Secretariat” is based on a true story of the 1973 Triple Crown winner – a horse named Big Red who was raced under the name Secretariat by his owner Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) and horse trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich). Secretariat became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and won himself the title of one of the greatest race horses of all time.
The “Secretariat” movie details Penny Chenery’s family life and her family’s farm. Penny has an amazing drive when it comes to things she is passionate about – like keeping her family’s farm even when the funds are low, and to continue to make a name for her family by racing horses. When one very special horse is born, Big Red, Penny realizes that she may have just found the greatest race horse of all time.The movie struck every emotional chord from start to finish. At first we were sad because of Penny’s mom passing away and her father being ill, but then we were given hope when she bonded together with her father’s secretary Miss Ham (Margo Martindale) and the two of them proved they would do anything to keep the farm afloat and not be forced to sell it.
The thrill we felt when Big Red began racing was more than we had expected. We already knew the story of the Triple Crown winning horse, but you still find yourself on the edge of your seat urging him to run faster and faster until you see him cross the finish line first and only then can you release a sigh of relief.Diane Lane was the perfect person for the role of Penny – she is a strong actress who played the part of a determined business-savvy woman well. In addition, John Malkovich lends the perfect comedic element to the movie as his character Lucien Laurin. Even though Lucien is stubborn and seems angry on the outside, you can tell that underneath he is an extremely caring individual who wants the best for Penny and of course Big Red, who he agrees to train to race.
We highly recommend Walt Disney Pictures’ “Secretariat” for anyone who is a fan of heartwarming stories, thrilling movies about the underdog, and true stories that come to life on the big screen.