Rating: 
(out of 
)
Grade: B-
Every summer has at least one movie that doesn’t sell itself on special effects, T&A, or copious amounts of action. Because of this, it is automatically “Oscar-worthy.” I hate to burst the bubble, but rarely is this the case and Seabiscuit is no exception. That being said, Seabiscuit is a solid motion picture based upon a heartwarming story of an underdog. Although any time is a good time for an inspirational story, Seabiscuit feels especially well-timed as racehorse Funny Cide came within one race of winning the coveted Triple Crown of racing only months ago.
Laura Hillenbrand’s book on which Seabiscuit was based, supposedly contains some far more darker plot lines than those featured in director/screenwriter Gary Ross’ version. In spite this though, the book and the movie both center around the same three characters, Seabiscuit’s jockey Red Pollard (McGuire), the owner of the champion horse Charles Howard (Bridges), and the cowboy-turned-trainer Tom Smith (Cooper). Each of these people’s lives are forever changed by the short, formerly abused racehorse Seabiscuit. As you can see, this type of story has been done before. In fact, “underdog-triumphing-over-competition-and-touching-all-the-lives-around-him” is one most overused plots in film history.
Mostly all of the problems with Seabiscuit are script-related, not directorial. From a directing stand point, Seabiscuit is nearly flawless. Ross especially deserves praise for his well-crafted action and suspense sequences. Although the suspenseful moments in the film took place decades ago, director Gary Ross keeps us on the edge of our seat from the beginning to the end. I do have one small reservation though in regards to Ross’ decision to have parts of Seabiscuit narrated. Everything about the narration from the voice to the accompanying black and white photos makes the movie seem more like a History Channel special. Fortunately, only small portions have narration and there is even one instance (during a race) when the cut to the narrator actually works.
My primary compliant is the lack of three smooth and clear character arcs. All three of the main characters are very interesting people, who deserved better than what the script gave them. Seabiscuit’s trainer, Tom Smith, was especially short changed as we learn hardly anything about this man, and Chris Cooper who was given the task to portray this man was given so little dialogue that pouring a cup of coffee becomes his standout scene. The characters of Red Pollard and Charles Howard are written much better, but their character development is a little more heavy-handed than I would like.
It is refreshing to see some solid performances here, as good acting has been sparse this summer season. Despite Spider-Man (anyone who knows me knows that Spider-Man was very disappointing), Tobey McGuire continues to impress me. This is easily McGuire’s best performance since another Gary Ross picture, Pleasantville. I admit that I have never been a huge fan of Jeff Bridges, who comes off too brash for my liking. I don’t know how long I will be able to fairly continue feeling that way though, as his performances in 2000’s The Contender and again here are notable. His blissfully ignorant “every-man” performance is a nice counter to McGuire’s emotionally battered interpretation of Red Pollard. Its hard to really give direct praise to Chris Cooper, as he says so little. I can say that he is the ultimate character actor, and just his presence on screen is commanding.
On one level, Seabiscuit is no different than all those action movies its ad campaign has been trying to distance itself from. For entertainment, excitement and acting, this movie can certainly out race much of this summer‘s crop of films. From a character and storytelling standpoint, I am finding it very difficult to give Seabiscuit my full recommendation. Perhaps Seabiscuit doesn’t come up with the win in this critic’s race, but certainly a place or show.
© 2003 Jacob Sproul
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