A decent, `feel-good' film

Rating: 8/10 (2 August 2004)

Just about everyone has their own personal corny `feel-good' movie, regardless of their level of cynicism. For 90% of the male population, that film is `Rudy', starring Sean Astin. My sole feel-good film up until a couple of days ago was `Erin Brockovich'; I always thought it was a `feel-good movie with an edge'. However, after seeing `Seabiscuit', directed by Gary Ross and starring Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels and Chris Cooper, I can add it to my personal short list.
Possible Spoilers
`Seabiscuit' is the true story of a racing horse, its jockey, trainer and owner, all who overcome some form of adversity in order to succeed. Seabiscuit himself was a horse that was `trained to fail', a horse that was of small stature and, when we first see it, highly temperamental and walking with a slight limp. Tom Smith, (Cooper) who becomes Seabiscuit's trainer, is a failed rodeo show performer who is naturally a loner and prefers the company of horses to just about any other human. Seabiscuit's jockey, Red Pollard, (Maguire) is taller than the average jockey, blind in one eye, and during the depression, was basically sold into the horse training/jockey life by his parents, who saw a gift in him. Finally, the eventual owner of Seabiscuit, Charles Howard, (Bridges) is a former failed business owner who finds success in the automotive industry, and after experiencing personal tragedy, finds a faith in this motley group that he may not have previously had.
Under Ross' direction, `Seabiscuit' is very well done. While nothing is overly dynamic, there are no glaring errors or rough spots either. The film is well paced from beginning to end, and the production values were quite good. All of the principals are good actors, so there were no surprises there. Probably the neatest thing that I personally found about the film was the narration by David McCullough, the great author and unmistakable voice of PBS' wonderful `American Experience' series. While `Seabiscuit' is obviously a dramatic representation of the true story, and liberties were probably taken in order to `Hollywoodize' the script, McCullough's voice-over by virtue of reputation lends a credible documentary feel too the film.
The strongest aspect of the film `Seabiscuit' is certainly its inspirational story, whether it is completely factual or not. It is a film that the normal, cynical me would normally grow at and immediately eschew, were it not for its simplicity and genuinely good spirit.
--Shelly