Secretariat -- A Movie Review

[brandtrn]

Last weekend, I was having a late dinner with my brother at one of his favorite sports bars. While we were sipping our drinks, we watched replays of the Belmont Stakes race, the third "jewel" in American thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown; which was run earlier that day, and learned that the horse "American Pharoah" became the twelfth winner in the history of the US Triple Crown. Certainly a proud moment for the horse's owners and trainers, I would think! Although it's been many years since I've become jaded and cynical re: horse racing (yes, the high-earning winners DO go on to live good lives in "retirement," but once I learned of the cruelty that often occurs in order to MAKE a horse a "winner," and the sad, miserable ends which so many of the "losers" meet, I've long since ceased to be a lover of the "sport"), I remember a time when I followed it avidly. My parents were, for a time, quite passionate about the sport, frequently taking us to the racetrack in the Chicago area, Arlington Park. We frequently watched horse racing on TV on weekends, as well, and I don't think I'll EVER forget the year (1973 -- I was eleven-and-a-half years old) that Secretariat won the Triple Crown -- the first horse to win that award since it was won by Citation 25 years previously in 1948. Secretariat was a true "freak" of nature: he was HUGE, and he ran like the wind (it also probably didn't hurt him, as found in his necropsy, that his heart was more than TWICE the size of the average thoroughbred horse!). That horse set speed records in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont in 1973 that STILL haven't been touched by ANY horse to date! Also, he was a beautiful animal, and he seemed to love the attention he received from his multitude of adoring fans. I remember watching each race of 1973's Triple Crown on television, and who that ever saw it could EVER forget "Big Red's" now legendary performance at the Belmont?? It's now 42 years after the fact, but I remember that race just like it was yesterday. Why did the nation love Secretariat so much? I think, in a way, that he was a "tonic" for the times. The early 70s were a scary, depressing time in the US. The Vietnam War was going badly for us, we were at the height of the "Cold War" with Russia and our government wasn't doing much better, i.e. the Watergate scandal. Secretariat was a beautiful, noble animal who loved to "ham" it up for the fans and the cameras; and I think that the American people were longing for a "hero" just like him...one who was pure, good and triumphant. Even now, when I see Secretariat's performance at the Belmont (which can be seen quite easily on YouTube), I still have tears running down my face by the end of it. What a magnificent animal he was!


While Al and I were watching the replay of this year's Belmont, our conversation naturally turned to Secretariat's Triple Crown win all those years ago, as well as our memories of seeing him "in person" at the Arlington Invitational in June of 1973. What an amazing feeling it was to have been in the very same park with him, although neither of us were lucky enough to get even halfway close to that magnificent animal! At that point in our conversation, my brother asked me if I'd ever seen the movie "Secretariat," made by Disney Studios in 2010. I honestly had to say that I had never seen it...didn't even know that there WAS such a movie out there!! Obviously, though, with this year's Triple Crown news and memories of Secretariat still dancing in my brain, I made it my business to see the movie that very same night (thank goodness for modern technology and Amazon Prime, where I can see almost anything I want to within seconds!), and settled in to watch it at about 1 a.m. My first feelings upon watching the movie were of indignation...the movie was more about his owner's (Penny Chenery, very well-played by Diane Lane) life, and Secretariat seemed to be something of an afterthought, although it was HIS accomplishments, not hers, which have been unequaled by anyone! My next thoughts and feelings had to do with the fact that since Secretariat's racing career was SO filled with excitement, WHY did Disney feel the need to indulge in embellishment and fabrication in the telling of his exceptional story? And let's just never mind the fact that Secretariat had absolutely NOTHING to do with the "saving" of the family farm...that had been done the previous year, by one of Chenery's OTHER colts, the long-forgotten Riva Ridge, who won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in 1972! Poor Riva didn't even merit a mention in the Disney film. But it wasn't only poor Riva who was excluded...apparently, Disney also saw fit to not mention or portray Chenery's sister, Margaret; who, in addition to their brother, Hollis, wanted to liquidate the farm, sell the horses, etc., in opposition to Chenery's wishes. More than likely, they cut out the sister in order to make it more of a "male versus female" saga...pitting a lone woman against ALL of the "evil" males in her life who worked so tirelessly to dash her hopes and dreams. I also was more than a little bit disappointed at the portrayal of Sham's (Secretariat's major competition that year, and whom, in any OTHER year, would have won the Triple Crown himself!) trainer, Pancho Martin, as an arrogant, misogynistic pig. By all I'd ever seen of him and all accounts I'd ever read of him, Mr. Martin was quite the "gentleman" and never engaged in the kind of abusive remarks he hurled towards Chenery in the film. Still, I guess every movie just has to have a "villain," right?? Also, the film minimizes Chenery's involvement in the breeding of Secretariat, and shows only her appearance at the legendary "coin toss" which determined which owner would get which foal. However, it was CHENERY'S decision to breed her mare Somethingroyal to Bold Ruler, resulting in the superhorse Secretariat. Also, the "performance clause" in Secretariat's "syndication" agreement had NOTHING to do with him winning races, but with his "performance" as a stud; i.e., whether or not he was capable of fathering colts and fillies.


There were several other factual misrepresentations in this movie, but you get the general idea, here. On the "plus" side, though, there were a few things which I liked VERY much...most notably Lane's portrayal of Chenery as a woman who tried to "have it all" back in the day when women were expected to stay at home and keep house, entertain their husbands' clients and business associates, pick up the dry cleaning, raise the children and "put out" in the bedroom a couple of times per week, and ALWAYS accommodate their husbands' wishes. Unfortunately, she couldn't...and less than a year after Secretariat's Triple Crown win, she and her husband, John Tweedy, divorced (another fact that the Disney movie fails to mention, but I guess that THAT is understandable. Divorce? In a Disney movie? No way, Jose!). Chenery was (and IS) an exceptional woman. She broke into horse racing's male-dominated "good ole boys" club and became a major figure therein. She is also a woman of integrity who truly LOVES the animals that she breeds and races. Another thing which I liked very much was Disney's casting of a "real" jockey (Otto Thorwarth) to play the legendary Ron Turcotte, who rode Secretariat to victory. I understand that Mr. Thorwarth had never acted before, but he turned in an admirable performance which I enjoyed very much. John Malkovich's performance as the trainer, Lucien Laurin, was also enjoyable, although it seems that whenever Malkovich is in a movie, he plays John Malkovich, and NOT the character he's supposed to be portraying! Still, Malkovich's Laurin was droll and entertaining. Overall, the movie's misrepresentation of the facts was not enough to keep me from watching it again and eventually purchasing it for my own digital collection. The story of Secretariat is, indeed, inspiring, all these years later. My biggest regret about the movie, though, remains that they focused too much on the people involved and NOT NEARLY ENOUGH on that awesome, incredible horse!


And here's the "REAL" Secretariat, in his amazing performance at the Belmont which has never been (and probably never WILL be) equaled:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfCMtaNiMDM

[tomsk]

What a Grand National entry .....coo...
I got dizzy just loooking at it...

[yogi]

Arlington Park is a hop, skip, and a jump from where I live. I recall clearly the hoop-la that surround Secretariat's appearance there. It was grand, and I say that not being a racing fan. In spite of it's proximity I have only been to Arlington once in my entire life. A cousin of mine talked me into it and it was in fact quite an adventure. I made one $2 bet on a long shot to place. She came in at 40:1 odds and I never made another bet after that.

I've been disillusioned by movies and stopped patronizing them many years ago. Your review of how the facts were altered is typical. I suppose it's great entertainment, but I'm more into reality than distortions of the facts. I watched that YouTube video and chills went down my back because, like you, I saw the original run on television and was awed by it all. Thank you for sharing this review with us.