Intermission: 'Seabiscuit' a winner on movie screen, too

Jim Wunderle is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.

This week at the movies was truly a case of "the good, the bad and the ugly."

First the good: "Whale Rider" stayed for a second week. If you haven't done so already, see it.

Also, "Bend It Like Beckham" is back for a second run accompanied by a beefed-up ad campaign. It's a nice film, too.

The bad: While not a bad movie it's a great horror film "28 Days Later" has done something bad to the viewing public, not doubt at the behest of the film company's marketing department. There's now a second ending tacked onto the movie, after the credits roll. C'mon guys, this is a dirty trick to hook people back in the theater for 10 minutes of new material. Low blow.

And, finally, the ugly: One word. "Gigli."

Joining the "good" column is the story of a sports hero that captured the hearts of average Americans in the post-depression era. "Seabiscuit" is a sentimental, maybe even corny in spots, feel-good movie done up in the fine old Hollywood tradition. It's not quite Capraesque, but close.

Director Gary Ross, working from a script he wrote based on the much more darkly toned book by Laura Hillenbrand, has assembled a great cast (including 10 different horses to play "Seabiscuit") and gets great performances out of everyone involved. His narrative style works well, too, as he spends a great deal of time following the seemingly unconnected lives of the three men and one horse who will eventually unite to thrill, and give hope to, millions of Americans still down and out after the stock market crash of 1929 and the economic woes that followed.

Seabiscuit, the racehorse, was a cultural icon that defined his era like Ruth did in the 1920s, Elvis in the 1950s and the Beatles in the 1960s.

What is common to all of these icons is being in the right place at the right time. Ruth was the greatest player of his time and was the epitome of the "Roaring Twenties." Elvis, and rock and roll, sprung up at the beginning of the baby boom after World War II; and the Beatles, with their charm and cheery tunes, diverted America's attention from the assassination of JFK. Seabiscuit was a panacea for the everyman in post-depression America. The horse was as popular as any pop culture or sports hero before his time or since. And the odds for his success were slim, indeed.

As the film opens we follow the lives of three people and how the crash affected them. Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) is a successful dealer in the brand new automobile market and makes a fortune at it. The loss of a son destroys his marriage and the economic climate ruins his business. He is fairly well off, though, and spends time trying to rebuild his spirits with other friends who have managed to save their fortunes as well. These activities lead him to the world of horse racing and to his second wife, Marcela (Elizabeth Banks).

Meanwhile, we meet Tom Smith (Chris Cooper in another impeccable performance). Smith is an old-school cowboy who realizes the open range of the West is a thing of the past. He's a loner and his only true friend seems to be a horse that he saved from being put down after a nasty leg injury.

Thirdly we follow the life of young Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire). Red is from a big family which got hit hard after the depression. When he meets a man who raises horses, and it's discovered how good Red is with the animals, Red's parents more or less give him the boot for his own good, and he finds himself out in the world. Red does a little bit of everything, including amateur boxing, a sport that leaves him blind in one eye.

And then there's Seabiscuit. He's a scrawny little horse whose owners use him to help other horses get used to winning. He has been conditioned to lose. He's also been treated badly enough to warrant a fairly nasty disposition.

When Smith, now working for Charles Howard, sees Seabiscuit for the first time he knows despite all appearances, this horse can be a champ. Soon, Red is on board and the three men and a little horse get together to heal each other and make history.

After winning many races, Howard challenges the mighty Triple Crown winner War Admiral to a match race. Only after much taunting does War Admiral's owner agree to a match. The outcome is an historical fact, but I won't give it away here.

The last act of the film deals with Seabiscuit's recovery after a torn ligament. Red, too, has fractured his leg and both have been declared unfit to race again. They, along with Charles and Tom, have other plans. American's readily identified with this moxie and Seabiscuit, an underdog archetype, did as much for the spirit of the times as FDR's New Deal.

"Seabiscuit" is a feel-good, triumph-of-the-spirit sort of film, but it never gets too sappy to be unpalatable. It will take its place among the best "sports" films in movie history.