Seabiscuit (Full Screen)

 

 

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The story begins by showing the American dream. Henry Ford is building cars and inventing the assembly line. It appears that prosperity is something everyone can achieve and optimism is high. Then, the depression hits. Where people once owned cars for pleasure and convenience, for some, their car may be their only remaining possession.

Charles Howard (Bridges) is a man who started with 21 cents in his pocket and turned it into what most would consider a successful business. He owns a big house and his wife and son seem to be happy. That changes in an instant the day his young son decides to take the car for a spin and ends up being killed in the resulting crash. Howard's wife leaves and he's left behind to rebuild his life.

This is the story of unlikely success and second chances. Howard finds new love when he encounters Marcela (Elizabeth Banks) and eventually remarries. He also decides to invest in a horse. His trainer is Tom Smith (Cooper), who has been written off as crazy by most people. His jockey is Red Pollard (Maguire), who has a temper, a history of losing, and has never been considered good at what he does. Howard spends $2,000 on Seabiscuit. The horse has good breeding, but is undersized, apparently lazy, and not likely to become a winner.

Each of these damaged characters gets a second chance in life. We see Smith training Seabiscuit. The horse is unruly and will only let Pollard ride him. Howard knows nothing about racing, but he's a loyal owner and believes in his team of misfits.

As you can see, there's nothing remarkable about the story so far. But something makes us root for Seabiscuit. The race sequences place the viewer right among the action. It looks and sounds so real that you'll feel as if you are riding one of the horses.

The live action is broken up occasionally with black and white photographs depicting people who grew up in this era. It made me think of people no longer with us. They all had lives, hopes and dreams. You can see some of that optimism in their smiles.

The film is good at a making you reflect on the past. One major story thread involves Howard's attempts to set up a match race with Triple Crown winner War Admiral. People desperately want to see the two meet, but War Admiral's owner is against the idea and doesn't consider the challenge worthy.

The film leaves out a lot of historical details and focuses on a few races rather than Seabiscuit's entire career. As a result, some of the events did not occur exactly as suggested. But it doesn't ruin the story if you watch it without knowing the full history.

I won't reveal any more of the plot. The acting is very good, as you would expect from actors of this quality. Bridges and Cooper are particularly effective. If you avoid films about animals because you don't like to see them get hurt, no horses die at any point. Two suffer injuries, but it's essential to the plot and ends happily.

Seabiscuit captured the nation's imagination in the 1930s and represented hope when people needed it most. The story is inspirational and is one of the best sports films I've seen. Any Oscar hopes were crushed by Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, but it was nominated in seven categories.

Seabiscuit looked as though it could have been a really good movie. There haven't been a whole lot of stories about horse racing. So, it seemed to be a novel idea.

On the good side, The movie has marvelous production value and is obvious the makers were attempting to achieve an oscar for their studio. But, that is the only thing I can say in its favor.

The story has characters and themes that you SHOULD care about and root for. Red Pollard (played by TOBEY MAGUIRE), is a consiment underdog. An ill-tempered, former bare hand boxer who has been dismissed and forgotten his entire life. Yet, the movie never truly executes this feeling, or resolves it.

Seabiscuit wins race after race, showing signs of super intelligence when it comes to racing and competing. Knowing when it's losing and not liking it, and we're supposed to feel as if it were some kind of underdog. The horse is fast, a top notch racer and it never shows any sign of anything different.

What the movie needed more than anything was more moments between Pollard and Seabiscuit. Bonding. The movie needed to show them becoming one, becoming a team and more importantly, becoming inseparable friends. In this, it failed. It tried. But, it failed.

The biggest dramatic moment in the entire yawner of a movie is when Red Pollard is the victim of a freak accident that you see coming a mile away, (and so should have he if he'd been around horses all his life) injuring his leg and being told he'll never be able to race again.

All in all, the true problem with SEABISCUIT is the story itself or the script itself. And it's biggest failure is its attempt to make the viewers believe that horse racing is something OTHER than a game for the sole purpose of making the super rich, RICHER.

It is not only the story of this magnificient horse, it is the story of courage and determination of many persons in a very hard time of this last century.
It is a true Story and it is make you thinking on yourself too !!!
How we been react in the same situations.

Buy this DVD.....you will never see the horses, the same way.
I have horses...so was very interesting for me.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Good
I find it only good if you are liking horses and want to watch as it is based on a true story. I found it to have way too much swearing for my kids to watch.

Published 14 months ago by Alicia2

1.0 out of 5 stars Seabiscuit's a loser
This movie is stunningly awful. Hollywood took an exciting and terse book and poured five cans of sugar over it. Read more

Published on July 15 2004 by C. S. Overfield

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BEST MOVIE EVER!!! EVERYONE HAS TO SEE IT!!!

Published on July 12 2004 by amanda

3.0 out of 5 stars A Conversation With Señor Droll, God of Saltines.
Señor Droll, may I ask you if it was the begining and the end of imagination, at the same time? Read more

Published on July 8 2004 by Cosmic Juan

2.0 out of 5 stars Seabiscuit (Widescreen Edition)
Seabiscuit (Widescreen Edition) DVD ~ Jeff Bridges is an ok movie. But it is about a horse...and that is not what I consider exciting. Read more

Published on July 8 2004 by B. Viberg

4.0 out of 5 stars Epic sports history
This film has many of the qualities of an epic: exceptional production values & cast that place it in the same class as "Braveheart" or "Gangs Of New... Read more

Published on July 7 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Average
Astonishingly well thought of popcorn populism flick. I can see why it did so well. It hits its target audiences perfectly. Read more

Published on July 6 2004 by J

5.0 out of 5 stars Although not Flawless, Very well done!
Having read about Seabiscuit and having been a racing fan for a number of years, I thouroughly enjoyed this movie. Read more

Published on Jun 28 2004 by Joanne Garcia

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect movie
I originally had my doubts about this movie. I saw the previews and really wasn't that interested. But my dad went and saw this movie and said he was going to buy it when it came... Read more

Published on Jun 27 2004 by Darren Burton

5.0 out of 5 stars this movie deserves the hype
most movies don't deserve the hype but this movie was great. I knew nothing about Seabiscuits story and the story of the people he touched but after watching this movie I plan on... Read more

Published on Jun 21 2004 by M. A. Miller

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