Secretariat movie, a dissapointment - Sorry but thats the way I feel

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

[QUOTE=Jumpin_Horses;5145653]

Secretariat alone was VERY interesting. Disney could have put in fluff. i have no problem with that. but, why not the truth? the truth was BIG time fluffy.

there are way more interesting things about Secretariat then what Penny’s daughter was doing during those times.
. . .
why NOT do a story about him? after all, the name of the movie suggests just that… and, thats what I expected. [/QUOTE]

I was thinking of your post when I read Roger Moore’s review in the Orlando Sentinel http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_movies_blog/2010/10/movie-review-secretariat.html- the first I’ve read by a non-horsey critic:
“Lane gives some emotional heft to Chenery, but there aren’t enough scenes showing what she’s giving up (watching her kids grow up). And we’re left with bland exhortations to the horse and about the horse. … .
Malkovich chews up the scenery, a necessity here when your central character is a horse.”

See? I know it’s hard for us to imagine, but apparently there are lots of folks out there who find people more interesting than horses.:winkgrin:

[Jumpin_Horses]

wow, didnt read that one… sad… imagine… a horse story about people and not the horse… sigh

he he - cant imagine… :lol:

yea, that would be fine then, if they named the movie “Penny Chenery Story” and not “Secretariat”…

it should have been about HIM (and maybe the “farm” including Riva), after all, HE was the star… not her… they didnt put her face on the cover of 3 major magazines, they put HIS…

anyway… still disappointed… sigh

[TheBarnRules]

A friend asked me to go with her, so I’m seeing it tonight and I am just going to focus on the horse. But the review in today’s Chicago Tribune did not give me hope:

““Secretariat” isn’t bad but it’s precisely what you’d expect. The story belongs to Penny. The horse has to fight for his fair share of screen time, which is another thing the movie has in common with “The Blind Side”: The alleged subject of the film has been sidelined so that a good actress can strut her stuff.”

<sigh> Full review here: http://tinyurl.com/277mdq4

[Florida_Fan]

disappointed too–

I had seen Secretariat win in Maryland as a 2 y.o.—and he got left at the gate,and picked off each of his rivals before leaving the field and winning easily…in slop up to his ankles.
I had my usual 20 some horses in training at Finger Lakes, so missed the Derby and Preakness…begged my boyfriend to “babysit the herd” while I drove to Belmont with a friend. We watched " Big Red" pass the leader lift his shoulders, switch to super-overdrive and put 30 lengths on the field. Oh yeh, and drove most of the night back to Finger Lakes to gallop my runners the next morning. It would be hard to see Secretariat’s career “Disneyized”. Especially after all of you confirmed my suspicions…
They made the Lost on the Fog documentary about the owner’s comments too—instead of focusing on the horse, his habits and personality.
In 10 years,it will be about Zenyatta–
Maybe a Cigar movie in between?

[Jumpin_Horses]

YES, Florida Fan :yes:

that race STILL brings tears to my eyes when I watch it. makes my heart race, weak in the knees, and leaves me in complete AWE! I can only imagine how amazing it would have been to see it in IRL.

I wonder how many here saw his Belmont in IRL?

it was a turning point in my life. I was blind to everything but, Big Red. even the horse I had as a kid looked like him, and I “played Secretariat” ALL the time. the best times in my entire life was when I was going 100mph on my horse, pretending he was the BIG MAN… I will take those memories to my grave.

see: even his (my horse’s) daughter looked like him :lol:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g305/BearFooteFarm/Willy2.jpg

AND the horse I own now is a Secretariat G-Daughter. she actually auditioned for the part… but, alas, I dont think any of the horses in the movie were related… heck I think some of them arent even TBs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjdn7Nhq2No

yes, she also hams it up for the camera, and “runs from within” just for the fun of it

[Florida_Fan]

me too

[QUOTE=danceronice;5140218]
Did anyone complain about the stupidity of the portrayal of War Admiral and his connections in Seabiscuit? (Besides me, I mean.)[/QUOTE]

I remember that they said War Admiral was huge, towered over Seabiscuit, when in fact they were the same size.

[JGHIRETIRE]

Seabiscuit was a great story - just don’t understand why it was important to make War Admiral this huge monster. LOL

[QUOTE=Florida Fan;5146358]
I remember that they said War Admiral was huge, towered over Seabiscuit, when in fact they were the same size.[/QUOTE]

[danceronice]

Was Seabiscuit actually about the horse? No. It was about the trainer, the jockey, and the owner. Do I actually care what happened to Howard’s kid and his first marriage? Or that Red Pollard lost his vision in one eye? Not especially. Would I want to sit there for two hours watching a horse do things? No, I can go do that for free.

Movies are about the people around horses because horses don’t talk. They don’t have human motivations. They don’t have conflict because they’re HORSES. Movies are built around conflict.

[Laurierace]

Just got back from the movie. For the most part I think I did a pretty good part of letting the inaccuracies roll past me. I’ll tell you what did break my heart and I don’t have any idea if its accurate or not but if I won the Derby and my husband and kids watched the Preakness at home on tv I would be heartbroken. Seriously, that would ruin it for me.

[summerhorse]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;5146843]
Just got back from the movie. For the most part I think I did a pretty good part of letting the inaccuracies roll past me. I’ll tell you what did break my heart and I don’t have any idea if its accurate or not but if I won the Derby and my husband and kids watched the Preakness at home on tv I would be heartbroken. Seriously, that would ruin it for me.[/QUOTE]

Maybe they had school stuff or something. They acted so surprised to see Mom on TV but duh, they were all on TV at the Derby! LOL

I actually liked the movie. I did not expect a documentary or a story told from the horse’s perspective (would it have gotten the budget?), I just went for a nice horse filled flick. And that’s what I got.

Boy there sure was a lot of sniffing and crying in there! I was good until the Belmont, that always makes me cry, real or fake. But that gospel music was quite jarring. I thought they did a good job with the horses too except where they showed his foot and it was still wet with paint!

[summerhorse]

Oh yeah, kudos to them for actually using the real Preakness. I k now it was for cost more than effect but it worked well. Maybe the kids DID go, that could have been changed.

[Pronzini]

@Laurierace;5146843

Just got back from the movie. For the most part I think I did a pretty good part of letting the inaccuracies roll past me. I’ll tell you what did break my heart and I don’t have any idea if its accurate or not but if I won the Derby and my husband and kids watched the Preakness at home on tv I would be heartbroken. Seriously, that would ruin it for me.

I’m pretty sure I have seen a picture of Tweedy after the Preakness in the winner’s circle with Secretariat and Laurin.

She was there.

[TheBarnRules]

Just got back from the movie and I liked it way more than I thought I would - should Secretariat have gotten more screen time? Yes, but so should have Eddie Sweat. I normally don’t care for John Malkovich but I liked him in this.

I thought the shots of Secretariat and Sham giving each other the stink eye were hilarious since I have a horse that does just that.

I don’t know enough about racing to know what was accurate and what was not, but I wasn’t expecting a documentary. It was exactly what a Disney movie is - a feel good, work hard and believe in yourself and everything is okay in the end, kind of movie. Lots of older horse ladies, like me, in the theater, as well as horse-obsessed little girls.

Go see it, and as someone else said, let the inaccuracies roll off you. If the movie generates more interest in horses, then it’s all good.

[Laurierace]

[QUOTE=Pronzini;5146905]
I’m pretty sure I have seen a picture of Tweedy after the Preakness in the winner’s circle with Secretariat and Laurin.

She was there.[/QUOTE]

I meant without her family. That would break my heart. You got a brief glimpse of my barn as he went down the backstretch, that part was cool.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;5147000]
I meant without her family. That would break my heart.[/QUOTE]

No kiddin’. I wonder if that’s really what happened? It seems very disrespectful of them, if so.

[511]

Won’t waste the money. Saw a youtube of what Disney did to the unforgetable Bellmont announcers call.

The real call enhanced by an amture on Youtube who matched it to the theme from RUDY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c_ylcxgCaI

What Disney did to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2CjJjEhl1g

Walt must be spinning.

[lesson_junkie]

I saw it last night. I liked it better than I thought it would. My favorite part (besides the full screen shots of him in the paddock at Claiborne) was coming around the final turn in the Belmont, all alone and breaking the silence in the theater. I’ll go see it again just for that shot.

I think my problem is that no film can come near to touching the real thing.

I watched Secretariat videos on YouTube last night until the wee hours. There is an isolation of his trip in the Preakness well worth digging up.

[fivehorses]

I just got back from the movie, and I liked it. A kid behind me said, “that was a great movie, whether you like horses or not”, I turned and told her, I agree.

Yes it is about Penny, but its also a lot about the horse too and their relationship.
I give it a thumbs up.

[snaffles]

Have not seen the movie, but was around when Secretariat was running and winning and it was nothing like what has been described.
When he foundered and was put to sleep, there was considerable speculation that he was ‘allowed’ to founder, because he was considered a failure as a stud.
He was insured for a lot of money.
It was not until many years later that he was high on the list of leading sires of broodmares, and was appreciated.
He sired many great fillies that went on to be stakes winners, but the male line was pretty much a disappointment.
This is sad but true.
To all who never saw him,
His physical presence, his aura or charisma, was like no other.

[fivehorses]

I got that from the movie…his character and personality. When he was born, the vet said, they had never seen a colt up that quickly.

they also said he bred 600 foals.

I cannot imagine Penny letting him founder on purpose or not trying to do anything about it. She was willing to lose it all rather than sell him and pay it off.
Again, I am going by the movie, which may not be what actually happened.

Oh, and the real Penny Tweedy is in the movie too;)

I almost didn’t go to see the movie based on the negative comments, but some horsey friends invited me, and so I went. I was glad I did, it was short, but had some good horse moments.

Also, the Belmont post was much longer than what 5 linked. The race scenes imo were great, and I think much like the real thing. They used the actual footage from the preakness. But, the Belmont was done like the real thing, with all the excitement of him pulling further and further ahead. And the announcer counting furloughs and all of it.

If you are into horses, I just don’t see how you won’t like it. If you are looking for a documentary, it isn’t, but I’d be yawning. Also, how do you tell the story of an animal without telling the story of its humans?