Hope Still Lives

Rating: Null/10 (4 November 2004)

"Seabiscuit" is a marvelous story of overcoming great troubles and adversities through hope, determination, and championship. It is a very simple and demure tale about a circle of acquaintances: a rowdy jockey (Tobey Maguire), a prosperous, yet disparaged marketeer (Jeff Bridges), and a humble, conscientious horse trainer (Chris Cooper), who team up to lead a scruffy, underdog racehorse named Seabiscuit to national victory, and to perhaps enhance their own spirits and relieve their own disparities in the process. Set during the Great Depression, and apparently based on actual events, "Seabiscuit" strives to create the uplifting and sensational impression that hope can prevail over adversity, and that high spirits, if even temporary, can obliterate those troubles prevalent in 1930s America and give those disparaged by the times something to cheer about: Seabiscuit provided just that kind of marvelous spirit and redemption for much of the nation, produced by determination and willingness. This message being recognized and respected, there are some succinct problems to be found in this film. For instance, it tends to deviate from theme to theme frequently: from sobering (e.g. when Jeff Bridges loses his son to an accident), to mild and curious (e.g. training Seabiscuit), to primitive (e.g. Toby Maguire "duking it out" as a wrestler in Mexico), and this amounts to much unevenness throughout the story, often times quite confusing or even irksome. Much is characterized of Seabiscuit being an flawed, underdog contender for a horse race, we hardly experience many notorious triumphs which led to Seabiscuit's national popularity at the time: we hardly follow any invigorating championships in horse races, yet they are consistently being talked about. Some failed efforts in captivating and sensationalizing upon its very inspiration- al and reverent theme greatly compromise what could have been a brilliant and beautiful cinematic experience. However, there are some marvelous technical aspects to be acknowledged: the cinematography is breathtaking and stirring, the music is sensational and dramatic, the set direction feels as if one were situated in a stadium in 1930s America, and the sound effects of the hoofbeats racing across the ground are rhythmic and powerful: a brilliant technical design. Toby Maguire is very compassionate and human with his role, as are Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper, who provide just the maturity and confidence to keep their afflicted, yet emboldened characters alive. A sensational story, with sensational cinematic achievements, yet a rather underwhelming plot, "Seabiscuit" succeeds mostly as fresh, potent, entertainment, a real "gallup" of a winner. *** out of ****