Sunday, October 21, 2018

Late to the movie.


This evening there was goose egg worth watching on the tv. I fired up the VCR to continue my journey through old movies of my father's, some I just never got around to watching, I always would say next week, then next week becomes next month, year, decade. I was going through a handful when I came across the movie Sea Biscuit. I remember my sister gave Dad that movie for Christmas, I had forgotten about it, I do remember it getting good reviews.

 The movie is about the racehorse Sea Biscuit, my dad being a horse fanatic, would have loved watching it. I kept putting off watching it because I felt it would be the typical Disney type of animal movie, pull at your heartstrings then something bad happens and he gets put down. However I was completely surprised by the movie, it is not at all what I thought, it certainly deserves all the praise. I think it's more about the depression era and how people were struggling so hard, that they needed a good underdog story to follow. I also liked the way it shows the background of the characters, I think it lets us understand them better. The horse doesn't show up until well into the movie.

 I think I mistook it for another mushy, cheesy, feel good movie that came out a few years ago and that's why I wouldn't watch it. There are some feel good moments but that's what the movie is about. It has some familiar faces, although they look quite young. Reading the box I was surprised to see it came out in 2003, I didn't think it's been fifteen years since it was in the theater, which explains a young looking cast like Toby Maguire. Obviously it's been sitting there for a long time waiting for me to catch up. If you happen to come across it playing on the tube late some night or have a chance to see it, I give it two thumbs up!






16 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

We went and saw it in the theatre when it came out, so that must have been 15 years ago (yikes!). I remember we enjoyed it well enough. I'm a Tobey Maguire fan.

Deedles said...

I love this movie! Good character development. Never saw it at a theater but rented it from Blockbuster Video, liked it so much that I bought it on dvd. Toby Maguire looks awesome as a redhead. William H. Macy makes every movie he's in just a little better.

Usually with Disney movies I go in wondering which parent is going to get killed. It's usually the mother (Bambi tore my heart out and I was twenty-six the first, and only, time I saw it), sometimes it's the father. Doesn't matter, somebody has to go!

I'm so glad you watched this one, Steven. Are you over your cold?

Michael said...

I have never seen this movie. My mother is a horse fanatic, but I am not, so I never saw it. Maybe I should from your review. I hope your cold is better!

JP said...

I watched it years ago. I realised my love of chocolate meant I’d never be a jockey.
JP

Old Lurker said...

I am a little upset that Sea Biscuit is a 15 year old movie.

Once you work through the VCR tapes will you raid the reel-to-reel movies?

Ur-spo said...

Shall you give reviews?

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Debra, I can't believe it has been that long either. I like Tobey as well although I don't see him around that much anymore. One of the coolest things that happened to me was when I first came out, a straight male friend said to me that he could see me with a guy like that.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Deedles, lol usually I am wondering how long until one of the animals gets shot or dies trying to save it's owner from a fire. I enjoyed it.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Michael, yes I recommend seeing this movie, I thought it good, it surprised me, not what I was expecting.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

JP, oh the poor horse :p well I prefer chocolate to horse riding as well, maybe you can get in some bareback riding with a certain chef! ;)

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Old Lurker, I guess the movie must have special meaning for you since you probably remember the actual horse.... ouch. "They tease you because they love you". Anyway no, next will be DVD movies since they are a thing of the past as well.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Dr Spo, I was thinking about doing that, kind of a film review stuck in the past, I should call it "remember that movie". Sometimes movies slip by and we forget to watch them.

Old Lurker said...

Joke all you want, but times were tough back then. It was nice to have a horse to cheer on.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

OL, one of the effects was that my grandparents never tossed anything out. They reused everything over and over, they spent their lives waiting for the depression to return.

Old Lurker said...

This explains why you have so many VHS tapes kicking around.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

OL, I actually have two working VCRs in excellent condition, lol.