Seabiscuit (2003)
"Seabiscuit? Sounds like someone
farted in the ocean... Hey dude... I floated a seabiscuit."
- A joke I actually made up myself.
(Note: Some spoilers)
"Seabiscuit" is the most amazing
and heartwarming and life affirming film you will
see this year. I know the end of 2003 promises a plethora
of wonderful films but it's hard for me to believe
that any of them will touch me on a more emotional
level that this one. I am almost sure it is a film
that will easily be remembered come Oscar nomination
time next February.
Everything adds up and clicks easily
into place here. The acting is top-notch, exactly
what we expect from the likes of Jeff Bridges, Chris
Cooper, Tobey Maguire and William H. Macy. The direction
is flawless and works perfectly to gather our emotional
trust. This is precisely what we've come to expect
from a filmmaker like Gary Ross. The script is nearly
perfect with only an occasional annoyance in its use
of narration. The emotional resonance of the film,
however, cannot be denied. Rarely ham-handed and often
as tender and as finely sculpted as to evoke tears,
the film cans also easily amuse us with its delightful
humanity. The sets, props, costumes and art direction
of the film is warm and human and without peer in
its attention to detail. It is like stepping back
into the Depression era.
I would like to offer up a reminder
to those who have seen the film of three of the most
amazing moments:
The scene where the young "Red,"
played wonderfully by Michael Angarano, is left by
his parents is about as harrowing and sad as any thing
we have ever seen on film. The idea that this moment
was probably played out several times in the Depression
era by several parents and their children is so amazing
and heartbreaking that the moment in the film becomes
a tombstone for such moments.
The nearly silent and heart-wrenching
scene where Bridges sits on the porch with his dead
son on his lap. No words are spoken and this amazing
insight to the time period is almost easily glossed-over
due to the overt idea of its emotional impact. The
more subtle idea of a time in our history where a
father might come home after he has found out his
child has died and the boy's dead body might be waiting
for him at his home is devastating to imagine. A flood
of thoughts on the verisimilitude of this and how
something like this would never happen today overcame
me. In a modern day scene, this would take place in
a hospital or a funeral home. But in this not-so-distant
past, it took place in the home. Bridges comes home
and the body of his dead son lies in wait for his
return. He carries the boy in his arms to the porch
and sits and mourns openly for his child. This is
a five second scene in the film but it is harrowing
and poignant and says so much about Bridges' character.
Everything that happens in the film from this point
on will stem from this one tiny moment. It says so
much.
And finally, the start of the big
match race. When the bell goes off, Ross moves away
from the action and instead brings us out of the race
and into America. Black and white period snapshot
remind us of just how important this race was and
a real recording of the broadcast of the race draws
us into the heart and minds and dreams and hopefulness
of the American people at exactly that moment. You
are only there as a witness. You exist in that moment.
And it is literally breath-taking.
Ross and his scripters take enormous
time in setting up the film but it is never boring.
As it was in James Cameron's masterful "Titanic,"
it is so important for us to understand these characters
before we see their story. We get to know Bridges'
eternal optimist, Coopers defeated cowboy, and Maguire's
scrappy fighter as fully realized human characters
before we see their story begin to unfold. Learning
about them and then watching them begin to come together,
like the ingredients of a delicious cake, is wonderful.
We know how good the eggs, milk and flour are, so
our expectations of the batter is immense. The finished
dessert is simply delectable. And William H. Macy
provides the icing on top. The delightful, light and
frothy cream topping that makes the entire concoction
come to sparkling life. This is an ensemble that soars
high above our already enormous expectations and makes
us simply fall in love with them and with their story.
It is intoxicating.
Ross crafts a film that surpasses
his amazing debut "Pleasantville" to become one of
the most inspiring and extraordinary films in history.
This film has everything and it is Ross' wizardry
that seems to make it work. His ability to craft gigantic
moments of the period with even the smallest detail
in place is only surpassed by his ability to make
the smallest and most quiet of moments immense and
emotion filled. Everything works and it works without
seeming overly manipulative or forced. Sure, Ross
is a filmmaker. And he uses film and actors and images
and props and sets and story and music, especially
Randy Newman's archetypical score music, to evoke
emotional responses from us. But that's what filmmakers
do! His light touch here, his knack for taking us
down the path of the story without ever making us
feel lead by him is nothing short of cinematic wizardry.
I love the small moments in this
film. But more importantly, I love how the emotion
and the honesty of the film boils just below the surface.
There are no long psycho-dramatic displays or explanations
here. We know Bridges has lost his son and it has
changed him as a man without a word ever being spoken
about this topic. We know Cooper is adrift in a new
world he doesn't fit within without anyone ever saying
it. We know Maguire is hurt and hopeless without him
ever breaking down and crying it aloud. These are
men from a past where men did not display emotions
openly - let alone speak of them - and Ross and his
script reflect and respect this. It is important because
it shows just how amazing Ross is as a filmmaker that
he displays all of this without ever having a character
speak of it and allows us amazing entrance into these
men's lives and hearts without ever making them tell
us aloud anything about themselves regarding their
nature.
"Seabiscuit" captures a moment in
our American history where all seemed lost. And then
it works to show us the spirit our parents and grandparents
displayed and how they moved into the light of hopefulness
again. Seabiscuit, the horse, became a national symbol
of the underdog, the down but not out, the struggle
to achieve a worthwhile life again. "Seabiscuit,"
the film, reminds us of all of this and makes us shiver
in out human skin, suddenly joyous at the prospect
of being alive, before gently ushering us out of the
darkness of the movie theater and into the light of
yet another glorious day in America.
Note:
Also with Valerie Mahaffey, Sam
Bottoms and actual jockeys Chris McCarron and Gary
Stevens.
Ross and Maguire are both credited
as producers.
Over 10 horses were used as Seabiscuit.
Not to be confused with the 2002
documentary of the same name which was a part of the
PBS series, "The American Experience."
Also filmed as "The Story of Seabiscuit"
in 1949 with Shirley Temple. That film featured actual
footage of the match race with War Admiral as well.
Viewed in Austin in July 2003 with
my roomie Amanda and my friend Johnny Oh!
