Movie: Seabiscuit

Despite being a movie junkie, I'm not a big fan of dramas. I like my films to have a touch of humor, or suspense, or action. That's not to say that I don't go see dramas, but rather that when I'm done watching them, I don't give much thought to them. In other words, I don't tend to buy them or even treat them to repeat viewings.

Seabiscuit is an exception, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's the real-life inspiration, or the sympathetic characters, or just the beautiful photography. But the film held my attention through and through, and I find myself drawn to recommend it to others, which I rarely do for dramas.

Many true stories have been adapted for film, and while I don't know how many liberties were taken with this tale (few, I hope), everything in this one worked. The loss and redemption, the triumph over adversity. Much of the film could have descended into cliche, but instead it came off as inspiring, much as the real Seabiscuit was to the America of his day.

My only complaint is that the theater showed a 16mm print rather than 35mm, resulting in a smaller picture. If you haven't yet, make sure to catch this on the big screen, because those races won't have nearly the same impact in your living room.