Seabiscuit [WS]

Overview

"Gary Ross' Seabiscuit comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The transfer does a fabulous job of capturing John Schwartzman's golden cinematography. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. French and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include an excellent commentary track recorded by Ross and his friend Steven Soderbergh. They discuss the filmmaking process, editing techniques, the difficulty of shooting period pieces, and their techniques for working with various actors. They offer an entertaining look at the film. There is a documentary that goes into greater detail about the real history of the famed horse. Another featurette shows how Gary Ross got his vision from the page to the screen. A third featurette focuses on the various aspects of production. Lastly, there is a collection of photographs taken by star Jeff Bridges on the set. This is an excellent disc."

Product Details

Release Date:	12/16/2003
UPC:	0025192328725
Original Release:	2003
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital, Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound]
Language:	English
Time:	2:21:00
Sales rank:	14,166

Special Features

Closed Caption;"Seabiscuit: Racing Through History": Historic newsreel footage of actual races and numerous interviews, including interviews with director Gary Ross and author Laura Hillenbrand; "Anatomy of a Movie Moment": Director Gary Ross shares his step-by-step filmmaking process of one sequence from script to screen (DVD exclusive); "Photo Finish: Jeff Bridges' On the Set Photographs": Actor and longtime photographer Jeff Bridges presents his own personal selection of photographs made during the filming of Seabiscuit; "Bringing the Legend to Life: The Making of Seabiscuit": In-depth guided tour of the filmmaking process from sets to casting, costumes, and more; Feature commentary with director Gary Ross and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh

Editorial Reviews

Hollywood generally attempts to put its best foot forward on Oscar night. The academy traditionally selects as Best Picture a movie that people worked hard on and that will entertain the broadest possible audience. By that definition, Seabiscuit has all the elements of a nominee. Gary Ross has achieved greatness in practically all of the individual areas of production. The sets, the costumes, the lighting and the score have been lovingly crafted. The triumphant story of comebacks -- for a horse, for the characters, and for a country -- should appeal to anyone. The acting is top-notch. As star-crossed jockey Red Pollard, Tobey Maguire proves once again that he is arguably the best actor of his generation. There is a scene where he sees the horse again after both have been injured. He hobbles faster than he should to touch Seabiscuit and it is a fabulous piece of acting -- a perfect synthesis of physical movement, facial expression, and speech that makes the audience believe that this moment is happening to this character for the very first time. Chris Cooper is reliably wise and rugged as the mysterious trainer, and Jeff Bridges finds the perfect notes as both a gifted salesman and a grieving father. Even first time actor and respected jockey Gary Stevens manages to communicate a great deal about his character with very little screen time. While all of the excellent work in front of and behind the camera leads to some smashing entertainment, the film feels just slightly less than the sum of its parts. What it lacks is a sense of a personal stake from the filmmakers. They are making something from their heads and not their hearts, and while that does not diminish the achievement, it does make it something slightly less than art. Seabiscuit is old-fashioned Hollywood entertainment, in the best sense of the phrase.