I’ve often joked that Secretariat is the answer to any horse racing question in Trivial Pursuit or on Jeopardy, but I never fully understood why. When I watched Walt Disney’s Secretariat, however, I finally realized how extraordinary this horse was, and why his name has echoed throughout the decades.
Now available on DVD and Blu-Ray, Secretariat is truly an inspirational film. Like traditional sports films, the focus is on the underdog and how he or she defies the odds to become the champion. However, in this film, the true underdog seems to be the horse’s owner and not the horse himself, though the title might suggest otherwise.
Penny Chenery is the human protagonist of the film, and she is wonderfully portrayed by talented actress Diane Lane. She brings to the role grace, charm, and the right amount of spunk to make you believe—as she does—that anything is possible. Penny inherits her family’s horse farm after tragedy strikes¸ and she decides to bring it back from the edge of oblivion by raising a champion horse. Up until this defining moment, her only role has been wife and mother, and the odds are certainly against her.
She pours her heart into the task, trying to balance her family life with her new passion and refusing to back down from any obstacle in her path. Fortunately, she has chosen a talented trainer and a tenacious jockey, and her employees also happen to be her friends and extremely loyal.
Anyone remotely familiar with Secretariat or famous racehorses will not be surprised by the ending, but knowing the end results didn’t hinder my viewing or prevent me from breathlessly watching the events unfold. The movie is beautifully shot and acted, and I believe most audiences will find it quite enjoyable. It’s great for the whole family, and it’s one of the few animal movies that people can watch that doesn’t end in tragedy. (I know better than to watch any movie with a dog as the title character, thanks to Old Yeller).
Director Randall Wallace provides Audio Commentary on the Blu-Ray, and he also sits down with the real Penny Chenery (who appears very briefly in the film) to discuss her role in horse racing history. There is also a selection of deleted scenes and a feature called “Heart of a Champion” which takes a look at one of the most famous horses ever, the one and only Secretariat.
