Posted: 08/16/2003

Seabiscuit

(2003)

by Coco Delgado

Against all odds story of a quartet of unlikely winners is first Oscar list film of the year.

Seabiscuit is a movie about a horse. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: Who the hell wants to see a movie about a horse? Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago that we were saying, “Who the hell wants to see a pirate movie?” and look what happened there.

This isn’t just a movie about a horse. It’s really about chemisty, and how an odd assortment of misfits can accomplish whatever they want as long as they have each other.

It’s something that should appeal to all of us misfits, anyway. Think of it as a D&D adventuring party. Everyone’s got backstory, everyone’s got a weakness, everyone’s got their special skill, everyone’s got their need. Individually, they’re just screwed up losers…but together they can kill the orcs and dragons and have whatever they desire. I haven’t read the book by Laura Hillenbrand, but I am going to now. It’s a great story…it’s intertwined with the industrial boom of the turn of the century, the expansion out west, the boom of the 20’s and the crash and depression of the 30’s. It’s success in the face of adversity…but the best part is that it’s a true story, too — it all really happened.

The acting is superb. Jeff Bridges (channeling Tucker a bit) is wonderful as Charles Howard, at once confident and optimistic and as broken as everyone else. Tobey Maguire demonstrates that he will win an Oscar someday; the only question is when and for what role. He puts so much into every character he inhabits, and makes each one so believable, that this time you’ll even believe he’s a natural redhead. Chris Cooper…is like, Tobey Maguire Senior. And William H. Macy has a small, but brilliant, part. I was reminded, after seeing the movie, that director Gary Ross’ first movie was the lovely Pleasantville, which also featured Macy and Maguire, and which explains why this movie is so pretty. There was just one jarring error, and a small one…but in one scene, supposedly on Charles Howard’s Northern California ranch, it’s fall and the trees are a glorious riot of red, orange and yellow…only thing is…leaves don’t do that in Northern California. They do it on the East Coast, which is where that bit was filmed. As I say, it’s minor, unless you’ve lived in both places. But I haven’t seen such stunning filmography since Far From Heaven.

The horse is wonderful, too…Too bad they don’t still award Patsy awards for animal actors? This horse would have gotten at least a nomination…

Coco Delgado lives in Cambridge-Somerville and always sits in the front row. Her 2003 New Years resolution is to see more than the 66 movies she saw last year.

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