Review of Secretariat (2010) by Philip S — 07 Jun 2011

When most people think of underdog sports stories, they think of basketball or football, generally. But who says an underdog story can't focus on an animal? That being the case, Disney presents 'Secretariat.' 'Secretariat' is not the worst sports movie ever made. But it's also hardly the best. If anything, it's little more than the standard sports underdog tearjerker. What sets it apart from so many other movies of its ilk is that this one is aimed more at female audiences than males. There's nothing wrong with this. But the movie does have its fair share of problems.

The story's most glaring problem is that it lacks backstory. Audiences are told late in the story that Secretariat only allows Penny (Diane Lane) to do certain things. That's fine. But the problem behind it is that there's no real backstory, outlining the relationship between Penny and Secretariat, that would lead to such a reaction from the horse. Rather, their relationship seems presented more as merely owner and horse. What's more, the relationship with Penny's daughter receives almost no attention, despite having some kind of story there.

The lack of backstory is only one of the problems with the story. Another major problem with the story isn't the story itself. Rather, it's with the movie's production values. The story see-saws between regular volume scenes, with lots of whispering and soft talking and really loud race scenes. Having to hold on to the remote so as to constantly adjust the volume can get more than a little annoying. It's just one more factor that takes away from the movie's enjoyment.

For all the movie's problems, it does have at least one positive. That positive is in the cinematography. The horse racing scenes are outstanding. Given many of the sunrise shots are more than a little cliche, in setting mood. But when the horses actually hit the track, the methods used to film them are impressive. Sadly, though, that's about all the movie really has going for it. There's little else to smile about, save perhaps for the acting of Lane's co-star, John Malkovich.

'Secretariat' isn't Disney's first outing into the sports world. It's already shot out a handful of sports flicks. In comparison to the company's other sports flicks--and other sports movies in general--it's not a bad movie. But neither is it memorable. Considering this, odds are that whereas Secretariat itself remains legendary in the world of sports, this movie about the famed horse will be anything but legendary. Rather than be the leader, it'll ultimately find itself lost in the pack.