Spderman is a Horse Racer!

Rating: 9/10 (25 December 2004)

Fresh from his role as Spiderman, Tobey Maguire delivers his best performance he possibly ever gave in his career. Along with Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper, he rules the screen as a horse jockey with incredible talent. Fans Of the book by Laura Hillenbrand will not be disappointed. Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire) is a young man who would settle for any job offered to him in the Depression Era, and decided to be an exercise boy and stable cleaner. Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) is a carmaker that has a knack for business, and after financial loss in the Stock Market as well as a personal loss, decided to change directions and train racehorses. Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) is a trainer who liked to heal sick horses so he could let other trainers have a chance to train them. These three men all come together to train Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit is structured like your typical sports film, and it seems to move very slowly in the beginning. They introduce the areas and the times quite nicely, yet excessively. But as the film moves on, it runs much more smoothly as Seabiscuit's tale begins to unfold. Seabiscut himself is a small horse with an immense appetite. He has had many owners in the past, however they all gave up on him thinking that he would never be any good as a racehorse. They lowered his self-esteem tremendously by making him lose to other horses that they were breeding to gain their self-confidence. But this was all before he met three men who would care and love him and help make him a nationally loved sports figure. Since his self-esteem was lowered tremendously, once Red started to express his love and loyalty to Seabiscut, it almost seems as if Seabiscut has an inability to loose, even (and especially) when he is the underdog. (err underhorse?? Is that a word?) The race scenes are absolutely thrilling. Astounding. Spectacular! Pick any word you like! Cinematographer John Schwartzman gets amazingly close to the actors as they ride towards you. It's almost like being right at the gate at the races. Who knew Spidy can ride a horse? An inspirational tale of determination and a strive for perfection, in a direction style that's not unlike Frank Capra {"It's A Wonderful Life" (1946) and "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" (1939)}, Gary Ross's stunning work is should not have been overlooked at Oscar-time.
Rated PG-13 for some sexual situations and violent sports-related images. Running Time: 140 Minutes. Appropriate for Children aged 12 and up.