Seabiscuit Movie Review

Seabiscuit (2003)

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Written by: Laura Hillenbrand (book), Gary Ross (screenplay)
Directed by: Gary Ross
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Cooper, William H. Macy
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
The true story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of the nation.

Verdict
It's an almost prototypical feel good, heartwarming underdog story. Despite insurmountable obstacles the underdog triumphs, and this really pulls out all the stops on the obstacles. The movie also does a great job of contextualizing the story.
Watch it.

Review
Opening with a brief history and the social context of the time, this ties three underdog stories together during the Great Depression.

Tobey Maguire plays Red Pollard.

Charles Howard is a bicycle repair man that ends up becoming the largest steam automobile dealer in the states. We know that industry won't last forever, but a personal tragedy is what ultimately leads him to horse racing. Red Pollard is a well-off kid when the depression hits, forcing him to leave his family and survive by being an amateur boxer and horse jockey. Tom Smith is a horse trainer that's a bit out there.

With that premise, these three men cross paths with a wild colt, Seabiscuit. Tom's an animal lover at heart and Howard trusts his judgement since Howard doesn't know the first thing about horses. Red is willing to ride for anyone that will give him a chance.

There's a nice subtlety to the movie. It knows it doesn't have to show everything, and moments that could be gory are avoided. Things like Howard's sons' tragedy aren't shown. Imagination will fill in the blanks.
Part of that is the time period. This feels a lot like a wholesome 90's movie, on the brink of being too saccharine. The downside to that same feel  is the slower pacing. This has a lot of narration that adds little and frequently cut out to provide context. It does a nice job of building to moments even if it does stack everything against Seabiscuit when we already know the horse will triump.

I do wish the horse felt more like a major player. War Horse (read my review) managed to make the horse feel like a main character, but Seabiscuit is just a means to carry the plot.

 It's a tale of broken people and a broken horse that became a rallying point. People wanted to see something good. It provided hope during desperate times. It's crazy to imagine a sporting event so big today that businesses shut down for a race. While it may have been one of the biggest horse races ever, I don't see a horse race doing that again.