Crash Into Me

Seabiscuit

It is an absolutely TERRIBLE title for a movie. I know, it's based on a true story, and it's the name of the horse. Blah, blah blah. Name it something else anyways. Beyond that however, this was a very good movie. Not great, mind you, but good. The acting was first rate...I love Jeff Bridges. "The Dude" was in fine form. I've never really liked Tobey Maguire, but he was pretty passable. And after his unexpected Oscar, Chris Cooper still continues to impress. I thought the dialogue was just ok, and the plot, since based on a true story, was not fantastic, but solid. I really liked what they did with the material, however. This could have been some ho-hum story about self-made men, the Depression, horse-racing, or even losing a child...but it wasn't. It was about second chances, and good friends making us better, a theme that fit all of that other material I mentioned to a tee. How it tied it all together was wonderful. And sure, it might have been a bit long, and they might have glossed over the subject of gambling, but so what? It was heartwarming, and built tension EXTREMELY well. And the camera shots of the horse racing were second to none. Breathtaking. All in all, this looks like the first Oscar contender of the year, and will be a sleeper hit at the box office, I predict. I would rank it as not quite as much fun as Pirates, T3, or Matrix, but a better movie. Among all the special f/x, trash, and typical Hollywood crap, I highly recommend this movie.