Starts out as a necessary trot, but gallops to the finish line

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2003)

Any moviegoer who is missing Seabiscuit because they believe it is just a film about a race horse, should open their eyes, open their minds, and open their hearts to one of the most moving films to grace the multiplex in a good long while. This is not just a film about a horse, it is a film about survival, redemption, and how when things may seem as bleak as they possibly can be, one is able to overcome the toughest of circumstances and the worst of adversity. After an endless summer of moronic sequels with an endless supply of car chases, gun fire and explosions, Seabiscuit stands out as a true gem in an endless sea of summer motion picture muck.
Some people may find the first forty-five minutes or so of Seabiscuit slow going. That was my response, as I,like many people, wanted to hurry up and get to the horse racing scenes. As the story developed though I realized it was these early scenes in the film that made it so much more than what it would have been otherwise. Without them, it could very well have been just a story about a horse, and many things that happen later wouldn't have had near the emotional impact that they possess.
It is in the early stages that we meet Charles Howard, (Jeff Bridges who has his best role in many years), a millionaire who seems to have everything, until one day his son is killed in an accident, and his wife leaves him. Then there is Red Pollard, whom we meet as a young boy (Michael Angarano) that is sent away by his parents after they have lost everything during the depression. Later, as a young adult(Tobey Maguire), we see him give up being a jock, become a boxer where he loses the sight in one eye and then become nothing more than a stable boy walking horses. Next there is Tom Smith(Chris Cooper), an out of work mustang breaker, who basically wonders around the West with little to do, out of a job and down on his luck. It is after Howard meets up with Smith, that on Smith's advice he purchases a horse called Seabiscuit that most experts thought would never win anything. Later, after watching Red Pollard walking a horse (in a very funny scene), Howard hires him also. From then on we are totally engrossed, as these three men and a horse, overcome all odds to not only find their own souls, but likewise rally a nation that had been beaten down by the depression. They give a country hope at a time when many people did not know if they would have a meal from day to day, or whether they may ever work again. They gave them something to cheer for, and us as a film audience, to cheer along with them.
I cannot praise highly enough the work of director Gary Ross and the three main actors in Seabiscuit. Ross, who also gave us the wonderfully underrated film Pleasantville, has done exemplary work here also. Maguire, Cooper, and Bridges are perfect in their three roles. These are the most difficult kind of roles for many actors. There is no scene chewing going on here. They stay within their characters the whole film, which requires a more subtle approach then the kind of over the top performances that usually win Academy Awards. The only role that requires any outlandishness is that of Tick Tock, the track announcer, wonderfully played by William H. Macy for comic relief. Also on hand is Elizabeth Banks as the second Mrs. Howard. She isn't given much to do in this film, but shows she is every bit as capable as the men.
There are times during Seabiscuit when you will laugh, times when you may find your eyes moistening just a bit, and times when you will applaud and cheer as the audience did when I saw it. Best of all, when you leave the theater, you will leave with a sense of warmth and appreciation, for easily the finest film of not only this summer, but of a lot of summers.