Disney has a good track record of making inspirational movies involving sports (Remember the Titans, The Rookie, Miracle) and Secretariat could be one of its best. Diane Lane is superb and John Malkovich impresses in a movie that is not an underdog story; the exact opposite, actually. This horse was destined for greatness and will go down in history as the greatest racehorse of all time.
Penny Chenery Tweedy (Lane) is a housewife in the 1970s who has a family she loves and cares for. When she gets news of her mother passing away, she takes over the Meadow Stables in Virginia. The stables belong to her father (Scott Glenn), but he is not in good health. So she puts her life with her family on hold while she clears things up at the stables. But once Secretariat (aka Big Red) is born, it is too great of an opportunity to pass up.
Penny doesn’t know much about horse racing, but horse trainer Lucien Laurin (Malkovich) knows too much. With elaborate suits and colorful hats, Laurin turns Secretariat into a real racehorse with a chance of winning the 1973 Triple Crown. If you know anything about this story or its history, then you know what happens. Would a movie be made about Secretariat if he didn’t win?
It doesn’t matter if you know how it ends. It’s the journey that makes this movie so exciting and enjoyable. Not just the journey of the horse, but the journey and sacrifices made by Penny and her family. The obstacles Secretariat, Penny, Laurin, and the others have to go through is emotional and absorbing. Director Randall Wallace (The Man in the Iron Mask, We Were Soldiers) gets us up close and personal with the energy and excitement of horseracing. He is also able to slide in real footage of one of Secretariat’s races that adds to the authenticity of a horse and the people who really were apart of this. Those who experienced it firsthand.
Lane has not been seen in a while onscreen. Her last mainstream film was Nights in Rodanthe with Richard Gere, and who knows how many people saw that one? Even so, she’s a great actress and represents independence and determination as Penny. Horse racing was a male-dominated business that had no room for a housewife. But she did not care and if she was scared, she would never show it to those who she wanted to prove wrong. Lane is just as much a part of the spirit and energy of Secretariat as the horse himself.
And how can you not love Malkovich? He is a serious, talented actor, but is not afraid to cut loose. We saw that in Burn After Reading and in the upcoming RED. But as the trainer with an attitude, he brightens up every scene he is in–literally. Even without the outlandish outfits, it is tough to ignore Malkovich’s proficiency.
Secretariat is about as good as it gets when it comes to inspirational stories. Everyone who was there and lived it will never forget it. And to bring this extraordinary story to the big screen and have people like Lane and Malkovich leading the way makes it that much sweeter.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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