Bet on Seabiscuit to Show, but Not to Win

DVDs:


	• Seabiscuit [HD DVD] Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2006 average customer review:based on 353 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A racetrack Rocky

This movie is based on a true story-and an incredible one at that .It tells how an undersized ,often reluctant horse become a major prizewinner by outracing stallions who in physical appearance made him look like an undersized donkey .Its a classic story of the underdog overcoming all odds and triumphing and its all the more heartwarming by virtue of the setting -depression era America when peoples needed all the hope they could get .
Yet there is more to this movie than simple histrionics and emotional rabble rousing .The race scenes are ,to be sure ,exhilirating ,but the movie all never loses sight of the human dimension .The movie takes time to explore the trio of very different people who combined to turn the unpromising nag into a champion .There's the automobile entrepreneur , Charles Howard ( Jeff Bridges)providing the cash and training facilities ,the ovesized prizefighting jockey who races despite severe visual impairment ( Tobey Maguire),and the trainer -healer of the horse ,Tom Smith ( Chris Cooper)who believes the animal has enough iron in his soul to overcome all obstacles and become a winner .Together they are a family ;sharing screen time with the horse they make Seabiscuit a movie about friendship and family ;about love and loss and redemption ;about belief putting doubt to the sword .
Brilliantly acted by all parties -with a special mention for William Macy as a racing commentator- and ravishingly photographed this is a winning movie thoroughly deserving of its financial success and Oscar nominations .The tension is adriot;ly built as the movie movie towards its climax -the race between Seabiscuit and the triple Crow winning colossus from the East ,"War Admiral "We are put right in the thick of the action ,so close we almlost smell the sweat and turf .
Part sports movie ,part historical epic ,part allegory and part family movie this is all tension and edge of seat drama .
It is perhaps a tad overlong and some will find it sentimental where I find it moving .
I thoroughly enjoyed it and suspect most people will too

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Bet on Seabiscuit to Show, but Not to Win

It's not a story about a race horse, it's about how three people and one horse overcame pain and adversity to triumph. Seabiscuit was something of a phenomenon, sort of like an equine Lindbergh, that captivated the American consciousness in the late 1930's and early 40's.
He was the underdog, at a time when many Americans felt like underdogs. The analogy of the underdog horse taking on the plutocratic establishment plays right into the storyline of Americans lead by St. Roosevelt, the Beneficent, guiding the People to the Promised Land.
The treatment was ham-fisted and I was disappointed in the movie. They did a poor job of conveying l'aire du temps. For the most part the characters come across as wooden, two dimensional figures. Mr. Bridges does a workmanlike job as Mr. Howard, Seabiscuit's owner.
The filming of the race scenes was brilliant, a technical success. I still don't believe two jockeys could carry on a conversation astride horses in the middle of a pack at full gallop, that's the fault of the director, a horrible imposition on the viewer (unless the viewer is a child or a complete idiot.)
This defect points out the problem with this movie. The director and writers have absolutely no respect for audience's intelligence. They throw in implausible devices like jockeys having a conversation because they are lazy and they have utterly no respect for the audience. The depression era black and whites are of a piece with this. It's a blunt instrument, they beat us over the head with propaganda, rather then weaving it seamlessly into the story.
This movie is the opposite of its theme. They had great material, and could have made a winner. Instead they take third place money.

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One of the Best Movies I've Ever Seen

I love movies. I love great stories. This movie is very special to me. I think this is one of the best stories ever told in a movie. The pure determination of the rider, Red, and the horse, Seabisuit, is just amazing. You will love this movie and so will everyone in the family. I know movies, I've made my own, they may not of been very good but who cares. This movie was fascintating and I loved it.

Entertaining but still missing something

I liked this movie but I was disappointed also. I have seen a lot of very well made documentaries on Seabiscuit and one in particular that I saw on PBS just before this film was released on DVD. So, I couldn't wait to see the movie. The documentary I saw was actually more entertaining than this movie and had that "edge of your seat" suspense that the movie lacked. The documentary on PBS contained a lot of exciting horse races that Seabiscuit was in and the narration and story was very well made. Also, I found the narration in the MOVIE to be out of place - the movie didn't need it. It's a great story but it was a bit lackluster at times. The acting and cinematography was very good. I wonder if my review and rating of this movie would have been different if I had not seen all those great documentaries on Seabiscuit before I watched the DVD - I may have had a better reaction to the film. Maybe time will change my rating to a higher grade. It still was entertaining and I recommend this movie to all. My rating: B+

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