The Moose Hole - Review of Seabiscuit

Rating: 8/10 (2 August 2003)

The end of July always seems to be a bit of a drag at the box office and no more so then this year. The summer of 2003 has been a very disappointing season with most sequels failing to live up to their predecessors and potential blockbusters falling hard just as they get out of the gate. The only highlights would be Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, both of which belong to the Walt Disney Company. Disney is leading the way as they seem to be the first studio this year to reach the $1 billion mark and could potentially win the year despite competition from The Matrix Revolutions. Though Universal is pretty far in the back of the pack (#4 at time of publication), they hope to make it up by grabbing some Oscar gold instead. The late July release date for the film may be weird choice if you want your film to be `Oscar bait' but the studio is hoping that the film will generate the same amount of buzz at last summer's Road to Perdition so when it comes to nomination time, the film will remain somewhat fresh in the mind of voters. And with the deadline for consideration pushed up this year, Seabiscuit has a lot better chance at getting a couple of nominations then 2002's Perdition. Will this `little horse film that could' impress the regular movie-going public or will too many be blinded by the shimmer of Oscar potential to notice a well based historical film?
The story of Seabiscuit is based on the true story of the `little horse that could' which was depicted in Seabiscuit: An American Legend, written by Laura Hillenbrand. The film follows the events surrounding the lives of Red Pollard, Charles Howard, and Tom Smith in the 1930's. Around this time the country is desperately trying to pull itself together after The Great Depression of 1929 but nothing seems to going right for any of the main characters. Charles Howard, who made a fortune by introducing the Buick automobile to the American West, has lost his son in an automobile accident and, in event, loses his relationship with his wife. Tom Smith loses his purpose performing in the Wild West show thanks to the introduction of the automobile in the West and so goes into seclusion. And Red Pollard, who was given up by his parents during the Depression, stumbles from horse racing to boxing just trying to make a living. These three very different individuals come together after Howard purchases a gangly horse named Seabiscuit in 1938 and decides to race the horse despite overwhelming odds. With `a horse that's too small, a jockey who's too big, and a trainer who's too old', Seabiscuit gathers the attention of the public and raises the hopes of a struggling nation. The story of Seabiscuit is very well put together as there is a great blend of humor and drama, which is so rare in `Oscar bait' films. The film also does a good job of providing historical backgrounds for certain scenes by jumping outside the central story and showcasing old film reels and black & white photos. The way this is presented allows the film to set up background information that doesn't distract from the central story.
The cast of Seabiscuit is the real reason why the film may have Oscar potential. Tobey Maguire, who starred in Oscar nominated Cider House Rules, became famous for his role as Peter Parker in the smash hit, Spider-Man but he is truly brilliant as Red Pollard. Maguire showcases a lot more emotion in Seabiscuit then in the role that made him famous in the mainstream and shows that he can still perform at the level of Oscar potential dramas. Chris Copper, who won an Oscar for his role in Adaptation, is wonderful as Tom Smith though his character isn't shown as much as the other three lead male roles. Elizabeth Banks, who also starred in Spider-Man with Maguire as a secretary at the Daily Bugle, receives her first lead role and does a pretty good job with it. The problem lies mostly in the fact that there is so little information given on her character, like where she came from and such, that you don't feel for her character as much as the three main leads. One of the biggest highlights of the cast is William H. Macy, who is right on target with his performance as a 1930's radio announcer. Macy rambles on with crazy one liners while being accompanied by sound effects which makes the historical background all the more engaging.
Overall, Seabiscuit is a good drama that out shines the rest of the trash that clutters the local Cineplex. There are very few problems but those problems, as few as they are, hurt the film the most. The time length, which stands at nearly two and a half hours, seems to be about twenty minutes too long. The last twenty minutes of the film seem to drag on a bit longer then it should have and hurt the overall flow. Another problem was some of the transition scenes especially the area where they show Howard's son dead and then quickly move to where Howard's wife leaves him. The problem is that the musical score is played above everything else eliminating the dialogue, which doesn't seem to work at all and just causes confusion amongst the audience. Despite those problems, the film does play out better then most sports related. What makes the film all the more interesting is the historical background sequences. The scenes feel like they are straight out of a Ken Burns PBS mini-series. Another highlight is the literary quotes and references made by Red Pollard, which brings intelligence and charisma to this sports drama. Though not an absolute classic, Seabiscuit could grab some Oscar nominations that may be well deserved for an interesting story and a good old time at the box office.
My Rating: **** out of 5 (Grade: B+)