AT THE MOVIES WITH KASEY BUTCHER
When I first saw previews for Seabiscuit, starring Toby McGuire (Spider-Man), Jeff Bridges (The Contender), Chris Cooper (Adaptation), and William H. Macy (Door to Door), I laughed pretty hard. I found it kind of ridiculous that Universal Pictures was making a movie about a horse raising the spirits of Americans during the Great Depression. I mean, a horse? Give me a break. I thought this movie, about a small racehorse, big jockey, depressed businessman, and unconventional trainer was going to be National Velvet American-style (i.e.; the underdog starts out further behind and travels a greater distance, overcoming more obstacles). Seabiscuit, however, pleasantly surprised me and turned out to be so much more than the average “inspiring little guy” movie.
The film begins in the first decade of the Twenty-first Century. Life for Americans is full of promise. Henry Ford has invented an automobile that anyone can own. Charles Howard (Bridges) breaks into this growing industry and claims that he “wouldn’t buy the best horse in the country for more than five dollars.” Johnny “Red” Pollard (McGuire) and Tom Smith (Cooper), however, have different views on the animal. Red is a struggling jockey and boxer. Although he is too big to race he races anyway. Even though he has a knack for loosing, he is too stubborn and bitter to give up. Smith is an old trainer whos past is unknown. He firmly believes in not giving up on a horse just because he’s “a little banged up.”
After Howard’s son dies and his wife leaves him, he meets Marciela (Elizabeth Banks, Catch Me If You Can), remarries, and decides he wants to race horses. It is here that the lives of Pollard, Smith, and Howard collide. Once they buy Seabiscuit, a horse of superior breeding and abusive training, the result is a team who can’t be expected to do anything but loose. When Seabiscuit and Red’s angry temperaments meet, however, they tame each other and become inseparable. With Smith’s expert training they become unbeatable. This group of misfits develops a following among the everyday underdog that was America in the 1930’s. They showed the nation that even the little guy can win and that when he’s fallen down and no one thinks he can get back up, it is still possible for him to not only regain his strength, but also come out on top again.
There’s not much more I can say about Seabiscuit than this; the acting is amazing, the story is awe-inspiring, the cinematography is stunning, and if you don’t see this film, you’re missing out. It did leave me with one question though. If all jockeys used to be guys, who’s idea were the silk bows on the hats?
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