Seabiscuit

Rating: 8/10 (7 July 2011)

A fine combination of personal stories, American folklore and old nationalistic fervor, that updates the strategy of a Frank Capra propagandistic melodrama of the 1940s with a stronger sense of realism, provided by the historical facts read by narrator David McCullough. In many instances, Randy Newman's score overdoes the sentimentality, but the strong characters of the three men –Seabiscuit's owner, trainer and jockey, respectively played (very well) by Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper and Tobey Maguire, sometimes even jeopardizing their rapport with us, the audience– resist trivialization. Fine support by players Gary Stevens, Michael Angarano, and Eddie Jones, but Elizabeth Banks does almost nothing in an underdeveloped role, and William H. Macy is just comic relief. Also good work by cinematographer John Schwartzman, and the art direction department.