"It ain't just the speed. It's the heart."

Rating: 8/10 (6 October 2018)

Until I saw movies like "Secretariat" and "Seabiscuit", I never considered that horses, or any other animals for that matter, would have a competitive racing spirit in them apart from a 'fight or flight' syndrome. That's an idea that comes out loud and clear in this picture, and only appreciated by a virtual handful of insiders like trainer Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), and jockeys Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire) and George Woolf (Gary Stevens). They take their knowledge and understanding of horses and have the ability to turn them into undisputed champions on the track. With the lazy Seabiscuit, Tom had just the right prescription - "He just needs to learn how to be a horse again."
Set during the Depression era of the 1930's, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and symbol of hope for many Americans, just like boxer Jimmy Braddock did during that turbulent decade. Even today, the idea that forty million people would halt in their daily routine to 'hear the call' of a match race that transpired on November 1st, 1938 seems simply incredible.
For anyone who wants to take it a step further, the 1949 film, "The Story of Seabiscuit" contains the actual archival footage of the race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral, along with the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap in which Seabiscuit made that dramatic comeback from a severe leg injury. It may not be as polished as this more modern day telling, but that in no way lessens the inspirational value of the story it tells. As an added bonus, the movie also contains an appearance by Shirley Temple in her next to last film.