A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Seabiscuit

Date Viewed: 7/26

Details:

Jeff Bridges

Chris Cooper

Tobey Maguire

Elizabeth Banks

William H. Macy

David McCullough (narrator)

Director: Gary Ross

Score: +

The Review: An amalgam of historical fact (from Laura Hillenbrand's 2001 best-seller) with the by-now expected cinematic trio of condensation, conflation & exaggeration -- this is the story of Seabiscuit, the unassuming thoroughbred racehorse of astounding talent who put Santa Anita on the map, and the people who trained him, nurtured him, helped him and healed him. This is a good and uplifting movie: on one hand, the triumph over tribulation and hard knocks; on the other hand, a bit of well-earned revenge for the down-trodden and underdog. Some would require this to get two-pluses; but good though it is, it is not that good. But it is the best "feel-good movie" of the year to emerge so far -- even though everyone knows the plot!

Jeff Bridges is excellent and perfectly cast as Charles Howard, an erstwhile bicycle mechanic who got rich after the San Francisco quake of 1906 as the first of the "kings" of automobile dealership: laconic, driven, haunted, almost but not quite moody, usually ready with a smile and a second chance. Chris Cooper is an experienced character actor (perhaps best known from his odd turn in American Beauty ), who is pretty good as the loner (with more than a hint of "horse whisperer" about him -- he's had experience!) who is enlisted to be Seabiscuit's trainer. Tobey Maguire is physically miscast (he's much too large), but otherwise works well as the jockey who rides Seabiscuit to multiple victories. And then there's an amusing cameo / minor character by William H. Macy as "Tick Tock" McGlaughlin, the iconoclastic radio personality and racing announcer.

(2-Aug-03)

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