Matt and I drove into Hollywood to the Arclight Theaters for a screening of Seabiscuit. The film was a little saccharine at times, but overall was very good. Dramatically speaking, most of the actors did a fine job. Jeff Bridges was quite good as (yet another) car salesman turned horse investor. Tobey Maguire wasn’t bad, and Chris Cooper was pretty good too…. but it was William H. Macy who (as always) stood out in his small supporting role as a radio sports announcer. The races were enjoyable – even if you knew the outcome of the races, they were presented in an exciting manner. And the physical rigs built by Michael Lantieri were seamless – you’d never guess that Tobey was rarely riding a horse.
Randy Newman’s dramatic score was good, but not great. I still like Pleasantville better. Towards the end of the film, the score gets all triumphant and heroic – it’s pretty enjoyable stuff! Seabiscuit is probably the first serious Oscar contender this summer, so keep an eye out for the promotional blitz this winter.