Seabiscuit (2003)

Director:

Gary Ross

Writers (WGA):

Laura Hillenbrand (book)
Gary Ross (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 July 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Sport

Tagline:

A long shot becomes a legend.

Plot:

True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation.

Plot Keywords:

Seabiscuit | Jockey | Horse | Wheelchair | Profanity

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 32 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

David McCullough	...	Narrator
Jeff Bridges	...	Charles Howard
Paul Vincent O'Connor	...	Bicycle Supervisor
Chris Cooper	...	Tom Smith
Michael Ensign	...	Steamer Owner
James Keane	...	Car Customer
Valerie Mahaffey	...	Annie Howard
David Doty	...	Land Broker
Carl M. Craig	...	Sam (as Kingston DuCoeur)
Michael O'Neill	...	Mr. Pollard
Annie Corley	...	Mrs. Pollard
Michael Angarano	...	Young Red Pollard
Cameron Bowen	...	Pollard Child
Noah Luke	...	Pollard Child
Mariah Bess	...	Pollard Child

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual situations and violent sports-related images.

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:L (original rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Malaysia:U | Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-7 | Germany:6 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:MG6 | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The movie never mentions that Seabiscuit and War Admiral were related. Seabiscuit's sire Hard Tack was sired by the great Man o' War as well as War Admiral.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Union Station in Los Angeles is shown as the location where Charles Howard started the campaign to get a match race with War Admiral in 1938. However, the station did not open until 1939.

Quotes:

Narrator: [First lines] They called it the car for every man. Henry Ford himself called it a car for the great multitude. It was functional, and simple, like your sewing machine, or your cast-iron stove. You could learn to drive it in less than a day. And you could get any color you wanted...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Homer the Whopper (#21.1)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Albur de Amor

Decent Movie But Book Far Better

Unlike most people, I haven't had that many cases in which I didn't particularly rave over a good movie because it couldn't live up to the book....but that was the case here.

This is a good movie. I realize that, but Laura Hillenbrand's book, from which this movie is taken, is hands-down the best sports book I have ever read. So, I eagerly anticipated the movie. I found out what so many other people discovered when their favorite was made into a film: it can't live up to it. In fairness, no two-hour film can do justice to a good book.

In this case, there were many things the jockey, owner and trainer went through that made the story so compelling, and they weren't in the movie. I won't detail them. Just read the book. But you can't appreciate what these men and that gutsy racehorse really accomplished just by the film. It only scratches the surface.

I can accept those omissions because of time constraints but I cannot accept Hollywood inserting offensive language into the movie that was not in the book, such as a dozen usages of the Lord's name in vain, NONE of which was in the book. That's inexcusable.

The movie's strength was its beauty, just magnificently filmed. Man, this is a gorgeous film, from the first shot to the last. Director Gary Ross and Director Of Photography John Schwartzman put a lot of loving care into this film and it shows. The actors were fine, too. No complaints there.

If this film appealed to you, I cannot recommended the book enough. Please check it out.