point, isn't the whole horse whisperer fad exhausted in pop culture? I realize his character Tom Smith was a horse whisperer, but it just feels so tired. Cooper's best scene could've been the one where he first saw Seabiscuit, if it weren't for the narration telling us that it was the first time he'd seen Seabiscuit. Since we in the audience hadn't seen the horse yet because the horse hadn't been in the movie yet, I think we could've figured it out without the narration. Tobey Maguire is decent in the film, his character being the most showy, but occasionally he's upstaged by his fake, curly and red hair, which is weird. Also, in the scenes where his character does "bad" things like consort with a hooker, he has to seem uninterested in her or bored because he has to be "the hero." And at one point, when his character gets injured, the way the scene is done is completely ridiculous. I mean, it's one of those old-style movie techniques where they pretty much show you the tractor, play the ominous music and, you're sitting there thinking, "Why the hell is a tractor there? OH MY GOD!" Ross may as well have had "DANGER: TRACTOR!!!!" painted on the side of the faulty machine. And the final line of narration (surprisingly, not delivered by McCullough ... because I guess Ross forgot that McCullough was narrating during the film's last hour) is a corny, cliched piece of hokum. I rolled my eyes.
Rating: 
Summary: Seabiscuit
Review: This is a great movie with excellent actors. It is a classic. The basic idea is a poor boy gets sent to another house during the Great Depression. He then starts riding a horse and becomes a good one too. The problem is that he is the heaviest rider and the horse is too small. The rest of the movie is training against the man-o-war
Rating:
Summary: History with Inspiration
Review: Gary Ross has adapted, as director and screenwriter, Laura Hillenbrand's runaway best seller "Seabiscuit" into a film that tugs earnestly at the heart, providing inspiration and a message of trial over adversity at a time when Hollywood is doing all too few movies in this inspiring genre. This is a film about a racehorse that the higher cognoscenti has given up on that ultimately achieves championship status in Depression America of the 1937-1940 period. Jeff Bridges stars as a man who has made a fortune as an automobile dealer. He owns a huge ranch outside San Francisco and appears to have everything going his way until the young son he deeply loves dies in an automobile accident. His marriage ends and he seeks to rebound amid high living in the Mexican border town of Tijuana, becoming attracted to horse racing as he attends events at Agua Caliente Racetrack. One night he spots a man living in the brush whose only companion is his horse. Whle others refer to the man as a "nut," man of imagination Bridges becomes intrigued and gets acquainted with him. At a time when he needs inspiration, Bridges finds a wife and a new compatriot in Chris Cooper, the loner who supplies him with inspiration to get into the field of horse racing. They acquire a thoroughbred at Saratoga Racetrack in New York, a knobby-kneed, underachieving Seabiscuit,picking him up at a bargain basement price. The wily Cooper, who is actually crazy like a fox, is convinced by the determined look in the horse's eyes that he holds the kind of great potential originally anticipated due to his impressive lineage. When the group returns to California, locating a jockey at Saratoga who is every bit as much of a loner and offbeat personality type as Cooper, played by Tobey Maguire, the horse is slowly nursed along. He begins making his mark at Santa Anita Racetrack in the Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia. Whereas Cooper supplies a calming influence on the highly strung horse, which is thought to be too small to be a successful thoroughbred, red-haired Maguire, who at 5-7 is considered too tall to be a first class jockey, provides the proper balance of tender loving care and competitive fire to spur on the highly strung horse to victory. Narration by Pulitzer Prize historian David McCullough combined with black and white footage from the Depression era, including a smiling Franklin Delano Roosevelt, places viewers in the appropriate mood setting to empathize with this brilliantly crafted cinema work. Randy Newman's excellent musical score also assists in that direction. Depression America needs an underdog hero and this undersized and initially unappreciated horse supplies that need. Infields of racetracks fill up with poor people rooting on Seabiscuit while the rich watch in awe from their clubhouse boxes as "America's horse" surges to triumph after triumph. A dramatic high point of the film is the effort on Bridges's part to obtain a match race with the theretofore highest regarded thoroughbred in the country, Eastern bred War Admiral, a triple crown winner. The race takes on a David vs. Goliath element with triple crown winner War Admiral towering over the 2-1 underdog from California. The long anticipated East vs. West showdown takes place at Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore, but before Seabiscuit gets his date with immortality the race is almost called off when Maguire sustains an injury exercising another horse, after which his old rival and eventual friend extending back to his Caliente days, played by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, fills in for the high-spirited redhead in the biggest match race in history. Seabiscuit has not come this far and overcome this many hurdles to disappoint. William H. Macy supplies brilliant comedy in the role of a hard drinking, eccentric radio racing commentator whose educational world is embodied in reading the Racing Form religiously. Like so many others, Macy has to be convinced of Seabiscuit's authenticity. Like so many others, he becomes a staunch devotee.
Rating:
Summary: Seabiscuit is the best movie of this year!
Review: "Seabiscuit" is extremely brilliant from beginning to end. Tobey Maguire is Red Pollard, Seabiscuit's jockey. Based on the bestselling novel by Laura Hillenbrand, the movie stays true to the book all the way. We get details about Pollard's life and where he came to be in the movie as Seabiscuit's jockey. Jeff Bridges is Charles Howard, a man who decided to race horses after the death of his only son involved him dying in a car accident. Howard, who used to race cars before the death of his only son. Chris Cooper is Tom Smith, Seabiscuit's trainer. A old frontiersman, Smith founds his way around the track. Pollard, Howard, and Smith are bought together to help Seabiscuit become one of the best racehorses in American history. Pollard overcomes being blind in one eye, ends up having his leg broken. The movie is excellent without compromise and it is definitely this year's best movie. The production design by Jeannine Oppenwall and the costume design by Judianna Makovsky is magnificent. The casting by Debra Zane is excellent. Randy Newman's score is superb. The editing by William Goldenberg is excellent with timing. The cinematography by John Schwartzman is brilliant without compromise. The script by Gary Ross is a brilliant companion to Laura Hillenbrand's book. Gary Ross' directing is superb and brilliant without compromise. Tobey Maguire is extremely well worthy of a Golden Globe nomination. So does Jeff Bridges deserve a Golden Globe nomination. Chris Cooper is extremely brilliant in his performance and he might even get a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination. This movie is very redeeming to people who have fallen on hard times. See it now, I mean, right now!
Rating:
Summary: Oscar Contender
Review: Seabiscuit is a perfect example of what Hollywood is capable of producing if they would just stop listening to the bean counters. I went to the 3:30 show and it was sold out, so much for those overblown sequels we've been force feed, and at the movie the majority of the audience clapped. There is much to love in this film, especially the fine acting, and terrific horse racing scenes. My only complaint is that it took a while for the movie to get going, however, in hindsight I must admit that this was done for characterization, something almost every other movie produced this summer lacked. This film may not bring home the oscar, but don't be surprised to see it nominated for best film. Well worth the ticket price.
Rating:
Summary: Here comes Seabiscuit !
Review: Having read the book and seeing the movie, I can say that the movie does a very good job at portraying the story of Seabiscuit. Theres a few scenes i would have liked to see in the movie, but its understandable that they did not want to make a 3 to 3 and a half hour long movie. The movie did not go into the character of Silent Tom as much as I would have liked. Such as how he helped nurse The Biscuit back to health. I wish the movie would have shown how Seabiscuit was scratched many times while on the East due to rain. I could go on, but theres no need to. This movie was Great !! Whether you're a horse lover or just the average movie goer, this one is for you. Best Picture of the Year !
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining and sentimental
Review: I had extremely high expectations for "Seabiscuit" when I walked into the theater. I had been waiting for it for a while, seen several video clips and trailers, read the novel to prepare myself, and was convinced that it was going to be a fine piece of work. And it was. But it didn't meet my expectations.
Why?, you ask. I am sure the reason for my slight disappointment was the fact that I had read the book beforehand. For the first half of the film, my mind told me that something was missing. This missing link is not the result of any of the filmmakers' mistakes...it is simply difficult to capture the feel of a 339-page novel in a film that is less than 3 hours long.
Despite this, the movie is completely enjoyable. Overflowing with humor and drama, no one should leave insatiated. Tobey Maguire is absolutely brilliant as Red Pollard! Don't get me wrong, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper give fine performances, but Maguire is just marvelous. This man is undeniably one of the most talented actors to ever live. Performances like his make me wish that I was able to act.
Fans of the book might be frustrated. A lot of the novel's content is cut out, obviously due to time constraints. However, most of what needs to be shown is shown.
Despite what critics say, "Seabiscuit" is not a family movie. There is a fair amount of profanity, and one scene is set in a brothel. This content is simply inappropriate for children, and I cannot understand why people are promoting it as if it isn't.
If you want to experience a touching story of triumph that captures the spirit of America, see this movie. You'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: You don't throw a whole life away just 'cause it's banged up
Review: I have a pet theory that says we all fall in love with one horse in our lifetimes. Maybe it is a horse you actually own, if you are fortunate enough, or maybe you just read "Black Beauty" or "My Friend Flicka," grew up on stories about Silver or Trigger, or maybe have seen "National Velvet" of "The Black Stallion." For me that one horse was Secretariat, thundering down the home stretch at the Belmont to be the first horse in decades to win the Triple Crown, the jockey looking over his shoulder to see how far behind Big Red was leaving the rest of the pack. Not only was Secretariat the fastest racehorse of all time, still holding the track record for the Kentucky Derby, but he was also to my mind the most beautiful horse I have ever seen. I watch the Triple Crown races each year, but no horse will capture my heart the way Secretariat did. For those too young to remember that particular horse, it is rather ironic that a whole generation might adopt Seabiscuit as the horse dearest to their heart because of this movie about the plucky little stallion who raced into the headlines during the Great Depression. The horse surprised everyone by becoming Horse of the Year and the biggest money earner of all time and the book by Laura Hillenbrand became a best seller to the surprise of almost as many people. Now we shall see if the movie version can pull off the trifecta this summer. "Seabiscuit" is not just about the horse that is too small, because as everybody who has seen the trailer knows there is also Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), the jockey who is too big, Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), the trainer who is too old, and Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges), the owner who is too dumb to know the difference. But Howard is smart enough to know how to market his horse, although when he spouts aphorisms like "See, sometimes when the little guy doesn't know he's the little guy, he can do big things," we believe he believes what he is saying. Even if he is a businessman he is one who believes in his product, whether we are talking bicycles or Buicks, horses or human beings. Charles Howard proves himself when at a crucial moment in the narrative he asks Red Pollard the question that forces the young man to finally grow up. Howard, and writer-director Gary Ross, both see Seabiscuit as a metaphor for the nation during the Depression, declaring at one point "Everybody loses a couple, and you either pack-up and you go home, or you keep fighting." This is not the wisdom of "Rocky," of finding victory in defeat, but something more akin to the Puritan work ethnic that is the backbone of this nation. This is reinforced by Smith's dictum, "You don't throw a whole life away just 'cause it's banged up," which underscores both the idea of finding value in the life of each individual, whether they are a person or a horse, and the importance of every single chance that comes down the road. However, despite the onslaught of platitudes, this movie is lyrical. The best moments of this film are conveyed by a look in the eye of Seabiscuit or by how many peas Red puts on this plate. There are lots of scenes without dialogue, or where what is being said are just sounds, akin to the pounding hooves of Seabiscuit. This movie may remind some of "The Natural," and not because Randy Newman did the score, but because it has these lyrical moments, all of which involve watching this horse run. Surprisingly, when Seabiscuit runs, while it is his heart that matters most, it also involves the head of his jockey as well. Even neophytes will appreciate the strategy involved in winning a horse race and if the quality that we most love about this horse is that he looks his opponents in the eye and then runs them down. The attraction here will be the horse races and while it takes about an hour to start getting around to them there are several as thrilling as anything you have ever seen in a film. Every time Seabiscuit goes after another rival the platitudes and morals fade into the background as we enjoy a horse running as fast as it can. I would lay odds that lots of moviegoers are going to lose their hearts to this horse this summer, which is fine, because both the horse and the film deserve that affection.
Rating:
Summary: A fun ride!
Review: If you read the book, you will see a lot of things different. If you don't get critical of the differences, you WILL enjoy this movie. The book gave some background that helps in the beginning, where non-readers will be left a little confused. All in all, it was an entertaining movie that my husband and I enjoyed very much. A must-see for all of the horse lovers out there!
Rating:
Summary: Brings color to the 1930s
Review: An uncomplicated story of the great horse Seabiscuit, the loyalties of his connections, and of the time and culture that raised Seabiscuit to national fame. Themes of down but not out, and little guys winning against the odds are glowing in movie color that was missing in the 1930's era. Included in the cast are modern day, real life jockeys: Gary Stevens and Chris McCarron who blend in so well with the "actor" cast, or should we say that the actor cast blend well with the professional jocks. If only we could gift this movie to the generation that would love it not only for it's movie merits, but for it's tribute to a challenging sport that is today almost lost
|
