Our Take On: "Seabiscuit"

Our March of the Penguins got derailed when our copy was unplayable. Coming from behind (the DVD shelf), Seabiscuit (the documentary DVD) performed like a champion, and members loved this surprise chance to get the inside scoop on the non-fictional side of Seabiscuit’s story.

As the feature film also presented, the story is about how a raw outsider in the horse racing world, with a losing jockey named Red Pollard and taciturn trainer Tom Smith became the most famous race horse of the Depression era. Between them, both Seabiscuit and Pollard, overcame debilitating health issues in order to finally win the Santa Anita Handicap in 1940. Throughout his racing history, Seabiscuit represented “the little buy” an underdog that a Depression-weary population desperately needed to cheer for.

The group also found itself cheering for Seabiscuit and Red Pollard and appreciating how the growth of new media (the radio) along with the press, helped Americans to read a story that could take them out of their daily living situations, and that in his own way, he brought hope to the people of better things to come. For several people who weren’t necessarily “into” horses, they couldn’t believe what a spell-binding story is was, or how glued to their seats they were to see if Seabiscuit could pull off one more spectacular with Red Pollard at Santa Anita.

The backdrop of the Depression also had members commenting on this low point in our history, and sharing personal stories of the affects it had on family members.

We thoroughly enjoyed this last-minute substitute, so thanks to Seabiscuit, for being a winner once again!