`Seabiscuit' is a modern classic that certainly will not be forgotten.

Rating: 8/10 (4 August 2003)

Every summer, there is one movie that captivates audiences and critics alike. Last year, it was `Road To Perdition.' This year, it's the adaptation of the beloved book `Seabiscuit.' `Seabiscuit' is more than just a film. It proves that big-budget cinema can still release motion pictures with absolute integrity. Like the marvelous independent film `Whale Rider,' `Seabiscuit' is about broken people. These people somehow find a way to pick themselves up and start over with something new to give them meaning in life. Although this idea of a feel good movie is not new, most people can't get enough of them-they are inspiring. In `Seabiscuit,' we are not only moved by the delicacy of beautiful filmmaking, but also by wonder of its story.	The film centers around three lost men. The first is that of Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), who has spent most of life in the hands of jockeys that treated him as inferior. This turns him hardy and pushes people away from anything that could be meaningful. The second man is Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges), the developer of Buick automobiles who looses his only son during a car accident. Afterwards, his wife, distraught with grief, leaves Howard to escape the memories of her son and the lifestyle that Howard's fortune has created. The third character is that of Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), a cowboy, with an affinity for horses, whose world is quickly changing. The three men meet together at various points and form a friendship when Howard purchases a racehorse in desperate need of training named Seabiscuit. Ironically enough, Pollard who has been abused and rundown equally as much as Seabiscuit is chosen to be the jockey. Smith said it best-`you don't throw a whole life away simply because it's banged up a little.' But it will take more than hard work to break the horse. Through their trials and pain, the men find the strength to pick themselves up and find something to believe in when their original dreams were shattered.	Beyond the aspects of great filmmaking, the film reaches its audience in extraordinary ways. You find yourself routing for Seabiscuit during onscreen races as if you were actually at the track watching a real race. In fact, you feel the urge to applaud when Pollard and Seabiscuit win.
It goes farther than betting on the horse-the real Seabiscuit and Pollard were an inspiration to the working class during the depression era that they came from. They reminded people that hope survives in the depths of any kind of depression, be it personal or economic.	Director Gary Ross (`Pleasantville') has done a superb job in translating the book into a screen story. There are several parts of the film where the cinematography is absolutely lush from the fall foliage at Saratoga to the Palm Trees of the South. Some of the shots in the film were so well done that they were a reminder of `Ben-Hur' and the astounding chariot race that director William Wyler brought to life in 1959. Slow motion shots of the horses racing show utter grace and beauty for the majesty of these animals.
Performances in the film range from good to excellent. After all, `Seabiscuit' stars Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, and Chris Cooper-need I say more!	Even people who don't really enjoy this film will be hard pressed to find anything truly negative to say about it. Point in fact; `Seabiscuit' is a modern classic that certainly will not be forgotten. ***1/2