This year, the sport of horse racing was blessed with several compelling storylines, including the unlikely success of a 3-year-old gelding named Funny Cide, the comebacks of Hall of Famers Gary Stevens and Julie Krone, and the popularity of Seabiscuit.
Movies about sports and animals tend to be iffy box-office propositions, at best. Those, like Seabiscuit, that cost upwards of $110 million to make and market face even higher hurdles. To date, Gary Ross' film has returned a very respectable $120 million to its backers, and in the same week it's being released in video, Seabiscuit is being given a second theatrical launch to catch Oscar's eye.
"Within a week of its release, I became aware of a whole new base of fans asking for autographs from me and the other jockeys," said Stevens, before this year's Breeders' Cup races at Santa Anita. "It brought a younger generation to the racetrack, as well."
Stevens took a break from racing last winter to participate in Seabiscuit's production, opposite Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper. Though he probably will never be asked to play George in a remake of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Stevens' portrayal of legendary jockey George Woolf won rave reviews by critics and audiences, alike.
Tim Smith, commissioner and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, credited Seabiscuit with record attendance figures at Del Mar, and an influx of young players. "Normally, we could expect to receive 30,000 to 40,000 responses to the interactive contests on our website," Smith said. "That would go up to 150,000 to 200,000 e-mails if Seabiscuit was mentioned. It gives us good momentum going into 2004."
The film was based on the journalism of Laura Hillenbrand, whose book on the life and times of the great Seabiscuit produced a national best-seller. The movie takes many liberties with Hillenbrand's book—including the introduction of a wonderfully flamboyant radio announcer, played by William H. Macy. Nevertheless, Seabiscuit is a terrific example of Hollywood storytelling at its best.
Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about Seabiscuit is how it captures the intensity of the racing experience. Camera mounts were specifically invented to put the lens directly on the jockeys and horses without interrupting their flow around the track. Everything was shot at full speed, and this verisimilitude infuses the film with a palpable sense of danger and urgency.
Features on the DVD include a collection of photographs shot on location by Jeff Bridges, a history of horse racing narrated by Ross and Hillenbrand, and a dissection of a single scene from page to screen. Don't be surprised if Seabiscuit runs away with half-dozen or more Oscar nominations.
Paramount's pedigree
Paramount has opened up its vaults and released a trove of catalogue titles almost any collector of vintage films would cherish. My favorite is Hud, in which Paul Newman gives one of his finest performances as the headstrong and amoral son of an old-school rancher. Based on an excellent novel by Larry McMurtry, the Martin Ritt-directed film was as sexy as these things got in 1963, thanks in large part to the tension between Newman and the maid, played by Patricia Neal. James Wong Howe's black-and-white cinematography is stunning.
Another interesting title is This Property Is Condemned, which may carry the finest credentials of any '60s movie. Based on a Tennessee Williams' play, the film was directed by Sydney Pollack, produced by John Houseman, and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola. This steamy, working-class drama set in Mississippi starred a young Robert Redford, Natalie Wood and Charles Bronson. This Property Is Condemned won't be confused with any of their later achievements, but as a curiosity, it ain't bad.
Brooke and the bathtub
Also newly available on DVD are very credible adaptations of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and The Last Tycoon; Louis Malle's exploration of child prostitution in 1917 New Orleans, Pretty Baby; and Tony Richardson's ribald take on Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews. Neil Simon is represented with several of his classic comedies: The Out-of Towners, The In-Laws, Last of the Red Hot Lovers and Plaza Suite. There's little in the way of extras, but fans of Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon will enjoy being reminded of their greatness.
Matt, Ben keep going and going
The Battle of Shaker Heights, the second feature to emerge from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's ambitious, if seriously flawed, Project Greenlight experiment is no great shakes when it comes to cinema. Nonetheless, those who followed its difficult birth on HBO probably will want to see the final product. It is a harmless little coming-of-age movie, starring Shia LaBeouf and Amy Smart, whose broth was spoiled by the number of chefs.