Review of 50 to 1 (2014) by Nathan G — 29 Aug 2014

This film might be summed up in one sentence: "It a horse thing, you wouldn't understand." I saw it on opening night in Ocala, Florida, dubbed by some as the horse capital of the world. The theatre was packed to the rafters with horse owners, track owners and every other industry person, on down to the grooms. I haven't seen audience reaction like this since the original Star Wars. The roar of the crowd during the Derby scene was so intense, you would have thought they were watching the original race live on TV.

As a film, it was competent. Not brilliant, not unexpected, but on par with the dramatic work Jim Wilson has cranked out in the past. The choice of non-actor actors usually breaks the spell for me in movies, but in this case, worked well with the choice of Calvin Borel, the actual jockey in the Derby race on which the film is based. The professional actors playing the owner's family were actually more of a distraction for me, better choices could have been made.

The upshot is that this is either a great movie or a cliche' underdog picture, depending on your viewpoint. Critics will pan it, because critics don't live in that world and have no frame of reference to judge what is essentially a cult film. But audience members (as evidenced by the audience rating) are far more likely to love it, because let's face it, if you're going to go see a film about horse racing, you're probably already a fan. This film is your koolaid, in a mint julep cup.