Movie #339........................."Secretariat"

Movie #339 "Secretariat" was a very inspiring movie about the love of one horse for his owner, Penney Chenery. It took me a few minutes to get into the story, but once the horse was introduced, it sucked me in. Audience beware, there is some clunkiness occasionally with the dialogue (esp. lines like "This is the big one!" when talking about the Kentucky Derby ---who doesn't know that?) In my head I was comparing this movie with Seabiscuit, and there's no doubt there was more conflict involved with Seabiscuit's rise, but there's something cool about this story as well ---- the aforementioned love between the owner and the horse, the jockey who will take the horse past the comfort zone, the gentlemen's club of horse owners who refuse to see this woman as anything other than a housewife who belongs in her kitchen, this woman's courage and audacity to go against her family to take a stand alone, the cooky fashion deficient trainer who is also willing to take chances when his career is on the line -------these are all topics that are covered very well in the film, and I think you will find it very fulfilling. You know the movie gets you when you are at the end all races (the Belmont) and the movie goes to slow mo (I know, cliche, but used quite well here, really) and "Oh happy days" is playing on the soundtrack and you feel (almost) as if you are there and witnessing a true miracle! Go see it, if just for that moment!




You rated this movie: 4.0

Secretariat
(2010) PG
When Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father's thoroughbred stable, she transforms from housewife to horse breeder -- and owner of the colt that will take the 1973 Triple Crown -- in this dramatic biopic. The film explores Chenery's bond with "Big Red" and depicts her rise to greatness as the "first lady of racing." John Malkovich plays trainer Lucien Laurin, and Fred Dalton Thompson co-stars as big-shot breeder Bull Hancock.

Genre:Sports Dramas, Horse Racing, Biographies