‘Secretariat’ Is Simple, Yet Satisfying

When a coin for a valuable colt toss favors a fellow horsebreeder and leaves Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) with the less-desirable Secretariat, Chenery happily says, "I got what I wanted." Her smug opponent spits back, "You got what nobody else wanted." And so the wonderfully clichéd "Secretariat" begins by establishing two underdogs set to exceed expectations: the unwanted colt and the stereotypically docile housewife.

Penny begins the movie as Mrs. Tweedy—a mother of four, a caring daughter, and a loving wife. As she slowly spends more time at her father’s ranch and less time at home after the death of her mother and hospitalization of her father, Penny reassumes her surname, Ms. Chenery. When a hand on her family’s farm challenges her, she boldly states that, "every bit of this is my business, do you understand?" And as Secretariat grows over the course of the film, he aids Ms. Chenery in becoming an even stronger woman. When the horse poses in the winners’ circle, Ms. Chenery says, "He only does what he wants to do exactly when he wants to do it"— over the course of the film, she comes to embody that same sense of independence. Though based on a true story, the seemingly magical relationship between Ms. Chenery and Secretariat seems a bit too perfect to be believed. But staying true to Disney form, the film is still surprisingly mesmerizing in spite of its adherence to strict conventions.

The actors in the movie all do an excellent job fully immersing themselves in their somewhat limited roles. Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich), is Secretariat’s quirky trainer, a man strange enough to be taken seriously yet genuine enough to be endearing. His few pathetically attempted jokes are forgiven when his determination helps Secretariat win the Triple Crown. Other supporting actors, including Margo Martindale and Nelsan Ellis, are likewise great in their smaller roles— in fact, Lane’s acting is frequently overshadowed by that of her co-actors.

Lane is more convincing in the happy scenes than the sad. When she is supposedly depressed or sad, Lane utilizes only one facial expression— as such, she seems equally bothered by her mother’s death, the abscess in Secretariat’s mouth, and his losing a race. The cheesy gospel music ("Oh Happy Days") and inappropriately placed flashback sequences only highlight the mediocre acting in these scenes.

The best scenes in "Secretariat" are undoubtedly the race scenes. There is just something about the stature of horses, the heat of the stadium, the intensity of the competition, and the suspense of the races that elicits emotions of anticipation and happiness. The ridiculousness of the Belmont Stakes is beautifully portrayed, complete with camera angles showing the mud flying, the sweat on Ronnie Turcotte’s (Secretariat’s jockey, played by Otto Thorwarth) face, and Secretariat’s flaring nostrils.

When an onlooker asks Penny if "you’re that stubborn," she responds: "I’m just that right." Stubbornness prevails throughout the film. The social norms of the 1970s forbid Ms. Chenery to be so strong, but she’s a feisty one: "It hasn’t been done, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work." When failing at asking for bids on Secretariat’s win, she said, "I don’t care how many times they say no—I want it." Ronnie was told not to push Secretariat that hard right out of the gate at Belmont, but both his determination Secretariat’s stubbornness to run the whole length won out. Such a message, while simplistic, is nonetheless somewhat inspiring.

Ms. Chenery’s attachment to Secretariat starts when her father whispers for her to "let him run his race." As the movie progresses, each character is given an opportunity to run his or her own race. Right before Secretariat runs at Belmont, Ms. Chenery whispers to her horse, "I realized something…I’ve already won, I’ve run my race. Now you run yours." And despite the fact that his path was already well-worn by, countless other inspirational underdog sports films, Secretariat’s race remains a thrilling spectacle of achievement.