The Resurrection of America

Rating: Null/10 (31 January 2004)

Spoilers Herein:
The jockey (Tobey Maguire) who has lost his sight, the rich man (Jeff Bridges)who has lost his son, and the stereotypical Westerner (Chris Cooper) who has lost his lifestyle. They all find their solace in Seabiscuit, the horse given a second chance.
For a true story, the story is a striking allegory to the resurrection of America amidst the Great Depression. I was leery of watching a 2.5 hour movie about a horse, but instead the plot, as an allegory, shows how Seabiscuit is the embodiment of America. He is given his second chance, and he rises from the ashes like the Phoenix. America too will rise from the remains of Wall Street and the dust of the Midwest to become great again. Furthermore, Seabiscuit is the average American. He is not Carnegie, he is not Rockefeller-he is the man with a quarter in his pocket who watches the race from the inside track.
The story also plays on some themes reminiscent of The Great Gatsby, which can also be seen as telling the story of America. Seabiscuit is the West, the nouveau riche, who is trying to find equality amongst the old aristocracy of the East. Jeff Bridges, as Seabiscuit's owner, almost blatantly says it in one of his speeches in the film. Seabistcuit is the best horse in the West, he says, while War Admiral is the best of the East. However, Riddle, the owner of War Admiral, refuses to race this, as he basically claims, nag.
The acting from the main cast was good, but perhaps the best and funniest performance is from William H. Macy as the radio host. The cinematography, however, is what truly makes the film. I hope that Seabiscuit wins this Oscar, for it is truly deserved.
Overall, a 10/10. For something that I was afraid would be a fluffy film full of feel-goodness, I was pleasantly surprised.