Seabiscuit

The Little Horse that Could
The term "feel-good movie" is, like "popcorn flick" and "chick flick," one of those sweeping and usually inaccurate generalizations that are used to color any number of superficially similar films. If the definition is stretched broadly enough, "feel-good" can be used to describe anything from Chariots of Fire to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. In the summer of 2003, however, there were two movies for which "feel-good" was both accurate and complimentary. One was Bend it Like Beckham. The other was Seabiscuit.

For those not familiar with the story, Seabiscuit was a famous racehorse of the Depression era, competing between 1936 and 1940. His career is chronicled in the marvelous book Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. Hillenbrand's lengthy, detail-rich narrative is, like many great books, too complex to transfer note for note to film, but writer-director Gary Ross takes on the formidable challenge of bringing Seabiscuit's tale to life on the big screen. Ross wisely...

A long shot becomes a legend
In the middle of a summer of bad sequels "Seabiscuit" came along as a bit of fresh air. No other film this year thus far has been filled with such emotion, beauty, and heart. "Seabiscuit" is a rare gem of a film. It does not rely on special-effects, explosions, or cheap romances. The beauty of this film is that it is simply about the pure heart of a horse and the people around him.

Writer/Director Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Big) adapted Laura Hillenbrand's painstakingly researched bestseller into an amazing script. The story itself is so extraordinary that, if it hadn't happened, wouldn't have been remotely plausible as a film. If Seabiscuit wasn't a real horse, I would have taken one look at this film and said "Ridiculous! Like that could really happen!" The fact that the story is true makes "Seabiscuit" an even more beautiful and emotional journey.

Tobey Maguire plays Red Pollard, a half-blind, oversized jockey who was abandoned by his family as a child and now rides the...

Seabiscuit .. an American Legend
I never read the Laura Hillebrand book by the same name, but I did see the Seabiscuit movie and let me tell you - it was phenominal! I know some say it was cliche - but the story is TRUE! It's not just some Hollywood writer trying to come up with the latest feel good animal movie, it's actually true.

The acting was amazing in the movie. Tobey Macguire did a great job as alcholic jockey Red Pollard, and Chris Cooper was outstanding as the horse-whisperer-like trainer Tom Smith. Jeff Bridges (who is not one of my favorite actors) did a decent job in his role as well. One of the funniest characters was William H. Macy's announcer during the races, he cracked me up! Another surprisingly good performance was real life pro jockey Gary Stevens playing Red Pollard's friend and rival, jockey George Woolf.

The story is wonderful, taking place during the 1930's when the country is reeling from the Great Depression. Jeff Bridges character, Charles Howard, is a business man whose wife...

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