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A feel good story of hope and triumph
Seabiscuit is a rather unprepossessing horse, with short legs and a mean temper, bought by millionaire Charles Howard following the tragic death of his young son. An aging cowboy is employed to train the horse, and a bruised and battered young man brought in to ride him. Soon Seabiscuit starts winning races, healing the scars that the three men carry, and before long he is carrying the hopes of a nation crippled by poverty.
This could so easily have turned into a schmaltzy film, too sickening for all but the most sweet toothed. But director, Gary Ross, carefully avoids such a fate, handling the true story with a deft touch. The horse races are enormously exciting, the pace is fast and the photography beautiful. The inclusion of documentary fragments, including narration and black and white photography, put the story into historical context perfectly and are very cleverly used. Tobey Maguire is wonderful as damaged jockey, Red Pollard, and both Chris Cooper and Jeff Bridges are outstanding as father figures to both the horse and his rider. William H Macy also provides a colourful cameo as one of the first radio announcers. Although occasionally some story lines trail off without resolution and some characters remain a little undeveloped, there is plenty to admire here. This is a great film, filled with excitement, tragedy, hope and redemption. It’s well worth a look. |
