“Sometimes, when the little guy he
doesn’t know he’s a little guy, he can do great big things.”
That’s one
of many quotable lines from the stand-up-and-cheer 2003 film, Seabiscuit.
The film has seven Academy Award nominations, and it stars some Hollywood
A-Listers of the day. The story is loosely based on the actual life and career
of this most well-known racing horse of The Great Depression (the early 1930s).
The movie is
a fabulous example of winning against the odds. What obstacles did one amazing
horse and his people have to overcome?
The horse—Seabiscuit was much smaller than other racing horses. In addition, years of abuse
had made him angry and “untrainable”.
The jockey—John “Red” Pollard was too tall for a jockey. He was blind in
one eye because of boxing injuries. Red also had anger issues due to the tough
hand life had dealt him.
The trainer—Tom Smith was older than most trainers. He had also been labeled as an eccentric
loner (read “weird”). Nobody expected much of him.
The owner—Charles S. Howard was a successful
entrepreneur. However, he had some pitfalls to overcome. He was divorced, and his only child died
tragically. Both of these ordeals
led him into a depression.
Other Barriers
- The jockey and the horse both dealt with serious injuries.
- The arrogant owner of the most successful racehorse in the U.S., War Admiral, was initially reluctant to allow the two stars to compete against each other. Seabiscuit needed the exposure that would come from challenging the top contender.
The Enduring Legacy
Who’s famous
now, I ask you? My guess is that you’ve probably heard of the underdog,
Seabiscuit, even if you aren’t a horse-racing fan. As for War Admiral, he was definitely
equine royalty back in the day. All these decades later, he’s lost his glitter
and glamour. Instead we are riveted by the enduring story of The Little Horse
(and his Team) That Could.
My Conclusion
Seabiscuit, the movie, shows us how only determination can propel us into our destiny. Here
are some more quotes from the film:
“The future is the finish line.”
************
************
“Everybody loses a couple. You either
pack up and go home, or you keep fighting.”
Let’s not
forget my favorite scripture of all time. That man of faith, the Apostle Paul,
who knew what it was to equalize all
people through the gospel, said this: “But God hath chosen the foolish things
of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things which are mighty;”—1 Corinthians 1:27 (KJV)
Related
Posts
How are you confounding the “mighty”
and the “wise”?
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