Disney / Buena Vista | 2010 | 123 min | PG
Even those who don’t know anything about horse racing are likely to recognize the name Secretariat. Considered the greatest horse to ever circle the track, Secretariat left behind an incredible legacy of wins that will likely be unmatched. In Walt Disney Pictures’ Secretariat, the legendary thoroughbred races again in stunningly recreated footage of the Triple Crown winner’s breathtaking races. Secretariat is such a feel good story, that if it wasn’t true it would be hard to believe.
Disney does a good job telling the inspirational story without a heap of clichés. While Secretariat will never be considered a great film, the story of one woman’s belief in a horse is told well. Most importantly, the filmmakers seemed to realize Secretariat could never be much more than a feel-good film, and it’s better because of it.
Based on the book, Secretariat: The Making of a Champion, by sportswriter William Knack, Diane Lane stars as Penny Tweedy, a housewife who goes back to her childhood home in Virginia after her mother passes away. With her father (Scott Glenn) suffering from dementia and his estate losing money, Penny decides to stay on the farm and help return it to its former glory rather than sell it for a fraction of what it’s worth. When she discovers that a long-running deal made between her father and a wealthy businessman (James Cromwell) promises the estate one of two foals sired by champion racehorse Bold Ruler, Penny puts together a team – including trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich), jockey Ron Turcotte (Otto Thorwarth), and groom Eddie Sweat (Nelsan Ellis) – to battle adversity and turn Secretariat into the first Triple Crown winner in over three decades.
Directed by Randall Wallace (We Were Soldiers) and written by Mick Rich (Finding Forrester, The Rookie, Radio), the film takes us through Secretariat’s run up to the triple crown. Penny is away from home a lot, which creates some tension between her and husband (Dylan Walsh) and her brother (Dylan Baker) has little faith in her. There is old-boys-clubs sexism against Penny, and we watch that fade away as ‘Big Red’ tears up the track.
Most crucially, it is alleged that Penny is something of a horse whisperer with Secretariat; they can practically speak to one another because they are so close. If there is a weakness to the film, it is here. Penny’s exceedingly close relationship with the horse is never truly established. While she continues to insist that she knows Secretariat can win a given race, a scene or two establishing their relationship would have been wise.
The racing sequences are eye catching thanks to Wallace’s shooting style that literally places a camera in the middle of the action, making the races feel real. His biggest contribution, however, is in creating suspense in a story that many people already know the result of, it does make Secretariat a more engaging experience.
Secretariat is presented in 2:35:1. Colors are vibrant and clear. Detail is evident throughout; the paint on the stable, the grime on the jockey’s faces, the dirt lifting off the tracks when the horses are racing go hand-in-hand with the beatiful cinematography from Dean Semler.
There is some crush from time-to-time and blacks are occasionally muted. However, the textures are great and I didn’t notice any banding or any artifacting.
Secretariat is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS2.0 Dolby Digital, French and Spanish Dolby Digital. The film is center and front channel driven for the majority of the time. But once the races start, that is when the surround channels are kicked into full gear as the announcer can be heard through the surround channels, the crowd gasping and cheering for Secretariat and you can hear the horse’s hooves
We get the following special features:
Director’s Audio Commentary: Director Randall Wallace delivers a commentary that covers everything from Wallace’s interest in the project to his development of the film to its final cut. He discusses struggling to choose Secretariat‘s title, its script and storytelling, its casting and performances, the horses and convincing race choreography.
Secretariat Multi-Angle Simulation (HD, 19 minutes): Watch the actual race day video coverage and announcer call of the 1973 Preakness Stakes Race, or choose to watch a computer generated simulation of the race with individual analysis by professional jockey Michael Smith, Daily Racing Form reporter Brad Free, MI Developments CEO Dennis Mills, or Horseracing Simulations CEO and then-twelve-year-old firsthand spectator Mike Calderone.
Heart of a Champion (HD, 15 minutes): Meet the finest horse of his racing year, Secretariat, and his owner, Penny Chenery. Wallace’s cast and crew discuss the horse, the men and women who led him to victory.
A Director’s Inspiration (HD, 21 minutes): This lengthy conversation between Wallace and a very candid Chenery is the best feature on the disc.
Choreographing the Races (HD, 6 minutes): Wallace and Horse Wrangler Rusty Hendrickson reveal the process used to make Secretariat‘s races seem real.
Deleted Scenes with Optional Director’s Commentary (HD, 10 minutes): Seven scenes are available, including an Alternate Opening.
Music Video (HD, 4 minutes): AJ Michalka sings “It’s Who You Are.”
Trailer Navigation (HD): Disney has added a helpful menu to their releases that appears when you access a disc. Hop from preview to preview, head straight to the main menu, or perform a number of other tasks.
A Standard DVD
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