Seabiscuit seeing Red

Rating: 9/10 (9 July 2005)

Seabiscuit is a heart warming story bringing together a team of underdogs who were given up on at one point in their lives. Millionaire owner Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) recruits horse trainer Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), jockey Red Pollard (Tobey McGuire) and a horse named Seabiscuit to complete his horse racing team to fulfill a need in his life. Bridges, even though financially set, has his own demons after his son dies early in the film. Chris Cooper who was thought to be no longer a trainer of value and Tobey McGuire, thought to be too big in size for a jockey are the perfect metaphor for the people of the United States during the Great Depression. Many people were without and no future in mind. This true story shows no matter what life puts in front of you; never give up on yourself or others.
McGuire seems almost effortless as his portrayal as Red who was sent away by his family in a better life. Before riding Seabiscuit he had to fight literally in order to make money and live. McGuire's character has his own disability yet shows how the heart of a person outweighs all the negatives. McGuire bonds even more with Seabiscuit when accidents take them both out of racing for a short stint.
Writer and Director Gary Ross pulls Seabiscuit to life with his brilliant color choice and camera angles. He shows with bright beautiful colors the country before the depression and then the dark and gloomy outlook once the market crashed. Ross uses the colors black and white to emphasize good and evil between the rival horse War Admiral and Seabiscuit. Using red as a predominant color the movies show what a fighter McGuire's character is.
Also by using low and high camera angles Ross helps support the theme by showing how the team of Seabiscuit is not as strong as that of the War Admiral, including the owner. Ross shows the passion of Seabiscuit with close-ups of the horse's eyes.
In my own viewing experience, one of the only other movies that gives your heart such a roller-coaster ride as Seabiscuit is Rudy (1993). Both movies showing that size of an individual nor what gets thrown in front of you matter as much as your perseverance and never give up attitude.
All in all if this classic of the nineties does not make you believe you can do anything, I do not know what will.