Secretariat: Movie Review

Secretariat, the story of the horse that just couldn’t be stopped despite no on thinking he could become anything, is racing into theaters this week to make you cry… and cheer! With tons of great action and cheesy lines, the film is exactly what you would expect from a “horse film” but with the added bonuses including a great story and the lovely Diane Lane and the slightly crazy John Malkovich.

Check out the review below…

The Players:

• Directors: Randall Wallace
• Writers: Mike Rich (screenplay) and William Nack (book)
• Actors: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, (read interview with Lane and Malkovich) Margo Martindale, Nelsan Ellis
• Cinematography: Dean Semler
• Music: Nick Glennie-Smith
• Producers: Mark Ciardi, Pete DeStefano, Gordon Gray

The Plot:

Housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over her ailing father’s Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery — with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin — manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years.

The Good:

• Acting: Some people were talking about awards for this film, I didn’t really see any performances that were that impressive BUT that’s only because I think Lane and Malkovich have both given so many great performances in the past and once again they have delivered. Maybe they should give them an award for consistent great acting. Then again – given some of the horrible dialogue they had to concur in order to make the film work – maybe they do deserve an award.
• The Story: This is an amazing story by itself. They had to add in a few elements to raise the tension (which it still needed a bit more of) but overall it’s a sweet “can do” film that will definitely have you cheering for Secretariat around those corners! The story does not easily lend itself to the screen and they did a solid job adapting it so that it worked.
• The Action/Race Scene: They do a great job of building up the tension at the start of every race so that you’re on the edge of your seat dying to see what will happen next. Much like on a real racetrack, every second counts and they do a great job of building that up for the audience so that when you watch those horses race around the track it means something to you and will have you cheering or crying at the end of it.

The Bad:

• Dialogue: Some of the lines in this film are beyond cheesy. And not only that but they chose some really bad words that could very easily be misconstrued. If you want us to take the film seriously don’t give us some many reasons to chuckle to ourselves.
• Not Enough Against It: The story of Secretariat is a good one because it’s an amazing true story, the problem is, there really wasn’t much going against it. Yes, there was a woman on the racetrack and her family had to accept that she had a life, but it all turned out great! The horse started racing, started winning and then just kept winning until he blew everyone away. It’s hard to feel invested in a story when there is not enough against it to make you fight for it — that being said it’s still fun to watch and every time the race starts, it’ll have your heart pounding.

Overall:

If you don’t know the story of Secretariat, you’re in for a treat – the story itself is beyond amazing… and true! This is a good film, with some great moments both on the track and between the actors. It will be great for the kids and there’s plenty for adults to enjoy, it’s just not as mind-blowing as one might be hoping for.

Rating: 6.5/10

Stone will be in theaters October 8th!

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Are you excited to see Secretariat in theaters?