AmateurMovieReviews.com

If there's one form of betting I never quite got into, it's horse racing. I don't know the first thing about it really, but have always been amazed at how some people can tell just by looking at a horse whether it's a champion or not. These experts are so good that they make a lot of money at their craft, either by buying the horses, training them, or racing them (sometimes a combination of the three). But as with other areas of life, looks can be deceiving when it comes to horses -- and the men who surround them, for that matter. And that's one of the main themes of the 2003 movie Seabiscuit.

Seabiscuit is based on the true story of an underdog horse who won the hearts of horse racing fans all across America during the Great Depression. In the process, Seabiscuit helped save the lives of three men at a time when they desperately needed saving. Here's how the story unfolds.

The three men all come from different walks of life, but all share two things in common. The first is that they are simply going through the motions of daily life and have lost any real interest in what they do long ago. The second is that they have a deep love for horses.

One of the men is named Charles Howard (played by Jeff Bridges), a millionaire automobile tycoon who hasn't been the same since his young son died tragically in an accident. Another is Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) a former horse trainer who the industry left behind because of his strange ideas about how to handle thoroughbreds. The third is Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), a down-on-his-luck jockey with bad vision. The three men somehow come together at the Howard farm and talk about getting into horse racing. The only thing they need is a horse.

Smith likes a particular undersized horse known as Seabiscuit. The horse comes from a champion bloodline, but hasn't quite lived up to expectations. Seabiscuit is lazy and ornery, but Smith has a feeling that he can get Seabiscuit to come around.

The rest of the film deals with the way Howard, Smith, and Pollard combine their efforts to turn Seabiscuit into a champion. They experience a great deal of success early on, but then things slowly start to unravel. First Red gets hurt, then Seabiscuit gets hurt, and it seems that the whole saga will come to an end right there. But Seabiscuit inspires such faith in Red that he vows a comeback -- for both of them. Amazingly, he makes it happen.

It's not surprising that Seabiscuit has been labeled a sports movie. After all, the main focus is indeed on horse racing, and the major twists and turns of the plot follow along with the way typical sports movies play out. But this is an oversimplification of the effect that Seabiscuit can have on viewers. More than anything, I thought this film was about faith and belief -- not in some abstract higher power, but in ourselves. No matter how low we sink, no matter how desperate our circumstances appear on the outside, and no matter how the odds are stacked against us, we can work to make things right again. This is a powerful message that is delivered beautifully through Red, Seabiscuit, Tom, and Mr. Howard.

The performances in this movie were very good all the way around. Maguire and Bridges were both solid and convincing in their roles, and really helped set the tone for the entire film. But Chris Cooper stole the show, in my opinion. The subtlety he evoked out of this character and the deep knowledge of both horse and human nature that he showed is what made Seabiscuit work for me.

The movie is not perfect, and is actually quite boring in some parts. But the racing scenes and the ending are a great payoff for viewers who stick it out that long.

Overall, I do recommend watching Seabiscuit. The movie was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and adapted screenplay, so you know that there's a great deal of substance to it. It's truly an inspiring story that you can appreciate whether you have an interest in horse racing or not.