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Poster (c) Universal Pictures
What are the three words that strike fear into the hearts of men everywhere? Those three little words: “A true story”. Usually when a story is Hollywoodized, it loses its dramatic impact and adds on sap. Although I have not read the book by Laura Hillenbrand, it’s evident that the story of Seabiscuit was not jazzed up much for the theaters. It’s not bubbling with sentiment, such as based-on-true-story movies usually are, and it has an authentic feel to it that makes Seabiscuit seem levelheaded, not conceited, and therefore tells a long, interesting, and predictable story that takes place in the Depression.
For the first third of this three-part film, we see Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) become a great car salesman, Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) is a trainer who can calm the wildest horse, and Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), a literate, well-to-do boy who becomes a jockey. Then all of them meet and raise a horse, Seabiscuit, a wild and untimely horse whose backstory we find out but don’t really care that much about. Although rather large for a jockey, Red rides Seabiscuit, who is rather small for a racehorse, trained by Tom, who is rather old for a trainer, and owned by Charles, who, as he says, is “too dumb to know the difference.”
In many ways, Seabiscuit is 2003’s Road to Perdition. Both are early Oscar contenders, and are widely critically acclaimed, but probably won’t bust the box office. Both have Oscar-winning actors in its cast. However, Seabiscuit is also different in many ways. Mainly, I found the first part of it almost boring, not very exciting. The subplot with literature in Red’s family wasn’t executed as well as it could have been, and, frankly, didn’t like Red in the beginning simply because of his family. Of course, he grows on you, and soon you’re rooting for him.
Bridges, yet again, acts greatly, and will probably be overlooked by the Academy, simply because he isn’t in an “Oscar movie”, a movie made just to win Oscars. Although he probably shouldn’t win, at least give the man a nomination! Cooper proves once again that just because he has an Oscar he’s a great actor. He was superb in American Beauty, but just acceptable in Adaptation., and here he’s also just acceptable. He, thankfully, is not in many scenes. Maguire doesn’t act, instead his badly dyed hair does. It’s scarier than your great-grandfather without his teeth in.
Yet, of course, the best parts of Seabiscuit are the racing scenes. Although it’s obvious that a camera was just hooked up to a horse or something behind them, with the Surround Sound and everything, it really seems like you’re in the action. It’s extremely predictable what’s going to happen, but even still I was so excited, I was surprised. I was just about ready to jump up for joy! It’s great filmmaking (from Gary Ross, Pleasantville) that can make you feel that: predictability and yet excitement. Seabiscuit’s pace ebbs and flows, but overall you won’t be disappointed if you take a trip out to your local multiplex.
Rated PG-13 for some sexual situations and violent sports-related images.
Review Date: July 25, 2003