Secretariat saved Secretariat because he's awesome.
I have seen Secretariat.
Here are my two big problems:
1. It is a Disney movie. By god, it is a Disney movie.
2. You do not take the 1973 Belmont Stakes...arguably one of the most amazing moments in American sports...and change the race call. Ever. You do not scrap the whole thing and keep "he's moving like a tremendous machine" after you've shown us 100% archival footage of the Preakness. That's sloppy and annoying. It's kind of like how the director of Seabiscuit decided to cut the match race and go all Ken Burns on us.
Also, Lucien Laurin struck a match and burned newspaper clippings in a coffee mug. In a barn. And then left it to burn unsupervised. Even my mother had a WHAT moment there. Dramatic, sure. Logically, not a smart move when you're doing that with your future Triple Crown winner five feet away.
Initial impression: I mostly agree with reviewers when they say it's a square little Disney movie that is totally saved by the fact that people love Secretariat. I love Secretariat. Just when the sap was about to overwhelm me, there was Secretariat, being awesome, and I'd just zone back out again and bask in his awesomeness. Also, John Malkovich is really good, the horses that play Secretariat really hit the mark...I kind of liked everyone except Diane Lane. She had all the sappy Disney lines, so that didn't surprise me.
I liked it. I wish they had cut out about 90% of the sap, because I'm not a fan of sap. But I can't fault Disney for being Disney.
(And as an aside, the guy who plays Seth Hancock? I could not stop thinking Brad Townsend. And then I'd snicker to myself because I'm easily amused.)
Here are my two big problems:
1. It is a Disney movie. By god, it is a Disney movie.
2. You do not take the 1973 Belmont Stakes...arguably one of the most amazing moments in American sports...and change the race call. Ever. You do not scrap the whole thing and keep "he's moving like a tremendous machine" after you've shown us 100% archival footage of the Preakness. That's sloppy and annoying. It's kind of like how the director of Seabiscuit decided to cut the match race and go all Ken Burns on us.
Also, Lucien Laurin struck a match and burned newspaper clippings in a coffee mug. In a barn. And then left it to burn unsupervised. Even my mother had a WHAT moment there. Dramatic, sure. Logically, not a smart move when you're doing that with your future Triple Crown winner five feet away.
Initial impression: I mostly agree with reviewers when they say it's a square little Disney movie that is totally saved by the fact that people love Secretariat. I love Secretariat. Just when the sap was about to overwhelm me, there was Secretariat, being awesome, and I'd just zone back out again and bask in his awesomeness. Also, John Malkovich is really good, the horses that play Secretariat really hit the mark...I kind of liked everyone except Diane Lane. She had all the sappy Disney lines, so that didn't surprise me.
I liked it. I wish they had cut out about 90% of the sap, because I'm not a fan of sap. But I can't fault Disney for being Disney.
(And as an aside, the guy who plays Seth Hancock? I could not stop thinking Brad Townsend. And then I'd snicker to myself because I'm easily amused.)