It's no Seabiscuit

Rating: 6/10 (4 January 2004)

As you watch Jeff Bridges early rise and fall in the dawning moments of Seabiscuit, the absolute radiance of a natural story shines through until your body is engrossed in goosebumps. The scene where Jeff Bridges holds his child in utter agony (without any music or noise) shows just how loud a powerful moment like this could be. And I personally thought I was about to experience a motion picture film that will delve into the deep riches of the human spirit and show how much an underdog victory can change the way a person feels, let alone change the feeling of a nation. But, however strong the story of Seabiscuit seems to start, the movie gradually gets worse when in fact it should be getting better, just like the horse itself. At the beginning of the movie, Gary Ross pulls at the heartstrings, showing the down and out lives of three men in the early 1900's: 1)Charles Howard, the successful business man (played by Jeff Bridges) who went from producing bicycles to motor engines; 2) Red Pollard (played by Tobey Maguire), the poor young jockey of Seabiscuit who had to leave his family because of the Great Depression; and 3) Tom Smith (played by last year's Best Supporting Actor, Chris Cooper), who seems to be the most naturalistic character I've seen in a while. Each of the characters lose something close to them, each face personal agony and loss, and each seems to be down for the count. They meet through one unsuspecting star, the horse Seabiscuit, which gives Howard a new business venture, Smith another horse in which to relate, and Pollard a new best friend. They pull together, winning various horse races throughout the country, trying to show the whole United States that a horse whose jockey is too big and whose horse is too small can beat the odds. But down the stretch run, Seabiscuit the movie is left in the dust of Seabiscuit the actual horse. The movie's narrative clanks and clutters along the last 40 minutes or so, and the great final finish wasn't that great at all. The acting is par at worst. Jeff Bridges brings delightful attitude and color to his character. He also gives an emotional depth that is only seen in bits and pieces. As the movie wanes, Bridges doesn't seem to do much. He's just there to look pretty next to his pretty wife. It seems his down and out luck turned for the best halfway through and that he has nothing else to do for the rest of the movie. I don't know about anyone else, but I was just waiting for Tobey Maguire to pull out his Spiderman costume. And what's the deal with not giving Chris Cooper anything to do. I know he's supposed to be a natural kind of guy, but isn't he human? Doesn't he know how to talk? I think he may have had a few lines of any importance. Maybe the writers were letting him give a subtle performance, but he had nothing emotional in which to hook himself or the audience for that matter. The star of the show (which really doesn't mean anything) is William H. Macy, who plays a sportscaster who uses weird noises to show off his colorful personality. Macy is energetic in the role; however, the role doesn't merit anything award-winning. Same could be said for the movie. Hardly a photo finish. Final Grade: B-