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 25 years.
19 Feb Secretariat (2010)
The Good Mom
‘Seabiscuit‘ was a film worth watching. It was masterfully structured, as I noted at the time. It was not about a horse so much as the people of America coming from behind and besting the fat cats who had thrown them into penury. It was powerful and brought tears. We cared, because the thing was rich and universal. The film worked hard to make us care — for our own selves — that the horse win.
This is in contrast; both films photograph the races expertly, but here we are expected to root for a woman, played by Diane Lane, whose qualities are questionable. A committed soul could form the basis of a film, but she does absolutely nothing worthy of our investment other than taking a chance that she had to. She is supported by beast and men, about whom we care little. Malkovich may have been the worst choice for this, excepting Keanu Reeves. The only engaging character here is the neo-racist stable hand, who alone is allowed to come across as an admirable soul.
Posted in 2011
Ted’s Evaluation — 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
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