Seabiscuit
Cast
Tobey Maguire .... Red Pollard
David McCullough .... Narrator
Jeff Bridges .... Charles Howard
Paul Vincent O'Connor .... Bicycle Supervisor
Chris Cooper .... Tom Smith
Directed by
Gary Ross
Rater #2 has description and review.
Rater #1
8/10. You know, I watched the previews for this, and I thought, "Wow what a boring movie this will be." This was all the way back into last year. But somehow I think I was wrong, very wrong.
The acting was very good throughout the movie. Tobey Maguire did an outstanding job as Red Pollard. I don't think I could have picked a different person to play his part. I think we will see many good movies from Tobey for years to come. Jeff Bridges as Charles Howard was prety good. I enjoyed seeing him onscreen. Chris Cooper as Tom Smith was good too. He seemed like another actor from Catch Me If You Can. Just can't place the name.
There was 1 part during the whole movie that I didn't understand,a nd that was when the parents were giving away a young Red Pollard. It just didn't seem to flow properly, and I got confused.
All in all, this was a good movie, and everyone should see it.
Rater #2
7/10. What are the three words that strike fear into the hearts of men
everywhere? Those three little words: "A true story". Usually when a
story is Hollywoodized, it loses its dramatic impact and adds on sap.
Although I have not read the book by Laura Hillenbrand, it's evident
that the story of Seabiscuit was not jazzed up much for the theaters.
It's not bubbling with sentiment, such as based-on-true-story movies
usually are, and it has an authentic feel to it that makes Seabiscuit
seem levelheaded, not conceited, and therefore tells a long,
interesting, and predictable story that takes place in the Depression.
For the first third of this three-part film, we see Charles Howard
(Jeff Bridges) become a great car salesman, Tom Smith (Chris Cooper)
is a trainer who can calm the wildest horse, and Red Pollard (Tobey
Maguire), a literate, well-to-do boy who becomes a jockey. Then all
of them meet and raise a horse, Seabiscuit, a wild and untimely horse
whose backstory we find out but don't really care that much about.
Although rather large for a jockey, Red rides Seabiscuit, who is
rather small for a racehorse, trained by Tom, who is rather old for a
trainer, and owned by Charles, who, as he says, is "too dumb to know
the difference."
In many ways, Seabiscuit is 2003's Road to Perdition. Both are early
Oscar contenders, and are widely critically acclaimed, but probably
won't bust the box office. Both have Oscar-winning actors in its
cast. However, Seabiscuit is also different in many ways. Mainly, I
found the first part of it almost boring, not very exciting. The
subplot with literature in Red's family wasn't executed as well as it
could have been, and, frankly, didn't like Red in the beginning
simply because of his family. Of course, he grows on you, and soon
you're rooting for him.
Bridges, yet again, acts greatly, and will probably be overlooked by
the Academy, simply because he isn't in an "Oscar movie", a movie
made just to win Oscars. Although he probably shouldn't win, at least
give the man a nomination! Cooper proves once again that just because
he has an Oscar he's a great actor. He was superb in American Beauty,
but just acceptable in Adaptation., and here he's also just
acceptable. He, thankfully, is not in many scenes. Maguire doesn't
act, instead his badly dyed hair does. It's scarier than your great-
grandfather without his teeth in.
Yet, of course, the best parts of Seabiscuit are the racing scenes.
Although it's obvious that a camera was just hooked up to a horse or
something behind them, with the Surround Sound and everything, it
really seems like you're in the action. It's extremely predictable
what's going to happen, but even still I was so excited, I was
surprised. I was just about ready to jump up for joy! It's great
filmmaking (from Gary Ross, Pleasantville) that can make you feel
that: predictability and yet excitement. Seabiscuit's pace ebbs and
flows, but overall you won't be disappointed if you take a trip out
to your local multiplex.
Rater #3
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rater #4
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rated PG-13 for some sexual situations and violent sports-related images.
Running time: ? minutes
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