Review: SECRETARIAT

At last we’re off to the races with the opening of SECRETARIAT – the rousing tale of the 1973 Triple Crown winner and the greatest race horse of all time!

Based on the novel “Secretariat: The Making of a Champion” by William Nack, SECRETARIAT centers on Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), Secretariat’s owner, and how she broke into the “boys only club” of thoroughbred horseracing in 1969. The real Penny Chenery, now 88, even has a cameo in the film as a spectator at the Belmont Stakes race. Walt Disney Pictures decided the time was right and put the story in the very capable hands of director Randall Wallace (MAN IN THE IRON MASK, BRAVEHEART screenplay) and writer Mike Rich (THE ROOKIE). With the unbelievable, mud-in-your-face cinematography of Academy Award winner Dean Semler (DANCES WITH WOLVES) and the galloping sound work of 20 time Oscar-nominee Kevin O’Connell, SECRETARIAT is as close to a real horserace as you’ll ever get.

What’s terrific about SECRETARIAT is that it’s not a feminist film by any stretch of the imagination. It’s purely the story of a woman who, as Chenery recently said, wanted to be recognized for doing something as a person, not solely as a woman. For once in her life, Chenery took the lead and stood her ground with one of her father’s wealthiest business partners. Going up against a husband and brother who tried to dissuade her, a lonely Chenery found the inner strength to turn Big Red into a champion.

Oscar nominee Diane Lane is spot on in her role as the The First Lady of Horse Racing and gives the portrayal such bravery and confidence. She’s the tie that binds the film. Look for a possible Best Actress nomination for Lane. The on-screen meshing between she and Secretariat trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich) is electric.

That’s what I love about Malkovich. The actor can go from buffoonery roles like in the upcoming spy-comedy RED to the more serious outing as the down and out, eccentric trainer Laurin. He has a range and method that most actors can only dream of. To be sure, the film is filled with affable performances from James Cromwell, Fred Thompson, Kevin Connelly, Dylan Baker, and Dylan Walsh, with particular notice to Nelsan Ellis (HBO’s True Blood) as Secretariat’s groom and real-life jockey Otto Thorwarth as Secretariat’s jockey, Ron Turcotte. But it’s Malkovich’s easygoing scenes that are really the most absorbing.

With the stirring score by Nick Glennie-Smith (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films) and the precision editing of 2-time Oscar nominee John Wright (HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, SPEED), ultimately the movie comes down to the three big races of the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes are both recreated magnificently with real race horses and jockeys. But what die-hard racing fans would hope for comes in the second race, the Preakness, in which we are treated to seeing the actual race from 1973, complete with the original “here comes Secretariat!” call of the race. One of the film’s highlights are 3…THREE!… big race scenes and even though we all know who wins, its nonetheless very exciting.

The best thing about this movie is that they don’t add a lot of extraneous storylines for dramatic effect. It never tries to be more than it is. The focus is solely on the story of where Secretariat came from and how he won the Triple Crown, a feat that had not been achieved in 25 years. Unbelievably, only two other horses have won since Secretariat. Seattle Slew in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978. The filmmakers have done a good job of keeping everything relatively historically accurate, even though they made it seem like Secretariat came from a broken down, failing horse farm. The reality is, the same owners had Riva Ridge, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont the previous year, 1972.

Special props to the makeup & hair designers and costume designers Michael Boyd (GETTYSBURG, WE WERE SOLDIERS) and Julie Weiss (TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, SHANGHAI) – their contributions to this period piece truly breathe extra life into this special film about two superheroes. What impressed me the most was what director Wallace captured in the film – not another documentary, but the fact that Secretariat wasn’t racing against other horses; he was running for the joy of it.

Seeing that it’s truly a great, heart-warming film, look for SECRETARIAT to be this year’s THE BLIND SIDE come Academy Awards time. At the various screenings which began in March, everyone has been cheering and yelling out “go, go, go” even though we all know the outcome of the victorious ride. SECRETARIAT is the kind of Disney family film from the golden days sure to make you laugh, cry, and give you a euphoric boost – a little something we all need in these trying days.

Rating: 5 out of ***** stars

SECRETARIAT opens today. The film is rated PG for brief mild language. Check out the film’s official site here, on Facebook and Twitter.