Last night I was working on scholarships & decided to put a movie in instead of listening to my usually iTunes library. Since racing season has started and the anticipation of visiting Kentucky in several weeks is mounting, I decided to put in Seabiscuit. This is a completely true story that happened during the Depression about a horse, Seabiscuit, who came from great bloodlines, but he was more of a dud. He was a very small horse that walked with a slight limp and would much rather lay in the sun all day than exercise. An automobile entrepreneur decides to buy him & finds a trainer & jockey that will train him. Red Pollard, the jockey, is unusual just like Seabiscuit in the way that he is heavier than the ideal jockey, and weight plays big roles in the racing industry. Their first year together they won several small handicaps, and Red fought through several injuries and learning experiences on the racetrack. In fact, in his second year on the circuit he won 11 of 15 races, and won the most money out of any horse in the United States. He fell short to War Admiral, the Triple Crown winner, in the American Horse of the Year Award. The next year, Red suffered more injuries and had to let a new jockey take over while he healed. Seabiscuit's success on the track was ever increasing and when matched up in a race against War Admiral, came out victorious. Because such a successful year, Seabiscuit was named the 1938 American Horse of the Year. Over the next year & a half Seabiscuit continued to be successful before his retirement in April 1940. He went down as the all-time leading money winner in the horse industry. This is a really good movie, with a decent plot. I like it because you learn through Seabiscuit and Red that if you work hard enough and are determined at your dreams, you can go anywhere. Where a lot of people disregarded Seabiscuit because of his size & limp, and Red for his size & list of injuries, they prevailed and proved lots of people wrong. I also enjoy this movie because it's historical and shows every side of horse racing, not just the glitz & glamour. The movie is close to my heart because I am from Kentucky, and even though we might have moved while I was young, I still have horse racing in my blood, because I was raised that way.
I have to say i have never watched this movie and have always, when i have seen it, never wanted to watch. I don't know why but it has never really interested me. The way you describe it though i have to say kind of makes me want to watch it now. It is pretty neat that this movie was a true story. How one small little horse can become something so much bigger in the Racing industry.
ReplyDeleteWe talked about this the other day, but I've never taken the time to watch this movie and probably never will. Of course there isn't enough of a love story in it for me to be to interested in it, because that's my obsession of course! Haha. But you did an excellent job of describing it and it's definitely the perfect movie for you to be analyzing.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to watch this movie, from what you just said i want to go watch it that much more. I really like what I'm hearing about it those becuase it completely idealizes the American way of how hard work, faith, and persiverance will get you just about anywhere you want. Life isn't easy and to make it you have to be tough, and thats exactly what I pull from this movie. I look forward to finally watching it one day.
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