It's well known that Hollywood biopics have been, well... less than biographical. To make way for more elevated dramatics or an overall prettier picture, "excessive" or less-than-savory details of the real subject's life have a way of never making it to the screen. The list of perpetrators is too long to mention, and unfortunately "Seabiscuit" partakes in some of this fudging of the facts. But with its handful of omissions and white lies, it is remarkable how it creates an engrossing and comprehensive experience nonetheless.
Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) is a low-wage assembly-line worker for a bicycle company. Unhappy with his situation, he eventually works his way up to start his own bike repair shop. Business is slow, but what does come his way is somewhat unexpected: an automobile. He is somehow able to repair it, and decides to go into the car industry. He becomes a tycoon of sorts, finding an enormous amount of success in the trade.
That all ends with the sudden death of his son in a car accident. Shocked, Howard turns to what seems to be a safer venture: horse racing. He finds a horse trainer named Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) who has a unique talent with the creatures; almost to the point of being able to talk to them. After deciding to work for Howard, Smith uncovers two lucky finds. The first is Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), a second-rate jockey with a troubled past and fiery temper. The second is Seabiscuit, a second-rate horse with a troubled past and fiery temper. See the connection? Howard, Smith, and Pollard become a team and begin to enter races around the country.
I may as well get my issues with the film out of the way. While "Seabiscuit" does get high and mighty at points (having David mcCullough, one of the few famous historians, narrate seems more self-important than necessary), the real problem does lie in the film's cutting corners. There are times when it is glaringly obvious that the film is only scratching the surface. For example: we see glimpses of what seems to be Pollard's anorexia, but we never really see what effect that had on him, if any. Worse, Tom Smith is criminally underdeveloped; he hardly serves any purpose in the film other than to unite Pollard and Seabiscuit in the beginning. There are more flubs in this filmed version of "Seabiscuit", so I hear, but I have not read the Laura Hillenbrand book of the same name. The sad thing is, all these cuts are noticeable without any previous knowledge necessary. My concerns over them were confirmed by those who knew the story better than I.
But this hardly cripples the movie. This is a ghee-whiz, as-American-as-apple-pie silver-screen magic-maker, but despite that stigma it earns what triumphant moments it has. Even though it does restrain itself at some points, "Seabiscuit" manages to get very close to most of its characters. Enough time is spent with them (save Tom Smith) that a sense of familiarity builds and we find ourselves rooting for them. Even the horse gets a good amount of screen time. Getting to know the characters like this breeds a gripping amount of suspense come race time, so that even those who know the outcome somehow end up grabbing their armrests.
This is abetted by a more than solid (and largely male) cast, all of whom were excellent choices for their respective roles. Chris Cooper brings a quiet breed of cynicism and mysticism to his portrayal that the script does not have room for itself. One can catch Jeff Bridges repeating a few tricks from some of his previous films, but as he slips fully into Howard we are able forget that he is putting out a performance at all. Tobey Maguire (who has continued to impress me, making only smart choices since his role in "The Cider House Rules") does not disappoint here. Equally of note is William H. Macy, who fashions scene-stealing comic relief with wit and sharpness.
These performances (and a few others) become the backbone of writer/director Gary Ross' adaptation. "Seabiscuit" is not only a passable biography, but also a compelling way to spend two hours. It does well to reveal itself to a larger context; a documentation time when people could use a hero. And if nothing else, we can easily understand what everyone went so crazy about.
