|
At a time when summer films are meant to be mindless and
appeal to lots of folks for a potential blockbuster, some may wonder
where are the big films that could be Oscar nominated. Thank God for
the independent and foreign films, for they at least offer substance
although they are not being played at the multiplexes and you really
have to go some distance to find them. But as far as studio films, we
haven’t really seen one yet. Every film thus far has the usually plot,
which of course involves chasing the bad guy and having at least one
car chase scene. A few years ago, Gladiator came out in the summer and
captivated audiences with its path to glory story of one man. It was
good enough for so long that the film eventually went on to win the Oscar
for Best Film. Well, another path to glory film is coming out and with
its “strong legs”, may lead the film to ride past the summer for a financial
success. Seabiscuit is more than just the story about a horse who overcame
major odds to be successful. It’s an old fashioned story of triumph that’s
well-scripted and filled with excellent performances by the cast.
Based on a book by Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit tells the true story
of a racing horse who no one paid any attention to until one man decided
to give it a chance. Set in the early 1920s, Charles Howard (Bridges)
was a man filled with big dreams. During the Roaring Twenties, when times
were good for everyone, Howard ventured out on his own as a auto repairman,
which led him to become financially successful as Buick car dealer. With
a wife and a young son, the future only looked brighter. That
is, until the stock market crashed and depression hit faster than wind
speed. Howard had enough to survive the woeful economy until he lost
his spirit when his son died in a car accident and his wife left him.
Meanwhile, John “Red” Pollard (Maguire) grew up with a big family and
loved riding horses. When the depression hit, his parents “sold” him
to a man who would train him to be a horse rider. Over time, Red boxed
around town to earn more money but kept losing matches and endangering
his body. Tom Smith (Cooper) has loved horses his entire life, treating them
with such respect it would take a lot for him to put even one horse “down”.
Turning his life around when he shifted industries, Howard and his associates
followed the horse tracks and saw how profitable it had become during
these hard times. It is there where he would meet his second wife Marcela
(Banks). While looking to buy a horse, Howard hired Smith, who would know
which horse to pick. Seems there’s a horse who has the potential to be
good, but lacks the speed and control one would need to ride it. The
name of the horse was Seabiscuit and Smith decided to give it a chance
with Howard’s trust in him. Seeing Red Pollard fend off some guys in
a struggle, Smith thought that Red and Seabiscuit would be a perfect
match together. Both are not considered to be in the best of shape and
are always losing races, on the track and in the ring, respectively. It took some time
but Seabiscuit started winning as the country started improving and that
set the stage for what would become the biggest horserace at the time.
Sam Riddle and his horse War Admiral were the biggest winners at the
time, with War Admiral capturing the 1937 Triple Crown. It was David
versus Goliath and folks were clamoring from all over to see this race go
down. With the race for respect for all involved and other obstacles
in the way, Seabiscuit, Red, and Howard, persevered to be a part of America’s
glory.
Although this story and the film looks like a cliched “feel good” movie,
it is nevertheless very uplifting and rewarding as you walk away feeling
emotionally attached to the film. Tobey Maguire is fast becoming today’s
Gary Cooper, the common man that everyone wants to see play characters
with some realism. After Spiderman put him on another level, it’s good
to see him choose a script that works for him. Bridges is equally as
good, but you could make a good argument that he’s playing the same character
he played in Tucker: The Man and His Dream, which would make his performance here flawless.
Cooper, fresh from winning the Best Supporting Oscar for Adaptation brings
the same “A” game that brought him the award months ago. His belief
in Seabiscuit and the looks he gives the horse are priceless. Macy, in
a class act, nearly steals the film with his quick comments and his mannerisms.
Someone who deserves a lot of credit is the horse trainer for Seabiscuit
(or the 8 thoroughbreds that played the role). He did an amazing
job. Training animals to do what you want is not an easy task and each
horse
should
get a special award for a job well done. Seabiscuit is not only a charming
and elegant film for all, but it’s a film whose universal appeal should
make it a contender comes next March. |
