Oscars 2003: If We Picked the Winners (Best Picture 2003)

3. Seabiscuit Seabiscuit is the most cliched and stereo-typical film of the bunch. It tells the "unbelievably true" story of a Depression-era, down-on-his-luck businessman (Jeff Bridges), who, with the help of a down-on-his-luck horse trainer (Chris Cooper) and a down-on-his-luck jockey (Toby Maguire), train a horse, who no one ever believed in, to become the star of a nation, restoring hope to millions who had all but lost any shred of it during the dark days of the 1930's. If that isn't schmaltzy, I don't what is. Why then does the film not rank last among the nominees? Once again, for who knows how many times in the history of film, a movie's actors are able to bail out a shaky premise and hackneyed direction to (partially) squeeze out a decent work of cinema. Bridges is really the heart of the movie, and he approaches his character (as usual) with a sense of compassion and sincerity that is infectious. As much as we know we are being manipulated to feel the emotions of sorrow, pity, and, of course, hope, no matter how grating the film becomes stylistically, Bridges seems to elevate himself above it, pretending not to notice the dehumanizing nature of the prefabricated patterns surrounding him. Chris Cooper as the the wise, old trainer, and Toby Maguire as the misunderstood young hot head, who has a passion for the sport, also do their part to correct the film's course. Ultimately, the valiant effort of the film's actors is not enough to save it from its vices. The story of the underdog that everybody counted out has been told and retold many times before, and the film follows this well-tread road so unabashedly, that any hope of finding an ounce of innovation is dashed almost immediately. The quality performances help the bitter medicine go down easier, and do create truly entertaining moments, but all this really means is that it is a slight notch ahead of the likes of Lost in Translation and Master and Commander.