Robert Redford had his Wonderboy bat in The Natural, Sandra Bullock took in a neglected youth and future NFL tackle in The Blind Side, and now Diane Lane all but saves the day with a Triple Crown winning horse in Secretariat. Certain sports films love to pull at the heartstrings and give some universal and inspiring message that can either uplift or offend viewers.  Director Randall Wallace, the screenwriter behind Braveheart and director of The Man in the Iron Mask and We Were Soldiers, is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve with Secretariat, and fans of his work won’t be disappointed with his latest effort. It’s the true story of devoted housewife Penny Chenery (Diane Lane, who should receive an Oscar nod for her work), who takes over her sick father’s (Scott Glenn) Virgina horse farm and, along with the help of trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich) and horse groom (True Blood’s Nelsan Ellis), raise Big Red (aka Secretariat) into a future Triple Crown winner.  The film, however, really isn’t about the horse - it’s a look at the determination of Chenery, who sacrificed quality time with her family (Nip/Tuck’s Dylan Walsh plays the neglected patriarch) to fulfill her dad’s dreams of greatness and more importantly, follow her own career path.  Penny Chenery, as Wallace suggests, is a woman who suffers no fools and is unafraid to go the distance no matter what the cost.  It’s a role that Joan Crawford or Barbara Stanwyck could have played with abandon if Secretariat existed during Hollywood’s Golden Age, and Lane does a superb job at capturing her indomitable spirit.  John Malkovich is always interesting to watch, even if he’s part of something so misguided as Jonah Hex, and with Secretariat he brings a whole new bag of eccentricities as the nattily dressed and training obsessed Lucien Laurin.  Is Randall Wallace’s film formulaic and predictable? Of course.  But seriously, if you’re craving some earth shattering, non-linear narrative that keeps you guessing for weeks on end,  Secretariat won’t be this weekend’s movie ticket .  If seeing Diane Lane do excellent work in a film filled with all the right intentions, then Secretariat really isn’t such a bad horse to bet on.

**  Here’s a clip of Penny (Diane Lane) and Lucien (John Malkovich) discussing how to train “Big Red.”

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posted by Greg Srisavasdi