seabiscuit

the year: 2003

the genre: drama


the cast: Jeff Bridges (Charles Howard); Chris Cooper (Tom Smith); Tobey Maguire (Red Pollard); Elizabeth Banks (Marcela Howard); Gary Stevens (George Woolf)


the plot: In the early 1930s, four disparate lives come together to create one of racing history’s greatest legends. Charles Howard, a self-made millionaire, copes with the accidental death of his young son by immersing himself in racing. He hires Tom Smith, a seemingly washed-up race horse trainer unable to adapt to a modern world. While scouting for new horses, Smith spots Seabiscuit, a small, gangly colt who, despite being the grandson of the legendary champion, Man O’ War, has descended to the lowest ranks of the claiming race circuit. Smith sees potential in the horse and convinces a skeptical Howard to buy him, but the defiant and temperamental Seabiscuit refuses to let anyone ride him until Red Pollard, a down-on-his-luck jockey, wanders into the Howard Stable.


check out: Tick Tock McGlaughlin's witticisms, including "No more match races for this little horse because frankly they're all out of matches. Who's he gonna race? Pegasus? I pity these horses."



listen for: "The first time he saw Seabiscuit, the colt was walking through the fog at five in the morning. Smith would say later that the horse looked right through him. As if to say, "What the hell are you looking at? Who do you think you are?" He was a small horse, barely fifteen hands. He was hurting too. There was a limp in his walk, a wheezing when he breathed. Smith didn't pay attention to that. He was looking the horse in the eye."


watch for: a statue of a horse by the paddock in the scenes filmed at the Santa Anita racetrack. The statue is a memorial to Seabiscuit that exists at Santa Anita. Another statue stands approximately 100 yards away - a tribute to George Woolf, Gary Stevens' character in the film.



did you know: the movie sold over 5.5 million copies on DVD, which is the highest ever for a dramatic movie. (I did my part to add to that statistic.)




also listen for: "Well he is fast." "Yeah... in every direction."



extra bonus points: if you know who narrated the movie, and why he is famous.



disclaimer: you can skip the scene in the brothel - only thing you need to know is that Red has lost peripheral vision in one eye.