Seabiscuit (Widescreen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Real Horse, Real Life, Very Good
Review: Hollywood can make great movies. However, it seems in this era of special effects and superheroes that it is difficult to make a movie about characters or historical events that proves that people can be charmed by this type of movie. "Seabiscuit" is one such movie that succeeds in being excellent.

"Seabiscuit" is the true story of an undersized horse with a lot of spirit who met with an oversized jockey with a lot of spirit and an owner with too little spirit and a horse trainer with a focused spirit. A lot of spirit for one movie, but in real life and in the movie, these people needed each other to be more than they were, and more than they could be. Indeed, the movie even states that maybe the entire country needed the story of Seabiscuit; maybe they did.

The movie starts very slowly. We quickly meet the three characters who will be instrumental in forming Seabiscuit into a champion, fast forwarding through their life in combination with the events of the "Great Depression." I must admit that initially I had a hard time staying with the movie because of the semi-documentary style of the film and the pacing. However, bear with this portion of the movie because the character development is important to the second half of the movie.

Once the characters come together, we also follow Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire in one of the best acted roles in which he has appeared) as he matures as a jockey and Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) as he returns from the void into which he fell when his son died. We also have an opportunity to appreciate the character of Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), whose life is about horses. These three remarkable people meet with an abused horse with an ability that only Tom Smith recognized.

The movie follows Seabiscuit as he makes a name for himself and West Coast horse racing, eventually challenging the reigning champion of the day, War Admiral, a distant cousin.

I am only able to give you the merest hint of the excellence of the cast. The people selected for their roles performed phenomenally well, and perhaps there should have been more Academy Award nominations for the cast. As it was, the movie had very difficult competition in the year of its release, overshadowed by "The Return of the King." One character who adds some lightness to this serious movie is William H. Macy as Tick Tock McGlaughlin, a radio announcer. Watching him create his own sound effects while keeping up a running spiel was fascinating and humorous.

I tend to rate movies throughout as I watch them. This movie started with two stars. It slowly built to three stars. At the three quarter point I was up to four stars, and the finish of the movie, which I thought was excellent, allowed me to rate this movie at five stars. Therein lies my warning to the viewer; give this movie a chance. "Seabiscuit" is an excellent movie that deserves to be watched from beginning to end.



Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT MOVIE/Guaranteed to shed a tear!!!
Review: Definitely a wonderful movie, Seabiscuit, brings to the screen the story of four unlikely heroes who are down on their luck: a businessman/horse owner, a horse jockey, a horse trainer, and finally the horse itself. Thanks to each other, however, they overcome life's difficulties and prevail. The movie is set during the Great Depression of the 1930's and it is about pain and suffering, hope and second chances, but most importantly about how courage, trust, and inner strength, can lead out of situations, which might seem bleak or desperate at first glance. A great movie indeed, full of symbolism, which will surely bring tears to one's eyes! Needless to say, Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and the rest of the cast have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least!

Rating:
Summary: Horse Dung
Review: If you're into American Idol, if you like Nicholas Sparks books, and if you're excited about Lindsay Lohan's new album, this movie is totally for you. If, however, you have read a book or grown up outside of a cave, you will thoroughly detest this awful, awful movie. Seeing how many positive, glowing reviews this horrific movie received is sincerely scary. No wonder so many modern movies are terrible if this movie is apparently so well liked.