Genre: Drama Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, James Cromwell, Dylan Walsh, Kevin Connolly, Scott Glenn, Sean Michael Cunningham, Fred Dalton Thompson, Margo Martindale Director: Randall Wallace Rating: PG Year Made: 2010
SPECIAL
FEATURES
- Heart of a Champion - This feature takes a look at one of the most famous thoroughbred horses ever known
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary by Director Randall Wallace
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
Languages: English/Thai/Spanish/Portuguese Subtitles: English/Thai/Malay/
Portuguese/Chinese/Korean/
Bahasa/Spanish Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Running Time: 2 hrs 3 mins Region Code: 3 Distributor: Scorpio East
SYNOPSIS:
Disney presents an astonishing true story bursting with hope, heart, and courage. Diane Lane and John Malkovich lead a celebrated cast in this inspirational motion picture from the producers of "Miracle," "Invincible" and "The Rookie."
Behind every legend lies an impossible dream. Witness the
spectacular journey of an incredible horse named Secretariat
and the moving story of his unlikely owner, a housewife who
risked everything to make him a champion. Out of the gate
with never-before-seen bonus features, "Secretariat" is hours
of pulse-pounding entertainment for the whole family!
MOVIE REVIEW:
Horse-racing isn’t a particularly popular sport here in Singapore (except perhaps for the purpose of gambling), so that probably explains why this Randall Wallace film of the 3-year-old chestnut stallion that won racing's elusive Triple Crown on June 9, 1973 never made it to our cinemas. But never mind one’s unfamiliarity with racing- “Secretariat” is an unabashedly inspirational film whose delight and thrills can be felt no matter whether you love the sport.
Working from a screenplay by Mike Rich (“The Rookie”, “Miracle”), ‘Braveheart’ director Wallace begins with a passage about horses from the Book of Job, and it is clear right from the outset that this is a film that will try its best to tug at your heartstrings. Indeed, Wallace has never been a man of subtlety when it comes to emotion, but “Secretariat” remains a thoroughly uplifting film because of his earnestness in telling the story, and of Rich’s excellent writing.
Rich, who counts William Nack’s book “Secretariat: The Making of a Champion” as an inspiration but not an adaptation, balances both the human and equine aspects of the story beautifully. At the heart of Secretariat’s unlikely tale of victory is also that of its owner, Penny Chenery Tweedy, a Denver housewife who comes to inherit Secretariat after the death of her parents, one after the other. Against the wishes of her brother and even her husband, Penny fought the racing establishment to champion Big Red (as Secretariat was known) for the major league.
Penny is played by Diane Lane, and as usual, the to-be mother of Superman brings her winning blend of steeliness, confidence and radiance to the role. Hers is a character that demonstrates grace and humility amid the ridicule of her peers, and Lane carries the role with aplomb. Malkovich plays the French-Canadian trainer Lucien Laurin she hires to whip Secretariat from the horse which “couldn't beat a fat man encased in cement being dragged backwards by a freight train” into a champion, and as always Malkovich has a wry sense of humour coupled with his trademark dry delivery that is truly enjoyable to watch.
The story is to a lesser extent also about Laurin’s retirement from horse training in a blaze of glory, but it is Penny’s story which ultimately resonates most poignantly. It may be another story of the underdog triumphing against the odds, but Wallace’s sturdy direction and Lane’s marvellous performance makes the eventual denouement a thoroughly stirring and moving experience. Of course, there are also the racing sequences, each one of them filmed by Wallace- and some generous help from his d.p. Dean Semler- with heart-stopping excitement and deeply rousing sentiments.
Yes, Wallace makes every triumph by Secretariat an excuse for his audience to pump their fists in the air with glee. Old-fashioned and unapologetic of its feel-good intentions, “Secretariat” nevertheless accomplishes its aim tremendously, its inspiration easily felt by anyone and its spirit of never-giving-up a universal one anyone can identify with.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
The sole featurette on this Region 3 DVD is “Heart of a Champion”, which has the real-life figures in Secretariat’s life- Penny, his groomer Eddie Sweat and assorted jockeys- talk about their personal experience with the horse. The “Deleted Scenes” come with an optional commentary by director Randall Wallace, who discusses in detail why these scenes were eventually left out of the final cut. There’s also a music video of the theme song “It’s Who You Are” sung by Disney star A.J. Michalka.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
There is nothing to complain about the movie's visual transfer, and you can choose to watch the feature in English, Mandarin. Thai or Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound.
