Movie Review: Secretariat (2010)
Spectacular horse racing scenes, tired human scenes
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures
I knew the story of Secretariat, but the particulars were tucked away so far in my mind that each turn in this horse tale was a surprise. I don't care much for horse racing although I do dedicate a couple hours of my life to the sport three times a year and on the off chance I take to the local track about 30 minutes south of Seattle. However, when told right, a story such as this can truly succeed on the big screen and Secretariat is an in-betweener when it comes to overall satisfaction. The race sequences are spectacular and the facts of the story are undeniably impressive, but the overall telling of the story is a bit whitewashed to the point the intrigue isn't really there until you hit the racetrack.
The cast includes John Malkovich, Diane Lane, Scott Glenn, Kevin Connolly, James Cromwell, Dylan Walsh, Amanda Michalka, Nelsan Ellis, Dylan Baker, Margo Martindale and Graham McTavish. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"Secretariat" is a Walt Disney Pictures release, directed by Randall Wallace and is rated PG for brief mild language. The running time is 1 hour 56 minutes.
This is Filmmaking 1o1 from a story aspect. A tough as nails woman enters the men's club of horse racing and along with her horse, succeeds in a way no horse had managed in 25 years. The story writes itself and Mike Rich doesn't strive for much more than typical storytelling and average character development leaving only the racing and a couple of lively performances to keep the story alive.
Malkovich and Nelsan Ellis deliver the only energy the film has to offer from a human standpoint when Secretariat isn't racing toward the finish line. Malkovich's eccentricity is devoted, for the most part, to his wardrobe as well as a couple of choice one-liners that rarely feel natural. Ellis, whom most will know as the always entertaining Lafayette from HBO's "True Blood", serves as Eddie Sweat, Secretariat's groom. His excitement is palpable turning in one of the only truly genuine performances in the film alongside Margo Martindale who plays Miss Hamm, Peggy's father's secretary and the one responsible for naming the mighty stallion.
Lane, however, plays Chenery with confident determination and none of my criticisms have to do with her performance as much as the material she's working from. Her performance is fine, but she's rarely given an opportunity to do much with the character. It may be a perfect depiction of who Chenery was in reality, but as a movie character it doesn't give the film much of a heartbeat. To milk that metaphor, it's said Secretariat had a heart two times the size of other horses, which allowed him to run so much faster. That heart comes through for this film as the race scenes are the true high point while the rest comes across as a bunch of people talking in between.
Secretariat is only director Randall Wallace's third film after two lackluster prior features; The Man in the Iron Mask, which isn't altogether bad and We Were Soldiers, which is a film I'd prefer to never see again it is so boring. Wallace does well here with the racing sequences, and along with cinematographer Dean Semler (Appaloosa) turns in some spectacularly golden imagery. But Mike Rich's script doesn't give him much opportunity elsewhere but to point and shoot in one general direction as the lackluster dialogue plays out.
Rich's screenplay can't live up to the achievement's of its subject. When Secretariat isn't on the track or finally digging his face into a bag of oats the story limps along until we get to the next horse racing high. Even though we already know how everything turns out the achievements of Secretariat are still impressive on screen and Wallace makes a good decision to show the Preakness Stakes from the Chenery's Denver home in an effort to break things up. While Peggy's husband ("nip/tuck" star Dylan Walsh) is home with the kids she's off risking it all on a horse.
Secretariat is one part about a great horse and another part about rich white people and their problems. Yet, with the beating heart of a champion horse at its core it is well worth a watch merely for that final race alone.
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Your TomatoMeter says 78, but I checked and its a 64. Still though, it seems like a solid flick. I will check this out whenever it becomes available to me in Puerto Rico. (However, I don't think this is going to get any Oscar attention at all)
The Oscar question is an interesting one. I can actually see it being received well by the Academy for a Picture nom as a sentimental choice. I think that tenth spot on the list will always go to something almost entirely undeserving, like The Blind Side. However, I think Love and Other Drugs will also be vying for the same spot or perhaps even Coppola's Somewhere.
BTW, any time the Tomatometer is wrong on this site it's only because RT hasn't updated the feed I pull their data from. It should sort itself out over the course of the day and weekend.
I was happy to read your comment about Diane Lane being a bit straighjacketed by the script. I find that many people, in general, don't consider that when they are assessing someone's acting. Sandra Bullock is an example of this phenomenon as she won an Oscar for Best Actress in The Blind Side in the same year she won a Razzie for Worst Actress in All About Steve.
I saw this last weekend at a sneak preview screening. I really can honestly say that I detested the film. I thought that it was slow derivative and, like you said Brad, tired. I thought that the scenes with Malcovich were outstanding because, for the most part, he is good in anything. Diane Lane was good too. But I felt like she was limited. As far as Oscar chances for this…not a chance in hell.
Apparently Sean you didn't understand the movie, not enough violence in it for you, or vulgarity? I found it entertaining, captivating in parts and inspiring, even for us Secretariat fans who knew the outcome. It also had a fine message for young adults, but I guess that went over your head, Oscar winning? Perhaps not, but it will win some Award, stick to the Sopranos Sean you'll get all the action you seem to want.
I love it when someone says they didn't like a film, and some self-described "Secretariat fan" says they just don't "get it."
Really? That's all you have? Sean just doesn't understand it? What is there to really understand?
Get off your high horse (pun intended) and stop treating people like they're morons. I haven't seen the film, but it looks like another cookie-cutter Oscar bait movie. But maybe I just don't "get it."
>Secretariat is one part about a great horse and another part about rich white people and their problems.
What does the owner's race have to do with anything?
>We Were Soldiers, which is a film I'd prefer to never see again it is so boring.
I just realized you are not qualified to review movies.
This was truly a bad movie.Very poor acting and overacting.
Correction: the movie opens in 1969, not 1972.
The script isn't the greatest, but the story is fantastic. Who could ever tire of it? Casting is spot on. I loved taking my daughter and her friend to a film about a legendary horse and a strong woman (Diane Lane is riveting) who made good things happen despite being routinely hounded by men telling her she was crazy.
See the movie. Enjoy it. It's ok to do that. This is one instance where the story itself is better than the best fiction. Long live the story of a once-in-a-lifetime horse.
What's the deal with the alleged underlying Nazi-subplot? Any discussion to be had about that?