True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation.
Acting
Jeff Bridges radiates wounded optimism; Cooper barely speaks, says everything.
Cinematography
Dusty golden dirt tracks that make poverty look almost romantic.
Writing
Ross adapts Hillenbrand without drowning in sentiment.
Director
Gary Ross
Tobey Maguire
Red Pollard
David McCullough
Narrator
Jeff Bridges
Charles Howard
Chris Cooper
Tom Smith
Elizabeth Banks
Marcela Howard
Eddie Jones
Samuel D. Riddle
William H. Macy
Tick Tock McGlaughlin
Royce D. Applegate
Dutch Doogan
Michael Ensign
Steamer Owner
Jesse Hernandez
Male Mariachi Band
Paul Vincent O'Connor
Bicycle Supervisor
Ed Lauter
Charles Strub
Michael O'Neill
Mr. Pollard
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Real-life jockey Gary L. Stevens plays George Woolf; he won three Kentucky Derby titles before acting. The racing scenes use no CGI—those are actual horses running at full speed with camera rigs.
Seabiscuit's 1938 popularity rivaled FDR's; newspapers called him 'the greatest hero of the Depression.' The film deliberately echoes this by releasing in 2003, post-9/11, when America craved another underdog narrative.
US
