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SEABISCUIT Send This Review to a Friend
Laura Hillenbrand's bestseller has revived interest in the horse that captured the attention and affection of the American public that had been struggling through the Great Depression and writer-director Gary Ross's screen adaptation is nearly always entertaining in its reprise of this fascinating story about the underdog horse and ramifications that go beyond the racetrack. Ross slowly builds the tale interspersed with a portrait illuminating aspects of America as background. He may overdo it a bit, but "Seabiscuit" emerges as somewhat of a metaphor for an America trying to get back on its feet under Roosevelt's New Deal. The exploits of Seabiscuit, its owner, trainer and jockey gave the public something to root for against the snobbery of those who owned and raced the great horse War Admiral.
(Reviewed at Loews Lincoln Square)
Inevitably in a racing picture there are likely to be the cliches of competition and the tension of the big race. But for the most part, Ross handles the ingredients quite well, save for the final race in which one jockey tells the Seabiscuit jockey in the stretch to take off for victory, which would be a betrayal to the owner of the horse the loser is riding no matter how little chance that horse has. Apart from anything else, this conversation in the midst of the race comes across as pure corn.
Mostly Ross avoids lapses in judgment, although the film sometimes gets too reverential. But the true story is a powerful one. Out of the West came a horse that was smaller than competitors and not given much of a chance. As the film tells it, the story involves the expertise of trainer Tom Smith, played with laid back effectiveness by Chris Cooper, the faith of publicity-minded owner Charles Howard, portrayed by Jeff Bridges at his authoritative best and the determination of devoted, feisty jockey Red Pollard, given appeal and energy in an engaging performance by Toby Maguire.
Of course, there was the inherent power of the horse. Much is made of the mystique of communication with the animal by the trainer and the jockey. Horse lovers may understand this better than lay persons, but the film succeeds in making this an essential ingredient. The world built around racing is portrayed too, with Bridges getting across the excitement and stakes involved. Elizabeth Banks as Howard's wife Marcela adds solidity and support to the team. William H. Macy is broadly entertaining as Tick-Tock McGlaughlin, a radio sportscaster with a gift of the gab and promotion savvy who is armed with an array of sound effect tools as he assaults the airwaves with his hyped-up commentary.
The bad fortune of Seabiscuit's jockey to suffer a leg injury and the ill luck of Seabiscuit to also suffer an injury offers the opportunity for stressing the parallel battle for rider and horse to overcome obstacles. At one point another jockey must take over, and his being played by real-life jockey Gary Stevens provides colorful embellishment. All of this adds up to an entertaining picture with heart to match its production expertise and it is easy to overlook the moments of excess. A Universal Pictures release.
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