Secretariat Review

You may know how the story ends, but there was a hard road to get there.

Secretariat review after the jump! May contain spoilers

You’ll never know how far you can go, unless you run.

A horse ranch losing money, an unlikely owner, a losing trainer, and a horse no one wanted.  Perfect for feel good TRUE story of Secretariat.  The racehorse that won the Triple Crown in 1973.

Housewife and mother, Penny Tweedy (Diane Lane) returns home to her family horse farm to take over after her mother dies and her father is ill. And what she lacks in recent experience Penny has in heart and training from when she was a child following her father around the barn.

When Penny finds herself choosing to stay on the Virginia ranch while her husband Jack (Nip Tuck’s Dylan Walsh) and their four children head home to Colorado she changes history. But first she needs a trainer. On the advice of a family friend, Penny hires losing horse trainer, who “dresses like he’s superfly” Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich).

From then on it’s up and down for Penny, her family, and the horse ranch. Will they lose the farm? How will a horse NO ONE wanted save the family, the farm, their careers and reputations?  Come on now, it’s Disney!

I want to welcome back the family film that Disney was once did so well. Secretariat (rated PG) was beautifully, with a FANTASTIC cast, and I can watch it with most of my family without worrying about it being too “grown up” for my little cousins. It’s finally a family film MADE FOR THE ADULTS, that the kids can watch as well.

Diane Lane plays the strong willed late 60s housewife quite well. She does look like a walking Ralph Lauren ad for most of the film, though, and you just have to get over the wig.

Playing the questioning husband, Dylan Walsh leaves his sleazy Nip/Tuck plastic surgeon at the door. He is both loving and the voice of reason through his wife’s seemingly crazy reach for the impossible brass ring.

But the selling point for this movie has to be John Malkovich. I was tickled to see him in a movie I can watch with mixed company!! He is PERFECT in the comedic role of French Canadian horse trainer Lucien Laurin. Malkovich, best known for his heavy characters, brings such a laughter to this movie. Dancing with the horse staff, looking like a clown in his outrageous outfits, cursing at the jockey in French… Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont in Dangerous Liasons he is not! And it was delicious! Seeing him in this role makes me want him to do MORE comedic parts.

All and all, Secretariat is a great family film in the vein of Swiss Family Robinson. It’s a story for the adults, but the kids can be watching it as well. And having the main trio of Diane Lane, Dylan Walsh and John Malkovich in a film kids can watch is quite the feat!

It doesn’t talk down to you it’s simple a good wholesome movie. Sure it’s sugary sweet at times, and the amount of conflict between Dylan and Diane could have been explored further, but this isn’t a documentary, it’s a Disney film.  There are some difficult scenes to watch that you may have to explain to the younger kids, under 10, but still very good.  I say see it, it only for Malkovich

19“Do you give the horse his strength
or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?
20Do you make him leap like a locust,
striking terror with his proud snorting?
21He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength,
and charges into the fray.

Photos via Secretariat official webpage