Universal's $80 million horse-racing feature "Seabiscuit" opened Friday, bringing the story of the unlikely Depression-era thoroughbred champ and his odd band of human companions to screens across the country. The racing industry is hoping the heavily promoted film starring Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges will create some buzz and increase interest in its sport. Here's a sampling of what reviewers are saying about the biggest sports movie of the summer.
This handsomely crafted movie, written and directed by Gary Ross, is enriched by some of the most fabulous racing scenes ever filmed. It's a true story of courage and resilience. Of three ... men whose devotion to this nondescript horse led all four to triumph. Whether your love of horses is unbridled, or if you don't know Santa Anita from Santa Claus, "Seabiscuit" will have you cheering a champion, a movie that's a winner across the board.
— Gene Shalit, NBC's "The Today Show"
"Seabiscuit" may be too airbrushed for its own good, but in the end nothing can stop this story from putting a lump in your throat. ... Even if you know the outcome, the races have stomach-tightening suspense and the victories stir up a sweet surge of elation.
— David Ansen, Newsweek
"Seabiscuit" aims to be a crowd pleaser, and for the most part it is. ... Thanks to smart performances by Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper and numerous exciting racing sequences, "Seabiscuit" ... has the legs of a box-office champ.
— Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
More mystical than mysterious, "Seabiscuit" is a proudly cornball sentimental epic — a reverential paean to a vanished America that's steeped in inspirational uplift and played for world-historical pathos. ... Cerebral populism aside, there's some moderately exciting action here.
— J. Hoberman, The Village Voice
While there is much to enjoy and appreciate in the film, [director Gary] Ross winds up looking at the "Seabiscuit" phenomenon through the wrong end of the telescope. Observing the tale from the long view of history, and saddling it with ennobling narration about the Depression from historian David McCullough and a far too inspirational/sentimental score by Randy Newman, gives the picture a somewhat embalmed quality that drains a gripping yarn of immediacy and excitement.
— Todd McCarthy, Variety.com
Gloriously shot and perfectly cast, "Seabiscuit" comes thundering into theaters, proving all that pre-race hype was justified. ... "Seabiscuit" is a rarity for this time of year: a film with a mind and a heart, one that says something instead of screaming it.
— Christy Lemire, The Associated Press
