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After Laura Hillenbrand's book on the little-horse-that-could -- Seabiscuit -- came out, most of America was wondering when the film would hit town. Well, folks, here it is. Running for the finish line in a blaze of glory is the scruffy horse with knobby knees, attitude, and spirit that put a Triple Crown winner in his place, thank you. As one can imagine, the horse (or a myriad of horses, in this case) is the star of the film and after that comes Tobey Maguire (Spiderman) as Red Pollard, the ace jockey; Jeff Bridges (K-Pax) as Charles Howard, who owned Seabiscuit; Oscar-winning actor Chris Cooper (Adaptation) as the horse's unorthodox trainer, Tom Smith; Elizabeth Banks (Catch Me If You Can) as Howard's second wife, Marcela; real life jockey Gary Stevens as the premiere jockey George (The Iceman) Woolf; and William H. Macy as Tick-Tock McGlaughlin, a radio sportscaster who gives the words "audio effects" new meaning.

Seabiscuit grabbed the attention of the American public in the post-Depression Era when almost everyone was down and out and winning anything seemed remote. Suddenly, virtually out of nowhere came a smaller horse that started to win big. Radio was a new mode of entertainment that could reach almost everyone in the country. Horse races were broadcast, and that's how people became interested in the little horse. Seabiscuit had a troubled upbringing and was thought to be a discipline problem. However, it was the eye of trainer Smith who singled Seabiscuit out as a trainable racehorse for Howard. Smith also saw that jockey Pollard, red-haired and feisty, could probably be a good match for Seabiscuit and he was right--oh, so right.

The film gives a small amount of background for each of the characters, except Marcela, Howard's second wife. We see the tragedy in Howard's life and how he came to have money. Jockey Red Pollard was separated from his family as a youth, and this situation left an indelible mark on him, emotionally and physically, as for a time, he is a boxer. What, then, happened to his family? We don't know. Pollard's fights were apparently for money, but they are brutal. It is the story of trainer Smith that would be interesting, but we have nothing about him except that he had a natural way with horses (think The Horse Whisperer here). The same with Howard's second wife, Marcela. She sees Howard, exchanges some pleasantries, and marries him. Where did she come from?

Tobey Maguire, with flaming red hair and a tough exterior, gives Red a jaunty look, but we can see the delicacy inside the man. Chris Cooper's Smith is like a fish out of water which is trying to adapt to a new land. Jeff Bridges as Charles is a man who pulls himself out of remorse and tries to move on. On the outside is a car salesman, but inside is a hurt man. The comic relief is provided by William H. Macy, who lets us know what early radio was all about, gong and all.

David McCullough's precise narration gives the film a documentary feel that is not unpleasant but still robs us of wanting to loudly cheer at the finish line. Randy Newman's score is not intrusive and ably supports the story. John Schwartzman's photography is exquisite, especially the 5 a.m. morning fog horse runs and Seabiscuit running through the countryside with autumn foliage as a backdrop. The film builds up to not one, but two races. The first one is between Seabiscuit and War Admiral; the second is for a $100,000 prize, which was a fortune in those days. If you have never attended a horse race, you will be caught up in the excitement of taking the horses onto the track, getting into the starting gate, and erupting at the sound of the bell. Knowing just when to find that opening to get through and take the lead is done in seconds, and you better know what you are doing because you are on a ton of horse going 40 m.p.h. with numerous horses beside you.

My personal quibble is the banter shown between jockeys during a horse race. Excuse me, but during a 90-second race, who has time to talk here? This sport is one of the most dangerous on Earth. Also, who can hear what the other person is saying?

There is tragedy and triumph in Seabiscuit. The underdog (pardon me--underhorse) pulls himself together and turns into a top competitor. Who says animals can't reason and don't have feelings? This is a Rocky story before Rocky's Sylvester Stallone was a gleam in his father's eye. In the sport of kings, the common horse runs a regal race.

Copyright 2003 Marie Asner
Submitted 7/27/03

In case you've missed the television specials, the book, the radio interviews, and the countless promotions, Seabiscuit was a horse. A famous horse. A horse that, due to a variety of circumstances, captured America's fancy in a way no horse ever had. The movie Seabiscuit, based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand, attempts to show how that came about, why a little horse from California would excite the imagination of an entire country. That it largely succeeds is due to the old-fashioned combination of great acting, lush production values, and a tale worth telling.

The story takes place in 1937-38, when three men, all battling personal tragedy and circumstances, come together to buy, train, and ride a horse. The horse is a beautiful but temperamental animal, and it's done nothing in its previous races. In racing, past performance is usually an indicator of future profits. So the dream that the horse might become something other than it is is mostly a fantasy. But under the watchful eye of trainer Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) and the ebullient ride of Johnny Pollard (Tobey Maguire), Seabiscuit does indeed turn into something special.

Owner Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) made his money when he came west to San Francisco. He started a bicycle shop, but that turned into a car repair shop by accident. And that turned into a car dealership, and soon Howard was a rich man. But he was always a populist, and he decides to build on Seabiscuit's success by challenging the pride of the East Coast, the impressive stallion War Admiral. At first its pompous owner refuses, but eventually the two come to an agreement. It'll be a match race, just between Seabiscuit and War Admiral, which functions as the climax of the film.

Before I went to see Seabiscuit, my friend Garth wondered how good a movie it could be. "We already know how it ends, and sports stories lose a lot of their excitement when that's the case." I was wondering the same thing, and the commercials had raised another fear--that the movie would try so hard to be uplifting that I'd rather watch the Oprah show. Fortunately, neither fear proved founded. The horse races are genuinely thrilling. Director Gary Ross uses sweeping, low-level camera shots (from cinematographer John Schwartzman) and seamless editing (William Goldenberg) to put us right in the action. The sound design thunders along with the hoofs of the majestic animals but never intrudes.

Furthermore, the movie is largely restrained in its sentiment, trusting the story to sweep the audience away without a lot of manipulation. Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper are two of the best actors working today, and here they pitch their performances at exactly the right spot. Bridges is marvelous as a natural salesman with a populist streak who wants nothing more than to see how far his horse can ride. When confronted with a tragedy early in the movie, he doesn't let it all out but conveys his grief in subtle gestures and moments. Cooper, who won an Oscar this spring for his performance in Adaptation, has been one of my favorite actors since I saw him in Lone Star. His stoic portrayals are full of richness and mystery. The same is true in Seabiscuit, as he communicates with a glance or a single word. When he first spies Seabiscuit trotting through the fog, Cooper's declaration of wonder ("damn") is fantastic. William H. Macy brings some welcome comic relief as a radio announcer who talks a mile-and-three-sixteenths a minute and adds his own special effects. Elizabeth Banks, as Marcela Howard, doesn't have much to do besides bear a striking resemblance to Parker Posey.

If you're paying attention, you'll notice that I've left out one actor. Though Tobey Maguire is ostensibly the film's star--certainly all the magazine articles would say it's so--he is much less a presence than his two fellow actors. It's not that he's bad; but when I think of the movie several days later, it's Bridges and Cooper I remember, not Maguire.

I unfortunately can't recommend Seabiscuit without reservation. It stumbles a bit near the finish line, when it becomes overly sentimental and anti-climactic. It's a strange combination, but you'll understand when you
see the movie. And you should see it.  Seabiscuit is a feel-good film that earns its sentiment, and the craft on display, particularly in the performances of Bridges and Cooper, is testimony to the best Hollywood
offers. 

J. Robert Parks 7/28/2003

An American racing legend comes to the screen in a moving portrayal of redemption in the new film Seabiscuit, from writer director Gary Ross. Based on a true story and novel by Laura Hillenbrand, the film tells the story of Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges), a bicycle maker who becomes a millionaire thanks to a chance meeting and his belief that cars are the future in the early 1900s.

Years later, following a personal upheaval, Howard is taken by his friends to Mexico to recover as gambling and alcohol have become illegal in Prohibition America. It is here that Howard meets three people who will have a dramatic effect on his life. There is his future wife Annie (Valerie Mahaffey); Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), a trainer with a heart of gold; and Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), a frisky jockey who was abandoned by his parents and who supplements his income by street brawling.

With the nation suffering under the stock market crash and Great Depression, Howard casts his lot in horse racing, and based upon the advice of Tom, he purchases a feisty yet undersized horse named Seabiscuit. The horse is from a good pedigree; however, his size, behavior, and lack of competitive instinct have made him unsuitable to race according to most in the business. Tom believes that given a chance, the horse can be a winner and sets about training Red and Seabiscuit for racing.

The horse bonds with Red and Tom and soon runs of a series of victories on the California racing scene, gaining national attention in the process. Howard is a master of publicity and issues a series of challenges to the current Triple Crown winner War Admiral, who is seen by many as the perfect and unbeatable horse. The challenge goes unanswered until the persistence of Howard pays off and the race of a lifetime is organized. While most films may use this race as the climax, it is used instead to set up a very emotional and inspirational final segment of the film. Bridges gives a fantastic performance that is Oscar worthy. I saw echoes of Bridges great work in the largely overlooked Tucker: The Man and His Dream, and he surpasses it in this film. Maguire is very strong and proves that he is able to hold his own against the best Hollywood can offer and is one of the best young talents in Hollywood.

I can easily see this film garnering several award nominations, as it is a very well crafted film that had people at my screener cheering. Easily one of the best films of the year and a serious Oscar contender; see this movie.

Gareth Von Kallenbach   July 28, 2003