Secretariat: The Movie, Whoa!

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by hi_im_god

speaking of losers, how does sham fare in the movie? much of a role or just vague background for the triumphant winner?

Well, they do try to make it seem like Sham won the Wood. So he had that going for him. That was probably my favorite dramatic license they kinda took. "Sham and Angle Light hit the wire together! And that's all we're going to say about that! Yay Sham! Good race!"

[ShadowRoll]

For those interested, this Saturday is Ron Turcotte Day at Delaware Park. He will be there to sign autographs.

http://www.delawarepark.com/media_de...hp?section=158

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Saw it last night. Almost so bad it's good, but not quite. Thanks for the budget numbers, Merlinsky; that explains why it looked so bad. It was either shot on a combination of film and video or entirely on video and then transferred to film (poorly). Also explains why there were so many scenes of people sitting around talking about things instead of showing those things happening. I don't think there was a single scene of Malkovich's character actually training a horse.

And the dialogue is really clunky. They should give Diane Lane an honorary Oscar just for all the as God is my witness I'll never be hungry again speeches she had to deliver.

The best part was the two people sitting behind us.
Diane Lane: "Daddy, this is Big Red."
Lady Behind Us: "I THOUGHT HIS NAME WAS SECRETARIAT."

Agree with everything you say.

Malkovich must be a big racing fan to take that role.

It was really hollow. That is the best word I can think of to describe this film. The fact that people are going is proving that either our movie choices are limited or there is a latent interest in racing.

[chucklestheclown]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Malkovich must be a big racing fan to take that role.

He said he was a Secretariat fan. Latent interest? Cool concept.

[kelster]

We saw the movie last night we enjoyed it!!!

[Arletta]

Originally Posted by kelster

We saw the movie last night we enjoyed it!!!

I saw it as well..... I thought it was pretty lame..cheesy... Theater only had about 6 people in it too...

[Merlinsky]

First, quick question: It doesn't seem like there's been an international release yet. At least I haven't heard squat about international grosses. Any idea when it comes out in other countries? I know it's an American TC winner, but he's known worldwide.

Thought everybody would like to know that "Secretariat" crossed the threshold of making back its budget of $35 mil (just leaves the promotion budget to aim for, whatever that was, but I'm sure we have a ways to go). It's projected to get $6.5 mil this weekend for $37 mil so far. We're just expected to be #6 this week, only $500,000 behind The Social Network and we're already ahead of the Katherine Heigl movie in the rankings which premiered the same week as "Secretariat" and originally ranked higher. I'm betting we end up with a higher gross since we're only $500,000 behind their total now.

One reason I heard the movie held well the last week is that Rush Limbaugh got wind of a review by Andrew O'Hehir from Salon.com that he didn't appreciate because he took it as a dig against Christianity, and the next thing you know he's playing the radio trailer for the movie over and over again just to make a point. Then he told folks to go see it. Hey I don't care if the rumor goes around that seeing this movie will cause balding men to regrow hair, whatever gets a butt in the seat works for me.

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by miraja2

I am not very excited about it because I thought the preview for it looked pretty horrible. I enjoyed Seabiscuit, but this movie looks very Disney-fied and horrendous from what I've seen.

I hope I'm wrong and Scav is right.

no, you were right. it was not that good. seabiscuit was way better and more accurate. they spend half the movie fighting over selling the horse...after he wins horse of the year as a two year old. they do point out how he won 7 races in about 9 weeks. he won 8 as a two year old ....3 at the saratoga meet...ran in 9. won the sanford ten days later ...won the hopeful. i laugh when they talk about giving two year olds HOY today they run about 4 times. his first jockey paul feliciano (5 pound bug) was not fired after the first race....he rode secretariat to his first win, second time out. sham never won the wood...angle light did. they needed a "bad guy" . frank martin was elected .......like he did not know secretariat was good after his first season and sham was never really close to as good. the tracks they run at ...saratoga did not even look like saratoga and for the belmont they should of shown the real footage. i know its disney and they need a story but half the movie is spent in family bickering over possibly the best race horse ever. it was actually kind of a dumb movie other than secretariat being the subject in it.