Limp 'Biscuit' [Review of 'Seabiscuit' with political shot at Republicans and conservatives]

Fort Worth Star-Telegram ^ | July 25, 2003 | Christopher Kelly

[willieroe]

Limp 'Biscuit' - 'Seabiscuit' pulls up lame, courtesy of a director who should have reined in the sentimentality

By Christopher Kelly
Star-Telegram Film Critic

[Review of movie snipped to avoid plot giveaway - last paragraph of review follows:]

Considering the heartless alternatives out there, I suspect this kind of big, sloppy treacle will probably go over big. All that proves is that no one ever went broke by pandering to white, middle-class audiences. Indeed, from its stately pace to its gleaming photography to the fact that the only African-American character seems to have stepped out of a regional theater production of Driving Miss Daisy, the movie has a neo-conservative undercurrent that dovetails a little too comfortably with the current political climate. Seabiscuit is deeply in love with a nostalgic, rally-round-the-underdog way of life -- a way of life that exists only in old movies and Republican stump speeches. This movie wants us to cherish "how things used to be," and it's made with so much elan that we may not notice that its version of the truth is nothing but hogwash.

[HairOfTheDog]

It is wonderful! I just started reading this book today, and it is a great read so far, very nostalgic. I have been very inspired by the imagery in the trailers for the movie, it looks beautifully filmed. Will definately see this when I finish the book!

The movie site is absolutely gorgeous : SEABISCUIT

Ecurbh, ping to a bad reviewer...

[HairOfTheDog]

Generally I find it annoying, if you don't mind getting kicked out of the theater that's a great moment to loudly proclaim "and now's when we're all supposed to cry because the frigid b!tch is finally gonna get some". Note to young FReepers: you WAY won't get any if you get kicked out for mocking her tears, only do what I just outlined as step one of dumping the girl.

You sound like a real pain in the butt to be around!

[HitmanLV]

Seabiscuit is deeply in love with a nostalgic, rally-round-the-underdog way of life -- a way of life that exists only in old movies and Republican stump speeches

This betrays the mindset of the left. It accepts that any sucess is either blind luck, or having the stack heavily in favor of you. Failure is almost always blamed away, and success is explained away. I never understood this, since life is so clearly filled with examples that undermine this world view.

[It's me]

Did you read the book? Charles Howard came out West with no money and made his fortune.

Maybe you should read the book...

[ecurbh]

Charles Howard arrived in San Francisco in 1903 with 21 cents to his name. He ended up becoming the largest car dealer in the world. He was a self-made millionaire.

[denydenydeny]

But this kind of whining from critics is ridiculous. As if every single movie about anything that happened before 1965 MUST either feature a black character, no matter how obscure or false, or else it must have a significant commentary about segregation, otherwise it is "hogwash." Sheesh. Can't we just enjoy a story about a horse without all this social-history crap getting thrown out?

My favorite was when they somehow got a black guy onto a submarine in WW2 in U571.

[ecurbh]

OK, so you defind "self-made man" differently. Whatever.

"Self-made man: a man who has risen from poverty or obscurity by means of his own talents or energies."
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=self-made%20man

That is precisely what Charles Howard did.

[ecurbh]

Oops, should be "define".

[HairOfTheDog]

I think 'whatever' is the right answer. ;~D

[ecurbh]

I just hate it when people pi$$ on achievers of the American Dream.

[Roscoe]

How can the son of a millionaire rise above poverty?

By becoming poor and rising above it.

[VOA]

Someday, in the dim and distant future, some one will figure out how to make a movie
about a horse that's not a sad pathetic chick flick

Hmmm...conservative talk-show host Hugh Hewitt (Constitional law prof at
Chapman Univ. Law School, he also helped get the Nixon Library off the ground)
was really singing the praises of the film...

[VOA]

Oh, even if you don't see the film, you might want to check out PBS's "The American Experience"
episode on the career of Seabiscuit that is being rebroadcast on PBS on Monday
(maybe most stations).

[fight_truth_decay]

In the film, he first started a bicycle business. He sat on the stoop waiting for someone to come in. Fell asleep and a Stanley Steamer drove up with mechanical problems. "Can you fix it?" He said said he could. Took the whole car apart and had it running to 40 mph..then others flocked to his store. The next frame had him as a car dealer.

[discostu]

Only if you want me to cry at the make believe trials and make believe tribulations of make believe people.

[discostu]

Just because he's a conservative doesn't mean he's got good taste in movies.