This horsey, 1970s-set Disney film doesn't boast the most imaginative script and is too long and businesslike for youngsters -- yet it still produces a lump in the throat.
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Secretariat
Overview
Housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery - with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin - manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years.
Director and cast
- Randall Wallace Director
- Diane Lane as Penny Chenery
- John Malkovich as Lucien Laurin
- Scott Glenn as Chris Chenery
- Dylan Walsh as Jack Tweedy
- Fred Thompson as Bull Hancock
- Margo Martindale as Miss Ham
- Nelsan Ellis as Eddie Sweat
- James Cromwell as Ogden Phipps
- Otto Thorwarth as Ronnie Turcotte
- Michael Harding as E.V. Benjamin
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
My advice: If you're looking for a nostalgic, inspirational horse-race biopic that doesn't isolate itself completely from economic, historical, and racial reality, go rent Seabiscuit.
Just how much you enjoy Secretariat, Disney's glossy-coated biopic of the celebrated racehorse, depends in large part on how much you know of his career. If you know zilch, you'll be thrilled.
Secretariat is a winner, but only by a few lengths.
Secretariat earns its best accolades for asking even larger questions as it highlights the story not just of a terrific horse but of his greatest champion, owner Penny Chenery, portrayed with grace, edge and a growing sense of self by Diane Lane.
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