Seabiscuit

Year: 2003

Grade: B-

Country: USA

Director: Ross

Review

i expected it to be a poor movie and sometimes that can work to a film’s advantage. sure there were some (really) corny moments, but, overall, it told a good story. within ten minutes of the start i knew how the movie was going play out, but it didn’t really affect the enjoyment of the film that much. i wish moby hadn’t made an appearance and i wish that they had encorporated more information about horse racing, though i guess you can’t win them all. none of the actors were stellar, though i guess tobey maguire did the best job since his was the toughest role to play. i especially liked the fact that the film made a point of placing its story within the historical context of the early 1900s. the death of the individual craftsman (with the brief discussion of henry ford) along with the ensuing depression elevated the story more than any moby song could hope for. it was photographed well, which, having seen gary ross’ other film (pleasantville) should be expected. i can see its oscar worthiness, but that’s only because i know of the severe limitations of the academy awards.