I have to admit that I was looking forward to seeing the story of Secretariat on the big screen. My father always speaks highly of the horse. He remembers his amazing victory at the Belmont Stakes and I wanted a chance to experience what it was like to follow the excitement that surrounded the Triple Crown champion. I definitely got my chance.
The film follows Penny Chenery Tweedy, a housewife and mother of four, who returns to her family's horse ranch when her mother passes away. Seeing that her father can no longer care for the horse operation himself, Penny takes it upon herself to run things properly while juggling her family life. Along the way she comes to realize that the new colt in her stable has the potential to be something incredibly special and she hires an eccentric trainer (played by John Malcovich) to help train him.
Diane Lane gives an incredible performance in the role of Penny. She is inspirational and driven and makes the viewer want her to succeed. Malcovich is also strong in his performance and brings a touch of humor to the film which might otherwise have become heavy-handed.
Randall Wallace, known more for writing Braveheart than his previous two directorial efforts (We Were Soldiers and The Man in the Iron Mask) does a good job of pacing the film and creating tension during the racing sequences. The score, by Nick Glennie-Smith, is very powerful and worthy of note.
Overall Secretariat is an inspirational film that is worth seeing. It will leave you believing that with enough determination and a little bit of luck that the seemingly impossible can happen. For me any film that can do that is one worth watching.
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