Main Cast: Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Gary Stevens
Release Year: 2003
Country: US
Run Time: 140 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
For his sophomore effort, director Gary Ross re-teams with Tobey Maguire and William H. Macy, stars of his directorial debut Pleasantville, for this depression-era sports drama about the legendary racehorse, Seabiscuit. Unlike 1949's fictionalized The Story of Seabiscuit starring Shirley Temple, this version attempts to present a factual account of the story, which centers around the three men who saw the famed horse to victory. Jeff Bridges stars as Charles Howard, an entrepreneur who owns the unlikely racehorse. Howard teams with partially blind boxer-turned-jockey Red Pollard (Maguire in his first performance since annihilating the 2002 box-office in Spider-Man) and horse trainer Tom Smith (Chris Cooper fresh off his best-supporting actor Oscar for Adaptation). Together, the three work to help the famed horse to several symbolic victories that helped to inspire a downtrodden 1930s America. The supporting cast, headed by Macy, includes Elizabeth Banks (Spider-Man) and real-life jockeys Gary Stevens and Chris McCarron. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Review
Hollywood generally attempts to put its best foot forward on Oscar night. The academy traditionally selects as Best Picture a movie that people worked hard on and that will entertain the broadest possible audience. By that definition, Seabiscuit has all the elements of a nominee. Gary Ross has achieved greatness in practically all of the individual areas of production. The sets, the costumes, the lighting and the score have been lovingly crafted. The triumphant story of comebacks -- for a horse, for the characters, and for a country -- should appeal to anyone. The acting is top-notch. As star-crossed jockey Red Pollard, Tobey Maguire proves once again that he is arguably the best actor of his generation. There is a scene where he sees the horse again after both have been injured. He hobbles faster than he should to touch Seabiscuit and it is a fabulous piece of acting -- a perfect synthesis of physical movement, facial expression, and speech that makes the audience believe that this moment is happening to this character for the very first time. Chris Cooper is reliably wise and rugged as the mysterious trainer, and Jeff Bridges finds the perfect notes as both a gifted salesman and a grieving father. Even first time actor and respected jockey Gary Stevens manages to communicate a great deal about his character with very little screen time. While all of the excellent work in front of and behind the camera leads to some smashing entertainment, the film feels just slightly less than the sum of its parts. What it lacks is a sense of a personal stake from the filmmakers. They are making something from their heads and not their hearts, and while that does not diminish the achievement, it does make it something slightly less than art. Seabiscuit is old-fashioned Hollywood entertainment, in the best sense of the phrase. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
William H. Macy - Tick Tock McGlaughlin; Kingston DuCoeur - Sam; Eddie Jones - Samuel Riddle; Ed Lauter - Charles Strub; Michael O'Neill - Mr. Pollard; Michael Angarano - Young Red Pollard; Royce D. Applegate - Dutch Doogan; Annie Corley - Mrs. Pollard; Valerie Mahaffey - Annie Howard; David McCullough - Narrator; George Baker - Salvation Army Band; Samuel Bottoms - Mr. Blodget; David Doty - Land Broker; Shay Duffin - Sunny Fitzsimmons; Michael Ensign - Steamer Owner; Hans Howes - White Horse Trainer; Michael Hunter - Speed Dual Jockey; Peter Jason - Reporter Max; James Keane - Car Customer; Ken Magee - California Doctor; Gary McGurk - Tractor Worker; Gianni Russo - Alberto Gianini; Pat Skipper - Seabiscuit's Vet; John Walcutt - Reporter Roy; Gary Ross - Pimlico Track Announcer; Fernando Moreno - Male Mariachi Band; Gary A. Hecker - Horse; Richard Reeves - Radio Reporter Joe; Matt Miller - Pimlico Starter; James DuMont - Reporter Lewis; Chris McCarron - Charley Kurtsinger; Daniel Martinez - Salvation Army Band; Michael B. Silver - Baltimore Doctor; Dan Daily - Saratoga Trainer; Cameron Bowen - Pollard Child; Camilia Sanes - Molina Rojo Woman; José García Hernández - Male Mariachi Band Leader; Danny Strong - Young Jockey; Paul Vincent O'Connor - Bicycle Supervisor; Dyllan Christopher - Frankie Howard; Robin Bissell - Horace Halsteder; Michelle Arthur - Marcela's Friend; Clif Alvey - Angry Trainer; Catherine M. Baeza - Female Mariachi Band; Mariah Bess - Pollard Child; Ben Campisi - Clocker Man; Raul Cuellar - Male Mariachi Band; Aerial Delarosa - Male Mariachi Band; Gina A. Duran - Female Mariachi Band; Roger E. Fanter - Pimlico Night Watchman; Borden Flanagan - Farm Manager; Cynthia Reifler Flores - Female Mariachi Band; Maria Luisa Fregosa - Female Mariachi Band; Matthew Gillies - Salvation Army Band; Ruby Guiterrez - Female Mariachi Band; Eric Hernandez - Male Mariachi Band; Jesse Hernandez - Male Mariachi Band; Julio Hernandez - Male Mariachi Band; Pedro Hernandez - Male Mariachi Band; Sylvia N. Hinojosa - Female Mariachi Band; William Hollick - Bug Boy Jockey; Javier Juarequi - Male Mariachi Band; Paige King - Tick Tock's Squeeze; Anthony Klingman - Boxing Match Referee; Jacqui Larsson - Salvation Army Band; Noah Luke - Pollard Child; Kevin Mangold - Saratoga Jockey; Dennis Meade - Male Mariachi Band; Frank Mirahmadi - Santa Anita Track Announcer; Mariana Nanez - Female Mariachi Band; Leticia Olmos - Female Mariachi Band; Laura Pena - Female Mariachi Band; Jose Ramirez - Male Mariachi Band; Jamie Lee Redmon - Pollard Child; Joe Rocco Jr. - Bug Boy Jockey; Andrew Schatzberg - Newsboy; Joshua Stanley - Salvation Army Band; Karla Tovar - Female Mariachi Band; Tony Volu - Racing Tout; Michael White - Salvation Army Band; Ivan Wild - Salvation Army Band; Jay Cohen - Bugle Player; Monica Fogelquist - Female Mariachi Band
Credit
Andrew Neskoromny - Art Director, Debra Zane - Casting, Terri Taylor - Casting, Patricia Churchill - Co-producer, Judianna Makovsky - Costume Designer, Adam Somner - First Assistant Director, Gary Ross - Director, Dan Bradley - Second Unit Director, Frank Marshall - Second Unit Director, William C. Goldenberg - Editor, Gary Barber - Executive Producer, Roger Birnbaum - Executive Producer, Tobey Maguire - Executive Producer, Allison Thomas - Executive Producer, Robin Bissell - Executive Producer, Randy Newman - Composer (Music Score), Jeannine Oppewall - Production Designer, John Schwartzman - Cinematographer, Kathleen Kennedy - Producer, Frank Marshall - Producer, Gary Ross - Producer, Jane Sindell - Producer, Lynn Christopher - Set Designer, Cosmas Demetriou - Set Designer, William Joseph Durrell, Jr. - Set Designer, Leslie Pope - Set Designer, Randall D. Wilkins - Set Designer, Bill Ryder - Set Designer, Andy Nelson - Sound Mixer, Anna Behlmer - Sound Mixer, Tod A. Maitland - Sound/Sound Designer, Dan Bradley - Stunts Coordinator, Laura Hillenbrand - Technical Advisor, Gary Ross - Screenwriter, Bill Roe - Additional Cinematography, C. Mitchell Amundsen - Additional Cinematography, Per Hallberg - Supervising Sound Editor, Karen Baker Landers - Supervising Sound Editor, Sony Pictures Imageworks - Visual Effects, Digiscope - Visual Effects, The Orphanage - Visual Effects, Pixel Playground - Visual Effects, Laura Hillenbrand - Book Author
The film centers on three men, Red Pollard, Charles S. Howard, and Tom Smith who come together as, respectively, the principle jockey, owner, and trainer of championship horse, Seabiscuit. The story follows the redemption of the three men as they rise from troubled times to achieve fame and success through their association with the horse. Red Pollard was the child of wealthy family which was ruined by the Great Depression. In need of money, the family leaves Red with a horse groom. Eventually becoming a jockey, Red makes extra money through illegal boxing matches, which leave him almost blind in one eye. Charles Howard is shown as a clerk in a bicycle shop when he gets asked by a passing motorist to repair his automobile, a technology which has recently been introduced. Some years later, Howard is the largest car dealer in California and one of the Bay Area's richest men. However, his life takes a turn for the worse when his son accidentally dies while trying to drive the family car. When Howard is unable to come out of his depression, his wife leaves him. On a trip to Mexico in order to obtain a divorce and to drown his sorrows, he meets Marcela whom he falls in love with and marries. Howard then runs into Tom Smith, a horse trainer who has been living as a homeless during the depression. Seeing Smith tame an aggressive horse, Howard hires him to take care of his newly acquired stable of horses. Later, Smith tries to get a jockey to ride Seabiscuit, but the jockey is frightened off when Seabiscuit rips off a bit of his shirt. Smith then turns to see Red Pollard fighting with other stable boys and see in them similar temperament. Thus, he decides to make him the jockey. The film then follows the three men as they begin to race Seabiscuit. It especially focuses on their efforts to provoke a race with War Admiral, the top race horse in the country. A match race is then decided on the 1st of November at Pimlico racetrack. While they wait for the date to come around and train Seabiscuit, Pollard is asked to exercise a race horse for an old friend. While they are on the track, two of War Admiral's owner's men start a tractor suddenly, causing the horse to spook. The horse rears, and Pollard falls off and is dragged along until he crashes into a wall, fracturing his leg. When the doctor reports that he will be unable to jockey again, Red tells Howard to get George Woolf as the jockey. Red then teaches George about Seabiscuit's handling and mannerisms. Seabiscuit beats War Admiral easily because of a secret that Pollard told George Woolf, which was to hold him head to head with the other horse so he gets 'a good look at the Admiral'. Afterwards, Seabiscuit is entered in a race at the Santa Anita Race track under George Woolf. While he is racing he gets injured and has to stop. Red Pollard helps him to recover and gets him fit again for racing. The last race is again at the Santa Anita track, and Red Pollard races him this time after putting a special self-made brace on his own leg to keep it stable. George Woolf is also racing, albeit on a difference horse. When Seabiscuit drops to last place and trails the pack of horses, George Woolf trails back to be with Pollard.After a short conversation, Seabiscuit gives Pollard the signal that he is ready to go. Seabiscuit then surges towards the pack of horses and Pollard steers him through them to win the race. The movie ends with Pollard narrating "You know everyone thinks that we found this broken down horse and fixed him, but we didn't, he fixed us, everyone of us, and I guess in a way we kinda fixed each other too."
The movie was filmed at the Santa Anita Park Racetrack in Arcadia, California, and Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky. Keeneland was chosen to double for Belmont Park because Belmont had gone through so many physical changes since Seabiscuit's time.
Awards
Academy Awards
Seabiscuit was nominated for seven Oscars, but won none:
