Even if you are not into horse racing this is a must see

Rating: Null/10 (29 December 2003)

There are certain names that have become almost a part of the English language which most of us have heard of, but few rarely know the story behind the origin of the name. Seabiscuit is one of them, along with names like the Gipper Knute Rockne, The Bronx Bombers, Murderers Row, Man-o-War, Dan Patch. All of these names are associated with legends in their own respective sports. I can remember as a kid growing up in the seventies hearing the name Seabiscuit but never knowing who or what it was. This movie not only presents who Seabiscuit was, but it shows us a time capsule of the way things were in pre world war II America. Presented in a docu-drama style nararated by David Mccullough who is a noted historian in his own right and is also a very recognizable voice over talent for historical dramas, Seabiscuit presents a world which few surviving Americans can remember, a world where the automobile was a novelty and locomotives were the main mode of cross-country transportation, not airplanes. A world where entire families were glued to the radio in the living room listening to the nightly news or the latest new commercial radio show. A world that was still struggling to make it's way out of the depression. This was the world into which the famous racehorse Seabiscuit was born into. This was the time when horseracing was almost as popular as baseball when baseball was the number one spectator sport in America. The movie Seabiscuit does a remarkable job of painting a beautiful picture of an otherwise dark time in America, sometimes using glossy colors to show a gentler America than what the history books show, it does use documentary photographs throughout the movie to aid in dating the times when the events of the movie were occurring. Tobey Maguire puts in a remarkable performance as the down on his luck feisty and angry too-tall horse-jockey Red Pollard, and yes, even with red hair, Tobey Maguire still looks like your every day next door neighbor. Jeff Bridges plays the sentimental haunted owner of Seabiscuit Mr. Howard. Mr Howard is sentimental and haunted as a result of the death of his only son and the resulting dissolution of his marriage. Chris Cooper again shows why he is one of Hollywoods best supporting actors putting in a Horse-whispereresque performance as the too old Horse trainer who sees beauty in the otherwise underwhelming Seabiscuit and sees the heart of a champion inside the horse just waiting for someone to coax it out. These three men help shape the unlikely championship career of a horse that everyone said was lazy, too small, rebellious and angry. The movie uses period imagery that is very convincing, and while there are a couple of somewhat fake looking scenes with Tobey Maguire seated in the saddle of Seabiscuit overall, it does not detract from a well done movie. As the movie ended I was left with a tear in my eye and a warm feeling in my heart. Done in the tradition of movies like Rudy and Field of Dreams, this movie is sure to go down as a family classic to be loved for many years, and to be watched over and over again. This is a movie that young and old alike will enjoy and I would recommend it to anyone.