Secretariat

Theatrical Release Date: 2010 10 08 (USA)

UPC: 786936810622

Studio: Walt Disney

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Mild Language]

Summary: A housewife with little knowledge of horse-racing fosters one of the greatest race horses of all time as the story of the 1973 Triple Crown winner comes to the screen in this inspirational underdog drama based on the novel Secretariat: The Making of a Champion by William Nack and starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich. Penny Chenery (Lane) is a devoted mother and housewife whose ailing father is the proprietor of Meadow Stables in Virginia. When her father becomes too ill to tend to his horses, Penny agrees to take over the stables despite her inexperience. Desperate, she turns to veteran horse trainer Lucien Laurin (Malkovich) to help show her the ropes. Up to this point, horse racing has been a decidedly male-dominated sport. But with Lucien's help, Penny prepares to prove that gender has no bearing on one's ability to breed a fast race horse. As Secretariat blasts out of the gates to leave his competition in the dust, the whole world watches in amazement, and a legend is born. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Drama

Features: Heart Of A Champion - An Inside Look at Secretariat, One Of The Most Famous Thoroughbred Horses Ever Known
3 Deleted Scenes
Music Videos - AJ Michalka "It's Who You Are"

Secretariat

Format: DVD

Release Date: 01/25/2011

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 123 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Secretariat
1. Meditation [1:46]
2. Coming Home [7:58]
3. Staying On [8:28]
4. Coin Toss [6:12]
5. Big Red [7:36]
6. Finding Their Stride [7:24]
7. Horse Of The Year [8:32]
8. A Real Gamble [10:40]
9. No Regrets [8:28]
10. Losing Faith [9:46]
11. Sham [6:21]
12. Kentucky Derby [4:53]
13. Preakness Stakes [3:52]
14. Nerves [6:08]
15. Belmont Stakes [8:57]
16. Epilogue [6:56]

Tracie Cooper

The monikers "popcorn" and "feel good," when attached to a film, carry with them the implication that the subject matter is unchallenging and therefore inconsequential, something to be dismissed by the more discerning moviegoer. It's not always an inaccurate assumption, given the amount of films made with the intent of appealing only to a very specific demographic, but as cinema is a mirror of the human experience, it stands to reason that triumphing in the face of adversity does happen on occasion, and does, indeed, feel pretty good. It would be a shame to dismiss a film for being a pure, simple story that will leave people feeling good about being people, because when done right, it's a great story. Secretariat was done right. Secretariat, of course, is based on the true story of horseracing champion Secretariat, Triple Crown winner and arguably the fastest horse that ever lived. Like Seabiscuit, another equine underdog, Secretariat's potential was derided by investors and racing insiders, who believed his bloodlines indicated he was merely a speed horse who would fall short in a test of endurance. Famously, Secretariat went on to win the grueling Belmont Stakes by an astonishing 31 lengths. The horse's career might have gone in quite a different direction, however, were it not for his owner, Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), who referred to herself at one point as Secretariat's voice. The housewife and mother agreed to take over her father's Thoroughbred breeding operation when his health began to deteriorate, and refused to sell the farm despite pressure from virtually all ends. As her horse was dismissed for his supposedly inferior bloodlines, Chenery was dismissed for being a woman in a male-dominated sport. Her horse trainer, Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich), drew ire for several embarrassing defeats, as well as his garish wardrobe; her gentle-handed groom (Nelsan Ellis) drew little attention whatsoever, being in what the racing industry's elites considered a lowly position; and her jockey (Otto Thorwarth) elicited controversy for his aggressiveness on the track. Ultimately, this perfect storm of unlikely candidates contributed to what became nationwide support for "Big Red" (Secretariat's barn name), whose habit of thundering to victory after breaking from the gate at the back of the pack won him no small amount of fans. In films where the destination is already known -- in this case, the finish line at the Belmont Stakes, where Secretariat officially won the Triple Crown -- it truly is the journey that matters. Diane Lane took on a role that would have been too sugary in the hands of other actresses, infusing the character with enough vulnerability to be sympathetic, and enough toughness to be respectable. Malkovich works well with Lane, matching her poise with eccentricity and his rougher-edged confidence in Secretariat's potential. Director Randall Wallace handles Secretariat's races with an expert touch, showing the Kentucky Derby through the eyes of the spectators at the event, the Preakness Stakes through the eyes of those who watched the race on television, and the Belmont from the perspective of Secretariat and his jockey (Thorwarth's disbelieving expression at his own lead at the Belmont is worth the price of admission alone). Unfortunately, when the film navigates away from the farm and toward Chenery's home life, it isn't able to carry the excitement of the track along with it. The marital tension she experiences seems hastily tacked on for dramatic effect where none is needed, and there is little chemistry between Lane and Dylan Walsh, in the role of Penny's husband. It's a small criticism, however, in an otherwise consistently rousing tale of victory. When the film begins, the audience knows that the big red horse with a lot of heart will win the coveted Triple Crown, along with the hearts and minds of a nation. Eventually, he does, and the end credits role. It feels good. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Nick Glennie-Smith  Composer (Music Score) 
Bill Johnson  Executive Producer 
Randall Wallace  Director 
Mike Rich  Executive Producer 
Mike Rich  Screenwriter 
Mark Ciardi  Producer 
William R. Johnson  Executive Producer 
Gordon Gray  Producer 
Diane Lane  Actor 
John Malkovich  Actor 
Dylan Walsh  Actor 
Dylan Baker  Actor 
Margo Martindale  Actor 
Nelsan Ellis  Actor 
Otto Thorwarth  Actor 
Fred Dalton Thompson  Actor 
James Cromwell  Actor 
Scott Glenn  Actor 
Mike Harding  Actor 
Richard Fullerton  Actor 
Tim Ware  Actor 
Nestor Serrano  Actor 
Keith Austin  Actor 
Kevin Connolly  Actor 
Eric Lange  Actor 
Drew Roy  Actor 
Carissa Capobianco  Actor 
AJ Michalka  Actor 
Sean Cunningham  Actor 
Jacob Rhodes  Actor 
Graham McTavish  Actor 
Tom Foley  Actor 
Grant Whitacre  Actor 
Forry Smith  Actor 
Tom Clark  Actor 
Ken Strunk  Actor 
Jazz Undy  Actor 
Michael Guthrie  Actor 
Cullen Wallace  Actor 
Mike Battaglia  Actor 
Tony Renaud  Actor 
Jennifer Trier  Actor 
Wynn Reichert  Actor 
Tim Layden  Actor 
William Nack  Actor 
Pamela Pryor  Actor 
Kate Ward  Actor 
Andrew Wallace  Actor 
Rusty Hendrickson  Actor 
Michael Boyd  Actor 
Michael Mills  Actor 
Albert Duhon  Actor 
Audrey Scott  Actor 
Salid Parker  Actor 
Joe Chrest  Actor 
Jason Schwartz  Actor 
Reid Cherner  Actor 
Hank Goldberg  Actor 
Dick Jerardi  Actor 
John McClain  Actor 
Jay Privman  Actor 

Country: USA