Customer Reviews

Seabiscuit (2-Disc Collector's Set)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

One of the best movies I've seen in a long time.. I think people fail to see what this movie is realy about..If you don't have a tear in your eye when George wolf and the biscuit break away from the admiral in the final stretch of the match race, than I think your realy missing the moment.. And you should be in full cry mode when Red Pollard breaks through the pack to win the Santa Anita Handicap.. Sure they could have talked more about events in the book,like Charles Howards other son, he's not mentioned once, or his friendship whith Bing Crosby, and how the biscuit had a rival with his horse. And lets not forget the Awsome performance by the Great Jockey Gary Stevens as the Ice Man himself George Wolf.. I think Gary was the perfect part for George and would have liked to see more of him.. His riding for the finish line in the match race was poetry in motion.. But all in all this movie is summed up in the end when they say this is about a horse that changed the lives of three men when in actuality it changed a country. It gave people light at the end of a dark tunnel, and showed with the right love and the Heart to do your best you can overcome anything. At least thats what I got out of it...

This movie is proof that Hollywood IS capable of putting out a quality product. All the elements come together on this one-rare indeed. Gets my vote for Picture Of The Year.

Sensitive, heartfelt and heartwarming yet not maudling or corny. This is one great Hollywood epic for everyone who roots for the underdog, er. . .horse. Seabiscuit is an Equine "Rocky" for sure. It may have you tearing up at times, but that's not bad in this case. It's a great story and there's a happy ending too. What more could anyone want? Wish that horse were still around.

With a wonderful cast, a meticulous script and an eternal story of battling against great odds, Seabiscuit is about as perfect as a movie can get.

Writer-director Gary Ross allows this inspirational to develop on and off the track, the a real gem is the racing sequences, which place the viewer in the saddle of this oftentimes very rugged & brutal sport. The final race scene - as Seabiscuit takes aim for one more glorious victory - is worth the price of this two-CD set.

Of particular interest in the additional material is the complete footage of the match-race between The Biscuit and War Admiral.

This is an outstanding set which provides additional insight into the development of the film and why The Biscuit captured the hearts of a nation so many years ago and continues to captivate fans in the 21st Century.

The psychologist, Carl Jung described synchronicity as the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner. This story brings three figures together in synchronicity: Red Pollard played by Tobey McGuire, Charles Howard played by Jeff Bridges, and Thomas Smith played by Chris Cooper. A jockey that was too big (5'7"), a trainer too old, a horse that was too small, and an owner too dumb to know the difference. The horse that was too small, at 15 hands, was Seabiscuit.

Charles Howard moved west with 21 cents in his pocket as a bicycle salesman who became the richest man in California once he started selling the horseless carriage. The loss of his son in a truck accident and the subsequent separation from his wife change the man's life. He meets a drifter and plainsman who loves horses and understands them. He is Thomas Smith. Together they look for horses to buy, and Smith sees something in the eye of one of them and convinces Howard to pay the $8,000 price. Smith also notices a hot-tempered jockey who was abandoned by his family at an early age. He thinks he will be the perfect match for the horse that slept and ate too much--Red Pollard. The cantankerous two take an instant like to each other.

Pollard, Smith, and Seabiscuit are underdogs in the time of the Great Depression where underdogs were something to be cherished and cheered. The bowlegged, graceless horse begins to win race after race and captures the imagination of a nation. The horse that is too short starts to win with a jockey who believes in holding the horse back until it can see the eye of the horse next to it, and then lets him loose destroying the spirit of the competition. Howard decides to push for a match race between Seabcuit and the lord of the east, War Admiral, who at a sleek 18 hands, seems to be an easy winner. Radio announcer "Tick-Tock McLaughlin" played by William Macy plays up the match race and adds a humorous touch to the movie.

This double DVD series is a great buy. The first is the movie, and the second offers: Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral, the 1938 Match Race; Winners' Circle: The Heroes Behind the Legend; HBO First Look; The True Story of Seabiscuit. The photo book contains a few pictures from the movie and should be inconsequential in your consideration. In addition to the superb acting and story line, David McCullough provides an outstanding narration much as he did for the series, "Civil War." This gives the film the feel of a docu-drama.

This is a story about a horse and people who interacted in a way that gave purpose to each other. There's no handicap in watching this.





P. S. It would be nice if all the parts of real life ended as the movie. Howard owned several horses, but none ever achieved the stature of Seabiscuit. He would die in California in 1950. Thomas Smith became the top horse trainer in the country. Red Pollard suffered numerous injuries as a jockey, but one injury led him to fall in love with the nurse attending him. He married her and had two children. He was less fortunate financially as he ended up as a valet polishing boots of other jockeys. Seabiscuit was retired at the age of seven, and sired other horses. Its heart gave way at the young age of 14 and he is buried at an unknown location on the Howard ranch.

Seabiscuit is a good addition to your DVD library, but save the extra money and buy the single disc. I feel taken by the 2 disc set. The only real addition is the Match Race footage which is only a few minutes. The Winner's Circle, HBO First Look and True Story are all re-edits of the interviews and commentaries on the first disc. It's too bad that the studio did this because I will never pay for extra features again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

One of my all time favorites. This is a great American story that transcends any interest in horse racing. Narrated in a simple straightforward manner as if you were hearing it from a neighbor who was there. Tremendous highs and devastating lows. Visually beautiful. I can imagine this is the kind of movie Blu-Ray was made for.
Note for Families: some random language (not much and I felt was (mostly) appropriate to scene), one scene with brief female (top) nudity (blurred) and two scenes with sports violence (boxing) and horse riding accident (scene with "will you breeze my horse?"). Also suggest reading book for more story and character development.
Enjoy!

Seabiscuit was a great horse - few would argue that. This movie does an excellent job of presenting the story of the people surrounding Seabiscuit and then showing how the rather mismatched crew made it all work so well. Wonderful characters, thrilling horse races and a feel-good ending - I watch it whenever it's dreary outside or when I just need a lift. It has become my favorite movie.

I ordered this on Dec. 10th, 2011 and as of Jan. 11th, 2012 it still has not arrived. I wish someone would look into this and let me know what is going on.

Fans of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy were elated as the 3rd entree "Return of the King" won just about every Academy Award. Overlooked in all the LOTR madness was my pick for best film of 2003, SEABISCUIT. Its superiority as a film was demonstrated in every area--acting, inspirational story, and technical achievements. The progression from the prosperous 1920s to the Depression era was beautifully done from the production design to the costumes and just to the feel of the film. The story and screenplay were so inspirational and moving with Maguire, Bridges, and Cooper all at the top of their game. Special kudos for the camerawork, the great editing, and the sensitive direction of Gary Ross. Had I been handing out the Oscars that year, The BISCUIT would have gotten Editing, Screenplay, Cinematography, and Music...as well as best picture. The final quote always moves me to tears: "...everyone thinks we found this broken-down horse and fixed him; but he fixed us, and in a way, we fixed each other." and that's the story! I don't say this about many movies, but this was an absolutely Lovely film...and so much better than the interminable LOTR3 which won that year.
A word about the Special Collector's set -- There is a souvenir booklet, some postcard of the real characters and the Biscuit, and a 2nd disc filled with documentaries and newsreels of the time. Definitely worth it for fans of the film.