Un anno da ricordare

"It is beautiful to watch a fine horse gallop, the long stride, the rush of the wind as he passes—my heart beats quicker to the thud of the hoofs and I feel his strength." Richard Jefferies

Secretariat is no exception. It's the story of the fastest horse in history, first known as Big Red, who went on to win horse racing's triple crown on 1973, a feat not accomplished in 25 years. After that he sired 600 foals, much to the delight of his investors, the first to invest solely in a stud future.

But then I love Seabiscuit (2003) for it depression-era cheerleading. This is what American filmmakers do well--a rouser with messages, big–screen chases, and sentimentality for the little guy. Seabiscuit is Rocky for horses, a suspenseful crowd pleaser with characters such as the whisperer played by Chris Cooper, who said, "You don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little." The thought resonates for almost everyone in the film, a tribute to unity of theme and expression of actor.

Similarly there's more than just a racing film in Secretariat; after all National Velvet has a more interesting story and a younger heroine in Elizabeth Taylor, but that was decades ago. This true story is about the grit of Penny Chenery, who took over Virginia's Meadow Stables from her father and beat the male-dominated odds.

This quintessential Disney movie depicts her as tough and loving, a mother and a businesswoman, who can serve as a model for young women aspiring to reach great goals even in this liberated 21st century, which still has a ways to go before it expunges fully the sexism scourge.

The photography is bracing, often putting the camera right by the prancing hoofs or mid-level close to the steed's haunches. Although nothing new here, it is still exciting fare. Because we all know going in that our horse will win the crown, director Randall Wallace is especially successful in keeping us interested and worried for Secretariat.

Disclosure: I like most Hollywood horse-racing stories.

My grandmother was a parent during the '50's and liked everything neat and clean and in its place. Heaven forbid if things get too out of hand; too "real". I have waited my entire life for Hollywood to tell Secretariat's story and after watching Disney's Secretariat my heart remains unsatisfied. It was a good, "feel good" movie, but "good" is the keyword. I felt like Grandma edited this movie. Again, it is a good movie with some interjections of great cinematography, yet Secretariat was a GREAT horse and deserved a GREAT movie. This was an Oscar winning story, with an Oscar winning cast, but the script was emotionally impotent. There were no risks and risk is what horse racing is all about. The movie is so safe and there wasn't anything safe about the facts that surround this horse and his rise to be the greatest race horse that ever lived.

Still today, when I watch Secretariat run on YouTube, I cry!!! I'm not sure why, but the tears flow from the depths of my being. Rationally, I try to tell myself that he is just a horse, but something overcomes me every time, no matter how many times I watch him run. That overwhelming surge of emotion is what this story deserved. If you've ever been in the presence of a great horse, you will know what I am talking about. They are strong and confident. You can feel their aura. There is a low rolling thunder of excitement when you are near them. Talk to the people who were there. Read the first hand accounts of their emotional state when they saw this horse run. He was mesmerizing, captivating, unexplainably breathtaking. The audience deserved to feel the thunder roll through them in every scene.

I expected so much more from director Randall Wallace. The power and emotion of Braveheart, We Were Soldiers, Pearl Harbor, The Man in the Iron Mask, is what Secretariat deserves. Where was that? I'm not sure what research he did for this movie and how much his hands were tied by the real life characters or the studio, but the main character became the background and what was in the forefront was a "sugar coated" conflict of a woman with a driving passion and the place society and her family was trying to lock her into; however, even her passion didn't spill out onto the audience as it should have. I felt like the accomplishments of Penny Chenery and Secretariat have been shrunk down and placed into a nice, neat little box fit for a good little housewife and her sweet little horse. I felt as if I was the one being squelched, because I wanted so badly for everyone to share the emotion I feel at the sheer audaciousness when this horse ran. To accomplish what they accomplished, he and his owner had to be completely audacious to rise above the negativity and overwhelming odds surrounding them.

Diane Lane is one of my favorite actresses; however, her role left me doubting the character. For example, when a woman talks to her horse, she does more than look into his eye for a few seconds and say, "Well OK then". When a woman truly needs to know something from her horse she breathes him in, they breathe each other in, as their souls entwine and one knows the other. You will see it on his face and you will see it on her face, without human words being spoken. This is a rare and special event, but it happens, and it could have carried this movie. If you have seen Diane Lane in "Unfaithful" you will realize this is an actress that could translate this kind of communication and emotion to the screen.

The audience should have been allowed to feel the emotional range that surrounds all involved in preparing a horse for the greatest races any thoroughbred will ever run. Just watch horse racing on television and you will see real raw emotion that these people explode with at the end of the race. So much was on the line for everyone involved and yet throughout the movie everyone handled the stress with subdued emotion, never getting too far off the scale. Just when you thought someone was going to show some real feelings, they apologized for it. Real life is just as ugly as it is beautiful. Without the dark of night, the brightest stars would never beam their intense beauty upon us. Every masterpiece must have its extreme contrasts to fulfill the emotional needs of its audience.

I'm not blaming anyone. I am sure everyone involved did their best. I am simply sharing with the reader my disappointment in what I thought would be a thrilling tribute to a horse so deserving.

Ron Turcotte said the film captured the story "pretty well". I ask you, is "pretty well" good enough for the greatest race horse who ever ran on the track? Secretariat's heart was two and a half times the size of a normal horse's heart; I feel the portrayal of his story should have been two and a half times the size of any regular movie. He gave us everything he had when he ran the Belmont; thirty-one lengths ahead of Sham who was an amazing, record breaking horse in his own right. Don't we owe it to him, to give him everything we've got, to see that generations to come understand the events that transpired to make him who he is? Have we as a culture become so jaded that there can be no magic in the truth? Can the epic only be found in fiction? I don't believe it. I believe that purity of a moment of perfection forever locked in time is where magic can be found and that magic is why it brings inspiration and tears to the eyes of the soul who seeks it.

Suzette Howard

In a change of pace, I decided to watch this inspirational true-life story of a woman's deciding to keep the title character horse in ownership instead of selling to the highest bidder because of the animal's potential and not the usual comedy films I view with my movie theatre working friend. We both enjoyed those race scenes that involved Secretariat that showcased both his struggles and triumphs. On the drama front, while there are some compellingly played scenes of quiet desperation and of occasional conflict, it's the uplifting parts that really gets to the heart of the matter. Only thing I really have a quibble with is some of the lines betray the time period like that character played by Fred Dalton Thompson wouldn't compare something to Super Fly since that movie came out in 1972 and his scene takes place in 1969. And how about the kids not noticeably aging during the four-year setting. Otherwise, Secretariat is a quality feel-good movie that one always expects from The Disney Company and is recommended.

An interesting and emotional story about a family, perseverance and an extraordinary horse.

The film is well directed and easily guides the viewer through the story and gives him an insight into the tension of horse racing.

The cinematography is excellent, and Randall Wallace has proven to be a skilled director. The cast is excellent, they portrayed these interesting characters brilliantly. The characters are layered, in the film we see their desires, fears and everything that makes them human and they easily draw us into that interesting world of theirs.

There are different opinions in the Tweedy family, but they still support each other. We may have different opinions, but we should still agree on some universal things. An interesting film that offers us an insight is a truly fascinating world.

The soundtrack is great, the songs are perfectly incorporated into the film and elevate the overall impression of the whole story.

An excellent cinematic work that is definitely worth watching.

The movie is great for families, as there were a number of children in the theater who really enjoyed the film. There isn't any off-color language or scenes, and it is well acted and well made. My main complaint is that it really seemed to be the Penny Tweedy story, and not that much about Secretariat. If you want to take your children to a well made movie with horses, this is a good film. If you want to learn about the greatest racehorse of the 20th century, go to you tube and watch old clips of the actual horse itself. If you're looking for a good movie about a horse, buy or rent Seabiscuit. That movie tells much more of the story about the horse.