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The best kind of movies are those that are so familiar in structure, tone, and overall delivery, and yet still manage to satisfy on every imaginable level. You won't find many better examples than "Seabiscuit," the true story of the horse that was too small, the jockey who was too big, the trainer who was too old, and the owner who was "too dumb to know the difference." Now, this description may not sound like your average, everyday inspirational drama that happens to be based on fact, but once you enter into the realm of director Gary Ross's extraordinary epic of the heart and soul, you know you've been down this road before. But hey, the road less traveled isn't necessarily always the better choice, right? And when the old, beaten path feels and looks as good, as moving, and as emotionally uplifting as this one does, why quibble about familiarity when all that's left to do is just go along for the ride? ***

The story comes from the Depression era legend of the same name, a horse that from its birth was never given a second glance. Owner after owner, he was passed along due to his small size and his unwillingness to learn the way of the racehorse. When it became clear that he was not to follow in his father's footsteps, he was used as a dummy of sorts for other horses in training: he himself was taught to lose races in order to make the other contestants look better on the track. ***

His story is not far from that of his future jockey, Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), who as a young child during that dark chapter in American history was torn away from his family and left in the care of various track owners and promoters, before running away to Saratoga six years later and coming to the attention of Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), an aged horse caretaker whose knowledge of the animals is first-rate. Feeling that Pollard might be the ideal choice to ride the unbroken Seabiscuit, Smith brings the suggestion to the horse's current owner, Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges), the man behind the Buick whose own life's recent history includes a lost son, a shattered marriage, and a new wife in Marcela (Elizabeth Banks). Skepticism being the only logical initial reaction, Howard is first wary of the chances of bringing the horse up to speed and into the spotlight; it's only a matter of time, however, before he's winning races and riding to glory all over the country. ***

There's something to be said about the manner in which "Seabiscuit" works on a number of different levels. There is, first and foremost, the inspirational aspect, which is undoubtedly a real crowd-pleaser as it evokes the notion that dreams can come true with the perserverance and determination to wield them to your liking just as you would a horse on the track. Sure, the various plot twists and turns are expected; that they are fact-based makes this easily admissible. But writer/director Ross knows just how to turn them into something with which many people can and will want to identify; who doesn't want to have a life story that involves becoming a legend and achieving your goals all in the same stretch? ***

But the aspect of the movie that truly amazed me was how it didn't use the Depression-era setting as a mere afterthought, but allowed it to become an important part of the storytelling. In addition to being a story of reaching new heights in life, "Seabiscuit" is also a story of overcoming the hubrice and haughtiness of the aristocratic morons who would trample on the hopes and dreams of the smaller, lesser-known classes of society. As seen is our four-legged hero's defeat of the pure-bred War Admiral on November 1, 1938, his victory stands as a testament to the many millions of Americans who at that time in our nation's history stood up and fought back from the poverty and hard times, and managed to get back on their feet. This is the true source of the film's inspiration, and it makes the film not just a history lesson, but a life lesson besides. ***

And what lush production values! I can't recall seeing a period piece that had such a decadent sheen about it: everything from the props to the costumes, the art direction to the sets and recreations of various vintage materials like newspapers and newsreel footage, all has that wonderful shine to it that looks as if it had come right out of the 1930's, untouched and untampered with for more than half a century. Ross's staging of the various horse races is immaculate and full of tension, the kind you delight in even when you know the outcome as it comes into view. And his cast is tremendously appealing, one of the best gatherings I've seen this year. Maguire is a strong lead as Red Pollard, portraying his strength and willpower to its fullest. Bridges is as always a presence to be reckoned with, while Cooper, who is much younger than the character he portrays, steps right into the shoes of old age as if he has been there and back. Like their characters, they and the filmmakers work hard to make "Seabiscuit" the movie a legend all its own, and one that will gallop away with the hearts of those who witness its many joys.

Released in separate widescreen and fullframe editions, "Seabiscuit" is a movie that must be seen the way that it was intended to be seen: in big, beautiful 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. And what better way to do it (in the absence of theatrical capability) than with this gorgeous-looking transfer? What a great image: rich, deeply saturated colors that do not bleed and remain in top form throughout the picture, accentuated by accurate fleshtones and solid blacks. Contrast is terrific, and shadow detail is always in peak performance mode, with only some slight hinderances in the most obscure of moments. Clarity is smashing, with sharp edges bringing out every piece of flying dirt on the race track; enhancement halos are kept to a minimum. The source print is perfect, and there is very little film grain here, making for a transfer that receives a highly-regarded stamp of approval from me. ***

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix is terrific as well, a nicely mastered combination of elegant music, atmospherics, and a solid balance between the two. Randy Newman's excellent score has a nice presence in the front and rear channels, with some good underscoring from the .1 LFE, which also lends a great deal of rumble to the pounding hooves of the racing scenes. Sound effects sound great and are imaged well, while dialogue sounds natural and remains centered throughout. A very good mix!

A surprise hit for Universal at this summer's crowded box office, "Seabiscuit" raced on to become one of the season's better-known contenders. With a gross of more than $120 million, the film garnered strong reviews, even better audience reactions, and early Oscar buzz; now, it is coming home in two separate editions. The one we will be reviewing today will be the standard single-disc edition, whose features can also be found in their entire on the two-disc collector's set (review coming soon). ***

Then we move on to a number of featurettes, beginning with "Bringing the Legend to Life: The Making of Seabiscuit." Here, we hear from a number of cast members who reflect on the joys they had making the movie, as well as from the crew in regards to shooting the movie, with some special emphasis on things like the use of numerous horses to portray the titular animal, and the choreography of the racing sequences, which are spectacularly done, I must say. In "Anatomy of a Movie Moment," which is significantly shorter, we hear from Ross about select moments in the movie that he felt were the most difficult to wield emotional power with. His theory of making the work behind the scene invisible to the viewer, who should be focusing on the characters and the emotional context, is spot-on, and makes me a believer in his abilities. "Seabiscuit: Racing Through History" uses clips from the movie as well as vintage newsreel footage and materials to relate to us the story behind the story; if you've seen the movie, you know the general story, but what about what happened to him before and after? Wanna know? Here's your chance. ***

The disc then moves into some standard material, save for the photo gallery montage of Jeff Bridges' on-set captures, and a "special message" from Buick that relates to us the history of the car seen in the movie. Promo spots for the soundtrack and MasterCard are also present here (oddly enough, there's no theatrical trailer), and cast and crew bios and production notes close out the extras.