Inspirational and Life-Affirming

Rating: Null/10 (12 January 2004)

Three very different men, a half-blind jockey, a horse whisper dismissed as an oddball, and a millionaire emotionally-crippled by the death of his son, all of whom desperately need a second chance, turn a difficult horse, dismissed by the professionals as an under-sized loser, into one of the greatest racehorses of all-time in this inspirational true story.
When people start using words like "inspirational" and "life-affirming" concerning a movie, I get nervous since those words usually mean "manipulative" and "hackneyed." It is a rare Hollywood film indeed which can rouse and warm the heart without being overly-cloying or sentimental. (Note: I said "overly!") "Seabiscuit" is that rare film. Yes, I found myself a little choked up at the end, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I can't say that about, say, "My Dog Skip," which also provoked an emotional response, but only after shamelessly throwing everything at the audience but the kitchen sink. The only thing that annoyed me was the voice-over narration which endlessly tried to tie the fate of the horse with the fate of the little people in the country. I felt it was a clumsy device which simply underlined themes which were obvious from the narrative itself. Didn't need the sledgehammer, folks.
Still, why do I quibble? See the film.