SkyPowers Review of Secretariat

Secretariat (2010)

Because comparisons to Sea Biscuit are inevitable ...

[6/10 · 19 October 2010]

... the filmmakers had to be weary that they would be made. Their precaution may have actually hurt the film. "Sea Biscuit" was a masterpiece because of the way it got so inside the psyches of the horse and jockey, two great characters fused together. "Secretariat" does convey the steadfast resolve of the horse's owner played well by Diane Lane and it does capture the look and feel of the times and, most difficult, suspense ... when everyone knows the outcome (see "Titanic"). Sorry to say it's too bad writer-director Gary Ross wasn't at the helm. I happened to be sitting with the animal colorist of that film who cringed at the many different horses they used to play Secretariat but you don't have to be an expert to see they screwed up the most important part -- the horse's face -- sometimes with a large white diamond on the forehead, sometimes not. Sometimes a bold white line coming down from the diamond, sometimes a much thinner line. I saw a credit for horse continuity. Perhaps she didn't know about animal colorists. Or perhaps the filmmakers elected simply to focus on the human story of the owner, the horse itself, the very name of the film, more an afterthought. Nonetheless, I will recommend it as wholesome family entertainment that makes ya feel good.