MOVIE - SEABISCUIT - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$$1/2 (OUT OF 10)

A TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2003 SELECTION

STARRING - Tobey Maguire (Red Pollard), Jeff Bridges (Charles Howard), Chris Cooper (Tom Smith), William H. Macy (Tick Tock McGlaughlin), Elizabeth Banks (Marcela Howard) & Gary Stevens (George Woolf) & David McCullough (Narrator).

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER - Gary Ross (Pleasantville)

A true story previously chronicled in the book Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand.

Seabiscuit is no ordinary "underdog beats the odds" story. Seabiscuit's rise from obscurity, and triumph against the odds, was just the medicine the American public needed as the nation emerged from the demoralizing shadow of the Great Depression. In Seabiscuit the public found a hero who they could call their own. Seabiscuit's success symbolized their own tenacity in the face of adversity and reaffirmed the plausibility that they too could achieve the American Dream.

The brilliance of Seabiscuit the movie is that in an era of plenty, where the depth of despair created by the Great Depression is unfathomable for most, history is masterfully brought back to life. This feat is accomplished, in large part, through the creative intermittent use of Ken Burn's historical still photography and narrative technique. Noted Historian David McCullough narrates these segments of the movie.

Beyond setting the stage for the unfolding events these segments give the film instant credibility. Though distinctly different in tone, from the rest of the movie, the use of these historical footnotes allows Director Gary Ross to maintain his focus on the heart of the story, in a consistent manner, during the traditional live action segments. One wonders how much better Gangs Of New York would have been if Scorsese had used this technique, to convey the tumultuousness of the period, rather than those scenes of live action chaos that were cartoonish and distracting.

Historical still photographs and narration alone are not enough, by themselves, to ensure success. Two additional factors were necessary. The first is the strength of the underlying true story. If you don't find yourself cheering Seabiscuit, and his human friends, onto greater glory than the Grinch Who Stole Christmas has a bigger heart than you do.

The crucial third factor, in the success of the film, is absolutely brilliant performances by the entire cast. I'm not a big Toby Maguire fan but he instills Pollard with the right amount of rage and self-loathing. Macy (Tick Tock McGlaughlin), a veteran character actor and Cooper (Tom Smith), fresh from his Academy Award winning role in Adaptation, demonstrate mastery of their craft as well.

The greatest accolades should be reserved for Jeff Bridges. His portrayal of Charles Howard is mesmerizing and worthy of very, very serious Oscar consideration. In every scene and with every gesture Bridges captures the essence of this huckster with a shattered heart of gold. Bridges's performance is pivotal to the success of Seabiscuit and may be the best of his career.

The timing of the release of this film, considering its quality and obvious Oscar potential, was a little out of the ordinary. Normally, one would expect such a film to be released in December so that it was fresh in the minds of Oscar voters. Whatever the reason for this it would be a mistake not to go see or rent Seabiscuit.

Seabiscuit is a story of redemption involving 3 men and a horse who help to heal each other and a nation. The message is as powerful now as it was then.

Seabiscuit is one of my Top 10 Films of 2003.

Running time - 140 minutes

Check out my WORST MOVIES OF 2003 list.

ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS:

Roger Ebert's Review

Rotten Tomatoes Reviews

SEABISCUIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE

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