I thought when he was shipped off to Claiborne that Penny lost any control over him.
I just walked back in the door from seeing the movie. I actually thought it was quite good…and I was a little hesitant about it before seeing it. I did appreciate that they did a decent job with matching the horses. I’m pretty sure I saw a stock horse in there and possibly something with a lot of Arab in it, but the socks were on the right feet, the face marking was good, the color was mostly right.
YES!!! I made that comment as we left and I was told ‘well you obviously haven’t been to enough races.’ Well, I haven’t, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a race horse with its ear pricked when it’s full out running.
Then watching the horses in one of the races I thought it was going to be a nightmare, they all looked a little spooked and a bit out of control by the camera car.
[quote=Sandy M;5145504]“pretty accurate?”
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While Meadow Stables had some financial issues due to estate complications from PC’s father’s death, they were NOT on the edge of disaster.
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There was no chicanery with regard to the coin flip that gave Chenery Secretariat.
[/quote]
I didn’t get that impression regarding either situation. 1. Movie portrayed that they would have a hard time coming up with the 6 million they would need for an inheritance tax…not that the farm was on the edge of disaster. 2. There was no implication of chicanery in regard to teh coin flip.
[quote=Jumpin_Horses;5145653]but, why not “chronicle a great horse”???
seriously, this was what I was expecting
after all the movie is called “Secretariat”… right?
as stated above in several other posts, they just totally missed the truth in SO many areas. so, I wont repeat all that.
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.
[/quote]
Actually, no. There isn’t enough about the horse to make a interesting movie to anyone but Secretariat fans. Since a movie studio is trying to make money, they need to pull in more than that limited audience. Movies need drama/conflict in order for them to be interesting.
I had discussed just that with friend before the movie opened…wondering how they were going to make a movie that anyone would want to see…there just wasn’t enough drama regarding the horse to pull it off.
:lol: and :yes: I thought they pulled it off well and even with a bit about women’s empowerment by focusing on Penny Tweedy and her story. Got to say one of my favorites parts was the end when they showed that Penny was in the movie. That was awesome (and the whole theater erupted in applause).
[quote=Laurierace;5146843]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. .
[/quote]
It was sad, but I sure did like that they had the actually Preakness footage on the TV. :yes: When the dad stands up, all of my friends were like ‘don’t block the TV!!!’ :lol:
I expected the usual Disney liberties, which I would have been sorta ok with, racing needs some decent publlicity these days. My main problem with the movie is that is was boring…that I was not expecting, particularly with such a distingushed cast.
[QUOTE=skip916;5141299]
the movie seemed to just be made as a “feel good” tribute and was overtly disney-ized- but i still found it enjoyable.
however- i laughed out loud during the two scenes where they try to make it look like secretariat and sham have this horse to horse stare down… once it’s when they arrive at the track and once it’s in the start gate. i just found it really funny.[/QUOTE]
I did too, and when Diane Lane had the stare down on the racetrack and they uplifted each other and yada yada yada…
However, I did like the movie - I know the entire theatre was clapping and cheering, and there were a lot of children who will hopefully fall in love with the sport now.
Sure there were historical fallacies and just plain horse inaccuracies, but the movie wasn’t TOO awful. And I was very pleased to see his actual Preakness footage used. And the cameo of Penny Chenery made me quite happy 
Speaking of disappointment, the weekend numbers are out… the film came in 3rd with a ho-hum $12.6M. Disney can’t be pleased with those numbers, given the largely positive reviews and aggressive marketing campaign.
race experts, did Penny lose control over him when he went to Claiborne?
Any good books or films about Secretariat or Penny or any of his connections that you would recommend?
I have not been a racing fan so only remember him from the news, etc. But seeing the Belmont clip and then the preakness, all I can say is wow to those of you who saw irl. wow, I’d never get over that.
[QUOTE=Calamber;5143323]
Nonsense, no more than it was “just greed” that made certain financial institutions push past the dead brains in Congress to allow derivaties and hedge funds to predominate over the investments in advancing industries and agriculture. Psychological warfare does pay if you are the right “owner”. Check out who owns the media and their cultural/political beliefs and connections. Money per se does not rule the world, ideas do. The owning of the people’s minds and motives gives a much better “payback” and encourages all manners of outrages.[/QUOTE]
You might have a point if Secretariat was a Fox movie. But it’s not.
Having worked for Disney numerous times over numerous years in numerous political climates, I can assure you that this particular company is only interested in the bottom line.
[QUOTE=Fairview Horse Center;5140152]
He was terribly fat, so not surprising he got laminitis.[/QUOTE]
Fat does not = laminitis. Especially in a TB. Even a fat TB. Insulin resistance and other metabolic issues = the laminitis you are thinking of.
In Secretariat’s particular case, he developed laminitis as a sequelae of another illness as often happens. It had nothing to do with being “fat”.
We are going this evening. Do I expect it to impress me with historical accuracy? Of course not. I used to be able to recite the fractions for every single one of his races - that would be boring to almost everyone.
I do hope the movie does what something the actual minute facts can not… bring new interest to the sport. Plant a seed. Just like the real story did with many of us so many years ago.
I LOVED Diane Lane’s portrayal of the character. She gave voice to what I personally believe is in the heart of most horsemen and women anyway, that connection between us and the horse. Sure, not many people go around saying it out loud about how they lift up the horse and the horse lifts them up, but you’ll have a hard time convincing me that there’s no connection between horses and their owners and trainers that just goes beyond what most people expect to see from an animal. I also thought they did a good job making a difficult sport understandable to the public through the comments about performance clauses, and the comments to Sham’s jockey before the Belmont. I think that someone with no background in racing could have understood what was on the line for her that way. I thought Penny’s character was about strength, courage, and really standing up for what you believe in, and she did a great job showing that. I’ll go see it again. There wasn’t much except for her magically teleporting to Bull’s private club that made me cringe, and for a horse movie, that’s exceptionally surprising. The horses looked pretty similar, and apart from going “Wait a minute, that’s keeneland” at the end there, I wasn’t having fits over terrible inaccuracies the whole way through.
Well, I guess I’m just going to wait for netflix. I do remember seeing a little promo for the movie sometime back. It had PC leading “Secretariat” out of a van with a halter and lead rope just clipped under his halter. I know it’s stupid, but just little stuff makes me crazy when I’m seeing a movie about race horses. Crap! My broodmares don’t come out of a trailer or van like that!
That’s it – totally NOT seeing this movie.
I always felt bad for Sham. He would have gone down in history as a great racehorse had he not the extreme misfortune to be foaled the same year as Secretariat. And what heart!!!
I truly believe the Belmont broke his heart – he tried so hard to keep up with Secretariat, but who could? And especially on that day.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe Sham ever won another race.
Why can’t someone other than Disney make these movies? I mean, I was there during the whole Secretariat era, and the story was exciting enough as it was – they didn’t need to screw up the facts to make it dramatic – you just needed to tell the story!!
I haven’t seen a horse movie that really thrilled me (and didn’t annoy me so much I wanted to throw something at the screen) since Phar Lap…
My peeve was the noseband on the racing bridle hanging loose. BUT, I could partially relate to the movie because many of us face this all or nothing decision daily in some way. Also, sometimes when the people mess up, the horses come in and save the day!
[QUOTE=Kyzteke;5149367]
Why can’t someone other than Disney make these movies? [/QUOTE]
Like who?
Horse movies cost money. That’s one reason why you don’t see a lot of indie films about bigtime horse racing. There are also rights issues with Secretariat (like buying PC’s life rights) which cost serious $$$.
Disney makes a movie like Secretariat because Disney is one of the few studios still willing to make a movie for a primarily female audience. You’re not going to see Warners or Fox making something like this unless they can turn it into a teenage boy action movie. Sony might give it a go if Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock would play PC.
On previous threads about this movie, I posted that the big problem for me is an inherent lack of ‘movie story’ in the Secretariat story. The races speak for themselves and Secretariat was no Cinderella story – he was a star from the day he hit the ground. So to do the story, you have to look elsewhere, like to his connections and then you have to play up whatever wisps of story you find there. And there just isn’t much there.
Actually it’s pretty common, but you are right – it’s not when they are “full out running.” But I’ve seen plenty of winnesr cross the wire ears happily forward when the rest of the field is far behind.
In fact, there is a photo of Seabiscuit doing the exact same thing, but can’t remember which race.
[QUOTE=Janet;5141550]
The unrealistic scene that had me laughing was when she took a wet towel to help wash him, and came back without a speck of dirt or water on her fnacy clothes.[/QUOTE]
This was the only scene I couldn’t justify, too, although it was because it was 1) RACING Secretariat, 2) who was a STALLION, 3) he was on the farm not at the track and, most importantly 4) he was standing with the lead shank on the ground getting a bubble bath by his “family.”
OP, I disagree. I didn’t particularly like Seabiscuit because it WAS made out to be a serious movie about a serious subject. This one wasn’t. It has always been advertised as Penny’s story overcoming the MEN. Yes, Riva was left out, which made the story they told less than true, as Riva reversed the farm’s fortunes, Secretariat then carried it forward. But to have added him would have meant adding his backstory, possibly another horse(s), etc. The movie is only 90 minutes long.
I talked to Kate Tweedy today and she said they portrayed her VERY accurately, but it was also a way to tie in the other events of the time, i.e. the war. And, oddly enough, although John Malkovitch doesn’t look like Lucien, she said that the characterization of him was very correct.
Any horse person will pick up on the horse discrepancies, but I thought the movie recaptured the thrill that the horse created at the time. Remember a LOT of people will experience this for the first time, so won’t know the story as well as we do.
Then, perhaps they will go buy “Secretariat’s Meadow” and read the real story of the family, the land and the horse.
[QUOTE=Sandy M;5145491]
One does wonder. Look how long Seattle Slew lived, and I understand he was exercised almost daily for most of his loong life. When I toured the Kentucky stud farms, I got the impression that the stallions hung out in the paddocks and bred mares. Period. Don’t know if that’s SOP, but it would seem the exercise Seattle Slew got obviously kept him in better shape than most.[/QUOTE]
Three Chimneys, where Slew stood, rides all of their stallions. I don’t know if any other farms do, but my suspicion is they do not.
[QUOTE=Jumpin_Horses;5146155]
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[/QUOTE]
You really need some perspective…
About the ears happily forward in a race, I was just looking at the 5 yr old mare Zenyatta run her 18th win in a row against the boys on youtube - and she had her ears up. She just looks like she’s real level-headed. There is supposed to be a race between Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, a 3 yo filly, who has also won against the boys. I hope they both do well. That is supposed to be Zenyatta’s last race.
Our rescued OTTB raced till just before he turned 6 - and he did not have his ears up. He did not like racing, he is very big at 17h (Secretariat his great grandsire) and they started him as a 2yo. He is a VERY sweet retiree - and is learning about dressage - and is soooooooo glad to not race any more.
Not sure I’ll watch the movie - frankly I do not like the racing scene - I don’t like to push a horse to its limits - and then ask for more to the finish line. Just a nice trail ride with a few days of dressage training for balance and learning how to “not” have a lateral canter will be fine for me.
I saw the movie on Friday and I enjoyed it. But then I did not expect it to be something it’s not. It is a Disney movie, after all, and there is only so much you can do in 90 minutes.
As far as the washing scene, I said the same thing (how is she still so clean and dry) but if you look closely the whole front of her shirt is wet.
My main disappointment with the movie was that they did not use any actual footage of Secretariat’s Triple Crown races in the movie.
I am just grateful to have big time movie people taking an interest in and making movies about horses that aren’t all “fluffy”.
**was corrected and later realized that one race was actual footage but it was hard to tell at first. still think they should have used them all, and had more photos of the actual horse, even if just during the credits, so people could see how truly breathtaking he really was.
