No, You’re Crying Blogathon – Seabiscuit (2003)

This is the second of three entries in Debra’s No, Your Crying Blogathon being held over at Moon in Gemini.

Thanks for letting me participate Debra!

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“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. ” – Narrator

Number of Times Seen – at least 5 times  (Theater in 2003, 31 Jul 2004, DVD and  11 May 2017)

Brief Synopsis – The true story of a horse that brought a nation together at a time when there seemed to be no hope for the future.

My Take on it – This is such a persoanl film for me because of the themes that it presents to us.

The underlying idea of being able to accomplish so much if you put your heart into it is a great one and this true story is proof that it can happen.

Loved the way that the story and its impact are so layered and can affect us all on so many different levels at the same time.

The cast is superb and I really enjoyed watching Tobey ,MaGuire, Jeff Bridges, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Cooper and Gary Stevens all show us how it’s possible to rehabilitate a person, a horse and even a nation just by trying to accomplish something against nearly impossible odds as long as you have the right attitude.

I have always been surprised at how much I enjoy this film since I’ve never really been a animal person and the idea of a story about a horse affecting me so much felt impossible.

By the end of this film, you’ll also be crying tears of hope and joy because of everything that is possible if you just try.

This film deservingly got a Best Picture nominee that year but there was no chance that it was gonna win against the only film to ever get a perfect score of 11 for 11 Oscars; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Bottom Line – Amazingly emotional story that can affect us on so many different levels.  A story filled with hope and the yearning for something greater and if you have heart you can accomplish almost anything as long as you try. Excellent cast led by Maguire, Bridges, Banks, Cooper and Stevens.  I never thought that a story about a horse could be so captivating and emotional and it really is.  This film deserved to get it’s Oscar nomination for Best Picture that year but there was chance of it beating the only film to ever get a perfect score of 11 for 11 wins that year. Highly Recommended!!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – When Red Pollard tells George Woolf how to ride Seabiscuit, he says, “Show him the stick at the quarter pole, and he’ll give you a whole new gear.” To show the stick means to bring the whip, or crop, up close to the horse’s eye, on one side, with the suggestion that the next move might be a whipping along the flank. The crop is not meant to hurt the horse, only to say, “Okay, NOW is the time to really move!” Many horses run faster if slapped; others simply freeze and stop running. To show the stick, then, is only a suggestion, and it will make most horses shift into higher gear, if they still have energy left to run for the win. (And animal lovers should note: the horse crop is not used to hurt the horse, only to excite it with adrenaline or (worst case) fear. A jockey who draws blood is likely to be penalized up to the point of losing his or her license, which means no more employment.) (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy

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