Review Of "Seabiscuit"

Rating: 8/10 (23 November 2011)

"Seabiscuit" is a 2003 biographical period drama about one of the greatest and most notable horses in American Horseracing History. The movie follows the story of a wealthy man (Bridges) who hires an unconventional trainer (Cooper) during The Great Depression to help him find an appropriate horse to enter into the races. They soon stumble upon a young man (Maguire) that they soon choose to be their jockey. I truly enjoyed this movie - there's just so much to really appreciate about it. First off, and most noticeably, is the wonderful cast of characters here. I know this movie's title makes you think this film is just about the horse, but it's also about the truly remarkable people behind him. Tobey Maguire plays Red Pollard, Seabiscuit's jockey, and his performance in this movie is really quite compelling to see. His character's stubbornness is something that you'd think you'd hate, but it's actually something I, and probably most people will, find to be his most enjoyable trait. Ross also does a really effective job of drawing parallels between Pollard and Seabiscuit. This, in a sense, helps solidify the relationship between the two characters. Chris Cooper does a really fine job of playing the unorthodox, yet effective trainer, Tom Smith. However, my most favorite character in this movie is Charles Howard, played by Jeff Bridges. There's just something about a guy, who's been dealt a bad hand of cards trying to make the best of his life do something good for society. I think It's through Howard's character and Bridges magnificent performance that we really get to see what Seabiscuit's presence throughout the Depression really meant for the American people - he was a beacon of hope. The screenplay is incredibly well done, as I find many lines of this movie to be memorable and quotable. After watching the special features, I was really impressed by the intense amount of preparation and work that went into this movie. Nearly every race was historically choreographed and rehearsed, and it really helps you gain a sense that these are the actual events as they transpired. One of the only problems I have with this movie is the length. Nearly an hour of this movie is exposition and I feel that a good amount of it could've been cut out. Did that hinder my ability to enjoy this movie? No not really, so I won't knock this movie much at all. In the end, I felt that "Seabiscuit" was a great underdog sports film with a truly inspiring tone that sticks with you.