spiritualperspective on movies August 18, 2003 Issue

A 'biscuit' that's hard to resist

By Kim ShippeySenior Writer

For many Sentinel readers, horseracing conjures up images of gambling, heavy drinking, shady tactics—even cruelty to animals. But once in a while, a horseracing movie comes along that deserves to be seen—one that gallops right into the hearts of its audiences and has them cheering before it's over.

That happened the other day during an afternoon showing of Seabiscuit. In one moment of triumph right in the middle of the movie, the audience applauded spontaneously. And they did it again as Randy Newman's sweeping, sentimental score announced the end of this real-life story, glossed up with a couple of fictionalized subplots.

I left the cinema cheering—not for Seabiscuit, the horse, although he deserved it—but for the way the audience had welcomed this true story of redemption, courage, and persistence in the Depression years in America. The main characters—horse, jockey, trainer, owner—were all heroes in a way, and it felt good to be reassured that people of all ages today still root for heroes. So much so, in fact, that people are ecstatic whenever and wherever they find heroes—even on a cinema screen.

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