Seabiscuit review

Author Laura Hillenbrand explains in her bestselling book on which this film was based, that in 1938 the number one newsmaker in America was not Hitler, Mussolini, Roosevelt, Clark Gable or Howard Hughes, but an "undersized, crooked-legged racehorse named Seabiscuit." The story of Seabiscuit, his millionaire owner, his half blind jockey and washed up trainer might have been considered implausible even by Hollywood standards were it not true.

This sweeping drama is one of those slick, engaging films that includes all the right ingredients to invoke talk of Oscars: good story, strong performances, beautiful photography. For the most part writer/director Gary Ross resists laying on the sentiment too thickly, perhaps secure in the knowledge that in this case simply retelling events would provide enough emotion. But for all its virtues, it is still hard not to feel as though some spark, some vital element, is missing. Certainly there is little sense of humility. The film's lush look is starkly at odds with the gloominess of the times. The use of narrator and black and white footage goes some way to put events in context, but authenticity is confined to costumes and props rather than spirit.

Linking the hopes of a nation ravaged by financial strife and impending war to the fortunes of an unlikely hero, Seabiscuit's appeal is not confined to horseracing fans. The central theme of overcoming adversity is a universally identifiable one and applies as much to those connected to Seabiscuit as the horse itself. Red Pollard's (Tobey Maguire) days as a promising jockey were well behind him when enigmatic trainer Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) hires him to race the fiery Seabiscuit. Smith himself had recently been rescued from the scrap heap by wealthy businessman Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges), who ventured into racing following a series of personal tragedies. It is Smith's innate horse sense that recognizes the Biscuit's unrealized potential and it is he who recommends him to the skeptical Howard. Once united, all their lives become tightly bound as they undergo their extraordinary journey.

The racing footage is impressive, putting the viewer in the saddle, and the cast is never less than effective. Bridges, Cooper and Maguire all provide solid performances while William H. Macy gets to lighten things up as over caffeinated radio announcer Tick Tock McGlaughlin. It's hard to fault Seabiscuit, and no doubt it will be in the frame come awards season, but had someone more adventurous taken the reins, the ride might have been more exhilarating.