Seabiscuit

Based on the best-selling novel Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand, Gary Ross directed 'Seabiscuit' is a film with a Spirit! It's a courageous true-story, that also makes a moving film. The Direction, The Cinematography, The Performances, all pitch in nicely.

'Seabiscuit' tells the story of Three men, who, come together, respectively, as the principal jockey, owner, and trainer of the championship horse Seabiscuit, rising from troubled times to achieve fame and success through their association with the horse.

Gary Ross's Adapted Screenplay, manages to make a worthy true-story into a worthy film. The characters, The Horse itself, are wonderfully explained. However, the film definitely could've been trimmed, by at least 10-15 minutes. Ross's direction deserves brownie points, as well. John Schwartzman's Cinematography is gorgeous. Editing is good. Art-Design seems perfect.

Performance-Wise: Tobey Maguire is dependable. Jeff Bridges is natural & restrained throughout, while Chris Cooper is simply fantastic. Elizabeth Banks is passable. Gary Stevens & William H. Macy are fair.

On the whole, 'Seabiscuit' comes up a winner in it's intentions. Go, get moved!

So here it is: a story about a horse that would give spirit to a whole nation, after the depression of the late 20's and early 30's. Make it a story where the horse and it's jockey have to overcome injury to win it's final great race, and you got your tearjerker (and, therefore, Oscar winner) right there.

But, somehow, 'Seabiscuit' is much more than that. What is definitely a help, is it's incredible cast. Tobey McGuire once more shows he's one of the better youngsters around in Hollywood, and old-timers Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper will do the rest for ya, even though Cooper is not at his best here as Tom Smith, the trainer for the horse. Then there's William H. Macy in a hilarious role as 'Tick Tock McGlaughlin', a radio presenter.

The life-story we follow the most though is that of Charles Howard (Bridges), owner of the horse. As a self-made millionaire selling cars, who lost his son due to a car-accident, he finds a little bit of joy back to life, with his new wife and his new love, the horsing business. His inspirational speeches make 'Seabiscuit' a crowd-pleaser, in particular that of the 'common people', who recognize themselves in the little horse.

As said, the movie is a little bit too much of a happy ending story to really make it into the 'classic' category, but the movie looks great and hasn't got a boring moment in it. Good acting all around therefore make it a very pleasant movie experience. Although the 7 academy award nominations were a little bit much...

7/10.

It's fitting that a film about underdogs giving it all they've got has been released among the standard summer action fare. No other movie this summer has capitalized upon the David vs. Goliath theme so thoroughly and effectively as `Seabiscuit' has.

The story of `Seabiscuit' is actually the tale of four long shots: Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges), a wealthy self-made man and natural salesmen who's suffered both personal and financial loss through the Depression, Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), an aging horse trainer unsure of his place in the world with the ending of the frontier, Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), a short-tempered jockey with various handicaps against him, and Seabiscuit, an undersized mustang whose been mistreated his whole life.

It's the Depression, and times are hard on everyone. The assembly line philosophy of business is starting to squelch independent spirit and people are looking for anything to help escape the dreary day-to-day of life. During this maelstrom of hopelessness, horse racing quickly gathers favoritism among those wishing to witness a spectacle in otherwise bleak times. It's under these circumstances that the film's four main parties come together. Howard, seeking a new business venture in horse racing, hires Smith as his horse trainer and Pollard as his jockey, and upon Smith's insistence, purchases the ill-tempered Seabiscuit.

It's not long before Seabiscuit becomes the `little horse who could,' gaining favor among the sporting fans on the West Coast. But despite the popularity the mustang and his team gains, they are seen as just a cheap novelty by the East Coast horse racing elite, led by Samuel Riddle, owner of the 1937 Triple Crown Winner War Admiral. This mushrooms into a media circus as Howard tries to gain public favor in order to force Riddle to put his money where his mouth is.

The story should have felt cliched and by-the-numbers, but a funny thing happened: the film makers took a nearly forgotten moment in time and managed to invest it with immediacy and suspense. The near mythic meeting of Seabiscuit and War Admiral on November 1, 1938 at Pimlico is an extension of the movie's overall theme; Seabiscuit, the representative of underdog hopes and pioneering dreams, and War Admiral, the recipient of champion breeding and training, a product of assembly line thinking.

Bridges and Maguire give spirited performances, with their characters forming a father and son bond that both men desperately needed. Cooper, who won this year's Best Supporter Actor Oscar, can give this kind of performance in his sleep, bringing a quiet, stoic depth to the Smith character. The supporting cast is top drawer as well, especially William H. Macy as `Tick Tock' McGlaughlin, the initially skeptical radio sports commentor who becomes a full blown Seabiscuit supporter.

Director Gary Ross captures the time period marvelously, with broken human beings slowly recapturing their dignity and pride against a landscape of barren ruin. The conflicts are fought not on traditional battlefields, but atop magnificent beasts along a circular track, and Ross wisely utilizes this metaphor to full effect.

Many film goers this season will most certainly pass on `Seabiscuit,' choosing instead to see standard fare like `American Wedding' and `Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.' Others will undoubtedly avoid it because it looks to artsy to be entertaining. For whatever reason, it will be a shame that this film will not do well financially; the horse race scenes are some of the most intense I've ever seen, and the animals are pure poetry in motion.

9 out of 10 stars. A nearly flawless motion picture.

A fabulous movie! It offers credibility to the old saying that 'if there's a will, there's a way.' It's a great reminder that there had been people - of yesteryears - who had been brave and courageous to accept the underdogs with heartfelt benevolence.

As a film, revolving around the inspiring story of Seabiscuit, it works well. It connects the cultural icon with the life paths of three men of different social standings, leading me through a mixed journey of tragedies and jubilation, risks, disappointments and exuberance. It shows how these men and beast overcome incredible odds to achieve their goals. The bonding of the quartet is wonderfully captured in this film. Watching the horse transformed into a winner is as aesthetically beautiful as seeing 'Cinderella' transformed into a beauty by her three 'fairy godmothers.' This film has a compelling story that salutes the American dream.

This adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's book, unfortunately, does omit a great deal of the interesting biographical accounts of the trio's lives and the historical impressions of the nation's era between 1903-1940. But Director Gary Ross (watch out for his cameo appearance) does provide sufficient background to the lives of Charles Howard, Jim Smith and Red Pollard to justify how the trio becomes ultimately involved with the life of Seabiscuit. The small spirited bay is first introduced as a colt, and Red as a young kid, both ultimately separated from their parents, and both subjecting the viewers never to forget their crooked legs and their predisposition for indolence! Strangely, the film does show many similarities, in traits and circumstances, between Seabiscuit and Red. Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper and Toby Maguire are impressive in their roles. They are convincing sources to what is meant by perseverance and triumph. William H. Macy does 'tick-tock' through several scenes to provide the comic relief.

The film is filled with dramatically charming appeal and beauty, yet it has not failed to expose the brutality of horseracing. even if Seabiscuit's glory had distracted millions away from the political, social and economic woes of their times. The visuals for the story's historical era are wonderfully detailed, creating a sense of realism to the period, the characters and events. The choice of Randy Newman's music scores helps build up the viewers' emotions especially in the race scenes.

Seabiscuit is a winner!

A-

The film is set in the 30s , economical crisis time , the 29 crack and the ¨Great Depression¨ . A lot of people have got starvation and distresses , although with President Franklyn D. Roosevelt and his ¨New Deal¨ America will retrieve its splendor . This is a story of rich and pauper people . It's a fable of hits and flops . The movie centers on a horse and a good rider (Toby McGuire) , the trainer (Chris Cooper) , the owner (Jeff Bridges) and his wife(Elizabeth Banks) and a journalist (Willian H. Macy). The movie is based on real events and there are various flashbacks developing the historical deeds .

In the motion picture there are humans emotions , drama , tearjerker and several horse races . Runtime film is overlong , two hours and some and though the picture is slow-moving , isn't boring , neither tiring . The final duel between two contender horses is overwhelming and exciting . War Admiral was played by one of his descendants, a gelding named Verboom . While the movie describes War Admiral as being a huge horse close to eighteen hands tall, the real-life War Admiral was well known for being one of the smallest sons of Man o' War . War Admiral was actually the same size as Seabiscuit , which was approximately fifteen hands tall . The flick is apt for everybody , because there isn't violence , nor murders , but agreeable feelings . The movie had nomination various Oscars but didn't get Academy Awards and attained a moderated success , though didn't failed at box office . Interpretation by Toby McGuire is cool , Chris Cooper is excellent, as always , and Jeff Bridges is nice . Randy Newman musical score is riveting , likeness to Jason Swartzman cinematography that is fascinating , too . THe picture was well directed by Gary Ross . Rating : 7,5/10 . Very Good , well worth watching . Better tan average .