Secretariat

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

The Movie

Starring

Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Margo Martindale, Dylan Walsh, Nelsan Ellis, Nestor Serrano, and more.

Plot

A housewife and mother takes over her father's failing horse-racing franchise and turns it into a winner with a 1973 Tripe Crown Winner by the name of Secretariat, or Big Red.

Review

Growing up on her father's horse-racing ranch, Penny Chenery Tweedy, has always had a love for the horses and her father's horse racing business but she puts that love aside to become a housewife and raise a family. When her mother dies, she returns to her father's farm to discover that his health is failing to the point that he is making bad business decisions; decisions that ultimately cause the business to suffer financially.

Determined to keep her father's legacy alive, she takes charge of the business—despite the objections of both her husband and brother. And, following in her father's footsteps, she takes the "horse-sense" she gleaned from her father and follows her intuition to turn what others believe would be a failure-of-a-horse into the greatness she knows he is destined to be.

This is more than just a story about a horse. This is more than a historical account of a horse that captured the heart of millions of Americans and won the Triple Crown. This is an amazing story of one woman's struggle to infiltrate a male dominated business with little capital and win…and so much more.

It's a story about the sacrifices one must make to follow one's convictions and one's dreams. It's a story about taking the impossible and making it possible. It's a story about "running at life" and going as far as you can; no regrets. And it's a story about finding a way when there seems to be no way.

There are so many things to love about this film.

First and foremost, it's a clean, family film that packs an emotional punch!

Second, the storyline progresses at such a nice pace that there's little room for a dull moment.

And third, though there are hints to underlying struggles, such as the separation anxiety Penny feels over spending so much time away from her children, the problems that arise in her marriage because of that very same separation, the struggles Penny faces as she deals with sexist men who think women belong at home and not on the race track, and financial problems, they aren't harped upon. This, of course, means that the story stays upbeat and positive.

But what I love most about this film is the way Director Wallace, the screenwriters, and the actors were able to turn what could have been a rather boring documentary about the life of a race horse and turn it into an entertaining film that shows just how exciting horseracing can be.

Your Task

Watch Secretariat for the feel-good film that it is and don't fret over the liberties taken to create a great "story". Then, if you live near a racetrack, take your kids. And if you don't play a game of "Win, Place, Show." Or, if you are someone who disagrees with betting, or racing horses, share your beliefs with your children and allow them to share their beliefs with you.