Day 145: "Mine's the big red one, and he's going to beat them all."

Let me get this out there from the start.  I never understood the appeal of horse racing, I hate horses, and I wish Disney would knock off their recent habit of making every single sports underdog/comeback story into a sappy, feel-good movie.  Now that that's out of my system, Secretariat was pretty good.  I understand that a horse winning the Triple Crown is a near impossible feat, but I had no idea how near to impossible.  The story follows the history of the family who owns the stable responsible for Secretariat, from even before his birth.  From his birth to his unbelievably monstrous win at the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat shows the audience every aspect of the circumstances surrounding this amazing animal's meteoric rise to "The Greatest Racehorse Ever."  I never thought I would be engaged in this in any way, and I am glad to say I was wrong.

Starring Diane Lane as Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery, she brings a sense of "reality" to the character and it just made her absolutely believable.  John Malkovich steals every scene he is in as eccentric trainer Lucien Laurin.  Scott Glenn, James Cromwell, Dylan Walsh, and Margo Martindale round out an exceptional cast, bringing Chenery's support a life and drama of their own.

I was fully expecting to hate this movie, but, damn Disney and their "feel-good" black magic, I really enjoyed it.  Good for the whole family, and a pretty good history lesson of one of the most difficult achievements in the sporting world, the Triple Crown.  Not necessarily a keeper, but I'll watch it again.  8/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!