Tag: James Cromwell

MERRY LITTLE BATMAN – Review

© Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. MERRY LITTLE BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC. All rights reserved.

Here’s a new streaming flick that’s perfect for the season and answers a question that’s probably on the minds of many youngsters: do my favorite superheroes get to celebrate the holiday? I mean do the ‘super-baddies” give them a day off? Those queries have been explored in many animated TV shows and in the comic book source materials (the rival comics companies would usually publish a “Christmas with the Superheroes” annual special edition). So a feature-length “jolly romp” is well overdue. So, will Christmas Eve lighten up the Dark Knight? Especially if there’s a junior caped crusader in the mix (and we’re not talking about the “boy wonder”). Hey, who’s that swinging over the roofs of Gotham City? It’s none other than a MERRY LITTLE BATMAN.


The title refers to the son of Bruce Wayne, Damian (voice of Yonas Kibreab) who gets into loads of mischief with his pet cat Serena as they “cosplay” (he’s got a paper-bag cowl) through the vast environs of stately Wayne Manor. Luckily Alfred the trusted butler (James Cromwell) still has enough energy to clean up, while Papa Bruce (Luke Wilson) worries about his boy’s safety. He doesn’t have much else to do, since his alter ego has pretty much made Gotham crime-free. Ah, but there’s still his duties as a founding member of the Justice League. This afternoon he gets an emergency phone call from them requesting that he tend to an emergency in the Arctic, on Christmas for bat’s sake! But before he starts up the ole’ Batjet, Bruce lets Damian open one present. And it’s a great one, his very own utility belt! Sure it’s full of bandages, but still…wow! After Bruce departs, Damian figures out a way to get Alfred outta’ the way (urgent marshmallow run), so that he can really test out the belt, which leads him to discover the secret passage to the Batcave. In one display case, Damian finds the bat-suit made just for him. Of course, he’s gotta try it on which activates a monitor in its chest emblem. Plus it instructs him using the voice of his dad. And he’ll need that fatherly AI advice when two burglars bust in and somehow nab his prized belt. Damian’s pursuit of the duo leads him into a showdown with Batman’s “arch-est” enemy and most of the old rogue’s gallery. Even with all the hi-tech gizmos, can one eight-year-old lad save the city? And will Batman Senior return before the bad guys ruin Christmas?

Now, here’s a fun little stocking stuffer, a nice switch from the ultra-somber and serious hero in most live-action movie offerings, though missing the “camp” of the 60’s TV incarnation (though this film gives a quick nod to it). Much of the fun is conjured by the superb vocal performances. Kibreab has a natural energy to his line readings, as he conveys a sense of wonder over each discovery. Cromwell channels a bit of the classic British character actors (always enjoying a “spot o’ tea”) as the slightly grumpy but still grandfatherly Mr. Pennyworth. And in the father role, Wilson exudes a similar warm, naturing vibe that he perfected as the father of “Sttargirl”, a much-missed “under the radar” superhero TV show. Speaking of the small screen this has a much different look, much more exaggerated than the Bruce Timm-designed Dark Knight of the last thirty or so years. And thankfully it’s not “over-rendered” CGI either. The look here is very much inspired by the gnarly “ink-scratches” of the great Ronald Searle (for the movies he designed the title sequence for THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES), though I detected elements of the great magazine cartoonist Arnold Roth with a pinch or two of Charles Addams and Mad magazine’s Peter Paul Porges. It’s filled with scrunched-up noses and figures that shouldn’t be able to stand though they glide with grace past the exquisite ink-type backgrounds full of intricate machinery and towering buildings. And all popping to life with a color scheme that recalls delicate dyes and watercolor paints. I’m sure there was some software used, but it’s refreshing to see this old 2D animation in vogue once more. And did I mention how great the classic villains look in this type of “zany takes”? So, to steal a line from a popular schoolyard song parody, Mr. Wayne “doesn’t smell”, but instead hopes that his fans everywhere will have a MERRY LITTLE BATMAN. No “humbugs” here!

3 Out of 4

MERRY LITTLE BATMAN is now streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime

Tom Hanks in Stephen King’s THE GREEN MILE Arrives on 4K Ultra HD February 22nd

“Please boss, don’t put that thing over my face, don’t put me in the dark. I’s afraid of the dark.”

The Green Mile, which received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Michael Clarke Duncan, Best Sound and Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on 2/22/22, it was announced today by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Released in 1999, the critically-acclaimed The Green Mile was directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and is based on Stephen King’s 1996 novel of the same name.

The film stars Academy Award winner Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump), Academy Award® nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (Armageddon), David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graeme Greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, and Harry Dean Stanton.

The film was written and directed by Darabont, based on “The Green Mile” by Stephen King, and produced by Darabont and David Valdes.  Mr. Darabont is one of only six filmmakers in history with the unique distinction of having his first two feature films receive nominations for the Best Picture Academy Award:  1994’s The Shawshank Redemption and 1999’s The Green Mile.

Ultra HD* showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.   

The Green Mile will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for $24.99 ERP and includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc with the feature film and special features. Fans can also own The Green Mile in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on 2/22/22.  

About the Film:
Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this emotional film about miracles and the power of redemption stars Tom Hanks as prison guard Paul Edgecomb. When John Coffey (Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan), a giant of a man, is brought to death row, Edgecomb and his fellow guards discover something very unusual about him. Convicted for the sadistic murder of two young girls, but behaving almost like a child himself, Coffey seems to have a supernatural gift of healing living things. Expectations are turned upside down and the guards’ sense of humanity is awakened in this adaptation of Stephen Kings compelling novel.

Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Elements
The Green Mile Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

  • Commentary by Frank Darabont
  • Also on Blu-ray: Additional Scenes
    • Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile Documentary
    • Miracle and Mystery: Creating The Green Mile Featurette Gallery
    • Tom Hanks Makeup Tests
    • Michael Clarke Duncan Screen Test
    • The teaser trailer: A Case Study
    • Theatrical Trailers

Check Out The JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM Trailer Now

“Life cannot be contained.

Life breaks free.

Life… finds a way.”

With all of the wonder, adventure and thrills synonymous with one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history, this all-new motion-picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs—along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before.  Welcome to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return alongside executive producers Steven Spielberg and Colin Trevorrow for Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.  Pratt and Howard are joined by co-stars James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniella Pineda,

Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, while BD Wong and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles.

Directed by J.A. Bayona (The Impossible), the epic action-adventure is written by Jurassic World’s director, Trevorrow, and its co-writer, Derek Connolly.

Producers Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley once again partner with Spielberg and Trevorrow in leading the team of filmmakers for this stunning installment.  Belén Atienza joins the team as a producer.

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM opens in theaters June 22, 2018.

www.jurassicworld.com

 

MARSHALL – Review

 

With the movie awards season in full gallop, this week sees the release of a perennial favorite of Academy members: the big screen biography. Now this is a special type of “biopic” in that it doesn’t focus on the entire life (or many years of the life) of the subject, as with films like RAY or THE AVIATOR. Really this new work zeroes in on a year or so of this great person’s career, much as Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN concerned the last few months of the ole’ rail-splitter. Actually this may be closer to John Ford’s terrific YOUNG MR. LINCOLN as it concentrates on a very early case, long before his great fame. And, in a way, this could be considered an “origin” story, much like the initial entries of movie hero franchises (or the first issues of comic book heroes). Yes, this man’s a hero alright (and he’s portrayed by one of the newer additions to the Marvel movie roster). Decades before he donned the judicial robes, movie goers can now see a trial from the early career of Thurgood MARSHALL.

 

In the early 1940’s, with minorities in need of competent law council, the NAACP (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) only had one attorney they could send out to provide free legal defense, thirty-something Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman).  As we meet him, he boards a train just before some local thugs “congratulate” him on another victory. His NYC reunion with pregnant wife Buster (Keesha Sharp) is cut short when his boss, Walter White (Roger Guenveur Smith) assigns him another case, this time in Connecticut. An itinerant black chauffeur named Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown) has been arrested for the rape and attempted murder of his employer, society matron Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). With Spell’s life on the line and the town out for blood (the local paper runs a front page editorial cartoon with him as a snarling gorilla), Marshall rushes in. But he will have to work with a local attorney. Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), who has spent nearly all of his time defending businesses, is assigned the case by his firm. But Sam’s not confident working a criminal case, or about teaming up with Marshall. But after speaking with Spell, Marshall is sure of his innocence (the NAACP will only offer free council to the innocent), and the long process begins. Their defense hits a snag when Judge Foster (James Cromwell), angered by an out of state attorney, bans Marshall from speaking in court. Friedman will have to do all the talking. As the men work together they form a bond of mutual respect, but their research reveals many more deceptions and secrets. As the town’s atmosphere becomes more hostile, can they make certain that Spell receives a fair trial?

 

 

With his fedora always cocked at a jaunty angle Boseman is pure “swagger” in the title role, earning him an acting “hat trick’ as his third icon (after Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in GET ON UP). Even without speaking in the courtroom, he’s still a commanding charismatic presence. Eloquent, but also a man of action when the bigots start circling. Though confident in his physical abilities, we can see his eyes dart about, looking for an escape route when the odds are overwhelming, calling more on his brain than brawn. Plus he’s a terrific partner/ coach to Gad’s Sam. When last we saw him, Gad was camping it up as a fun but fussy (more cartoony than the 91′ original) LeFou in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Here he’s subtle, drawing us in to the conflicted lawyer. We see his disgust at defending, and winning for, the big companies over the abused poor locals. When this big criminal case falls into his lap, Gad alternates between sweaty panic (Spell’s life is literally in his hands) and annoyance at Marshall. He shows us how a “bromance” blooms as the two become true co-workers through the trial. Also going the subtle route is Hudson, who finally escapes the bounds of “rom-com” purgatory to make Strubing a sympathetic character despite of her accusations. She’s trapped by 40’s society’s conventions, though not nearly as much as the man she testifies against. Brown conveys all the moral complexities and contradictions as the proud, but fearful Spell. Marshall and Friedman must make him hope once more. Cromwell’s masterful as the iron-willed judge, And kudos to Gad’s recent co-star Dan Stevens (the Beast himself) as a most sneaky and smart, very formidable prosecutor.

 

In his first feature film in nearly 15 years (lotsa’ TV) Reginald Hudlin (HOUSE PARTY, BOOMERANG) guides the story from historical drama to courtroom thriller (a dash of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD mixed with a bit of Perry Mason) to, well, unlikely buddy comedy. Save for an odd sidetrip to a  NYC jazz club filled with some other icon celebs, the film races along at a steady clip, hitting just the right dramatic beats before its compelling conclusion. The period costumes and vintages autos look very convincing as does the East Coast location work. And, sure it’s a bit of a fan letter to the great man, but the superb cast never lets the zippy script from Jacob and Michael Koskoff seem mawkish or fawning. This is a great movie for school groups, both informational and highly entertaining. As far as “origin’ stories go, MARSHALL makes you wish for another “issue”. After all, he’s got to don his super suit…uh…judicial robes (well, it’s nearly a cape).

 

4 Out of 5

 

See the Official Poster for MARSHALL Starring Chadwick Boseman

Before MLK and Malcom X, there was Thurgood Marshall. Witness the rise of the man who changed America.

Check out the brand new poster for director Reginald Hudlin’s MARSHALL, starring Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, and James Cromwell.

Long before he sat on the United States Supreme Court or claimed victory in Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark case that desegregated schools, Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) was a young rabble-rousing attorney for the NAACP. The new motion picture, MARSHALL, is the true story of his greatest challenge in those early days – a fight he fought alongside attorney Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), a young lawyer with no experience in criminal law: the case of black chauffeur Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), accused by his white employer, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson), of sexual assault and attempted murder.

MARSHALL hits theaters October 13th.

Watch The Thrilling Trailer For MARSHALL Starring Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad And Kate Hudson

Witness the rise of the man who changed America. Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) is Thurgood Marshall.

Also starring Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown and James Cromwell, watch the exciting trailer now.

Such an dynamic trailer – with a fall season release date, expect to see awards buzz for such a powerful film. Acting, directing, writing, producing categories, including the technical categories for cinematography, costumes, hair and makeup, and production design, with score and song to round out the possible nominations.

Long before he sat on the United States Supreme Court or claimed victory in Brown v. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) was a young rabble-rousing attorney for the NAACP. The new motion picture, MARSHALL, is the true story of his greatest challenge in those early days – a fight he fought alongside attorney Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), a young lawyer with no experience in criminal law: the case of black chauffeur Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), accused by his white employer, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson), of sexual assault and attempted murder.

The film has a top notch production team.

Directed by Reginald Hudlin, MARSHALL is produced by Paula Wagner, Jonathan Sanger ( The Elephant Man, Vanilla Sky, Flight Of The Navigator), and Reginald Hudlin. It is written by Jake Koskoff and Michael Koskoff.

Hudlin co-produced the 88th Academy Awards ceremony in 2016 and was one of the producers of Quentin Tarantino’s DJANGO UNCHAINED, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture for the film.

Paula Wagner launched Cruise/Wagner Productions (C/W) with her former CAA client Tom Cruise. C/W went on to produce such critically acclaimed films as The Others, The Last Samurai, Vanilla Sky, Without Limits, Shattered Glass, Narc, Elizabethtown, and Ask the Dust, as well as Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds (which Wagner executive produced). C/W was responsible for the original Mission: Impossible film trilogy (Mission: Impossible 2 and Mission: Impossible III).

Open Road Films will release MARSHALL on October 13, 2017. Mark it on your calendar now.

Check out the film at it’s official site: http://www.marshallmovie.com/

Win A Family Four-Pack Of Tickets To The Advance Screening Of BIG HERO 6 In St. Louis

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BIG HERO 6 is coming to theaters on November 7th!

The movie is an action-packed comedy-adventure about the special bond that develops between Baymax, a plus-sized inflatable robot, and young robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada. When a devastating event befalls the city of San Fransokyo, Hiro and his friends thrust into action as high-tech heroes called “Big Hero 6.”

Read Melissa Howland’s early look at the film here.

Award-winning composer Henry Jackman creates an epic, emotional score for the movie. The soundtrack, also featuring the original song, “Immortals” from Fall Out Boy, will be available at digital retail on November 4 and on CD November 24 on Disney Records.

10 lucky WAMG readers will win 4 passes to the Saturday (November 1) 10 AM screening in the St. Louis area.

Tell us your favorite film robot for a chance to win.

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. Winners will be notified on Thursday evening, October 30th.

3. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

RATING: PG

BIG HERO 6 HITS THEATERS EVERYWHERE ON NOVEMBER 7TH

For more information on Big Hero 6, check out www.Disney.com/BigHero6, like on www.facebook.com/DisneyBigHero6, and follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DisneyAnimation.

DOWNLOAD and PRINT OUT the fun sheets below.

©2014 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

bigHero6_pdf_5422198704532-

 

bigHero6_pdf_542219c0bf02c

HIDE AWAY Poster And Trailer

MMC JOULE FILMS

Presents

HIDE AWAY

Directed by Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals, Edge of America), and an audience favorite at SXSW festival, HIDEAWAY is a stirring drama that follows the story of a successful businessman (Josh Lucas) attempting to resurrect his life.  Entering an idyllic harbor as a broken and haunted man, he buys and boards the dilapidated sailboat, Hesperus.  Disturbed at night by unsettling dreams of his past, the boat becomes a beacon of hope as he begins the challenge of bringing back the shine to the tarnished vessel – and to his life.

Directed by: Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals)

Written by: Peter Vanderwall

Produced by: Sally Jo Effenson, Josh Lucas, Kevin Reidy

Director of Photography: Elliot Davis (Winner – 2011 SXSW Competition Award Best Cinematography-Narrative Competition)

Starring: Josh Lucas (The Lincoln Lawyer, J. Edgar), Ayelet Zurer (Angels and Demons), James Cromwell (The Artist) and Casey LaBow (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1)

Release date: May 25, 2012 – opening in select cities including New York, Los Angeles, San, Fran., etc.

Running Time/Rating: 83 Minutes / PG-13

Opening in the following cities:

May 25th

Phoenix, Arizona – Valley Art Theatre

June 1st

New York City – at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
Los Angeles – at the Laemmle Music Hall Theatre

San Francisco – SF Film Society Cinema

Portland, Oregon – Living Room Cinemas

Salem, Oregon – Salem Cinema

June 8th

Daytona Beach, Florida – Cinemathique
                June 22nd            

Denver, Colorado – FilmCenter/Colfax

THE ARTIST (2011) – The Review

So far this holiday season we moviegoers have seen Martin Scorsese’s magical tribute to cinema’s infancy, HUGO. In that film he uses all the 3D CGI modern movie marvels to recreate the ” flickers” of the early twentieth century. And now from French director Michel Hazanavcius comes his loving homage to old Hollywood, THE ARTIST. But this film differs from HUGO in that it attempts to completely emulate those golden classics. No 3D or CGI used here. Or color. Or sound (there’s a great musical score, but no spoken dialogue-just title cards). You may think that this is just a gimmick, while some movie fans may roll their eyes at having to read the film. Ah, but it’s no gimmick and the title cards do not make viewing the film a chore. On the contrary, I believe this enhances the whole movie experience. It helps to immerse you into this quiet, stylized, alternate universe. If this is your introduction to the wonders of silent cinema, then you are a lucky film fan with many more wonders to explore.

Well, let’s first get back to THE ARTIST. It begins in 1925 at the big premiere of matinee idol George Valentin’s (Jean Dujardin) new big screen action epic. Outside the theatre as George talks to the press, a young flapper film fan, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) accidentally gets past the barriers and is photographed with the screen star. Back at this home, George’s unhappy wife (Penelope Ann Miller) is not amused by the newspaper photos of him with his fan. The next morning, with the paper in hand, Peppy, joins the hopeful actors at the extras casting station inside Kinograph Studios. Peppy and George are re-united as she lands a bit part in his new movie. The two’s paths will cross many times over the next few years. Her star is on the rise as she becomes Kinograph’s new screen sweetheart. George’s star is on a different course. The head of the studio (John Goodman) tells him that sound is the future of motion pictures. George laughs this off as a fad and refuses to join in on the “all-talking” craze. He decides to swim against the tide and produce (and write, star, and direct) his next screen all-silent saga. Can George somehow get his career back on track and perhaps team up with Peppy once again?

Most film fans will recognize that set-up as a riff on A STAR IS BORN (at least three big screen versions) with the “talkies” panic subplot of SINGING IN THE RAIN tossed in. Like a great dish, it’s what the master chief does with these familiar ingredients. And write/director Hazanavcius is quite the cook. I’ve enjoyed his two OSS 117 sixties spy spoofs (OSS 117 : CAIRO, NEST OF SPIES and OSS 117- LOST IN RIO) with star Dujardin, but here he really goes beyond these parodies. He’s really given us characters that we’re emotionally invested in while not ignoring the comedy. Dujardin is not the buffoon-ish secret agent, but a very complex actor who’s at once child-like, gentle, egotistical, romantic, and in the depths of despair. He also really looks like a classic screen star (Valentin resembles Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. with more than a touch of the sound-adverse Charles Chaplin) and has an infectious grin. He may be the happiest movie Frenchman on screen since Maurice Chevalier. Bejo has great energy as the big, bright-eyed beauty who truly enjoys every aspect of her back lot adventures. She and Dujardin have terrific chemistry just by the way they look at one another. Miller goes from being an awe-struck fan of Valentin to his screen equal and eventually his protector. These two get great assistance from the several American-born stars. Goodman’s wonderful as the big, blustery poppa bear of a studio boss (a combination perhaps of Louis Mayer, Jack Warner, and Harry Cohn) who tries to project a hard-nosed business exterior, but really loves his staple of stars almost like his children. James Cromwell is also a nurturing fatherly figure as Valentin’s devoted, loyal chauffeur. Besides his work with the human actors , Dujardin also has a special screen bond with a gifted canine performer, a scruffy terrier that is his constant companion. Havzanavcius makes excellent use of the old Hollywood locations and glorious vintage automobiles. The gorgeous black and white cinematography gives the actors a glowing, silver sheen like the movie icons of the golden age. Now, the movie’s not completely silent . There’s a musical score that ranges from a bouncy, comedy theme to a big, brassy jazz number to a great Bernard Herriman piece from a another movie classic. I hate to sound like a film Grinch and say that the film could’ve trimmed eight or ten minutes of Valentin’s downward spiral, because the movie’s strengths far outweigh this minor quibble. For want of a better word, THE ARTIST is charming. Completely, disarmingly charming. This may be the best present we’ve gotten from France since Lady Liberty.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Review: SECRETARIAT

 

At last we’re off to the races with the opening of SECRETARIAT – the rousing tale of the 1973 Triple Crown winner and the greatest race horse of all time!

Based on the novel “Secretariat: The Making of a Champion” by William Nack, SECRETARIAT centers on Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), Secretariat’s owner, and how she broke into the “boys only club” of thoroughbred horseracing in 1969. The real Penny Chenery, now 88, even has a cameo in the film as a spectator at the Belmont Stakes race. Walt Disney Pictures decided the time was right and put the story in the very capable hands of director Randall Wallace (MAN IN THE IRON MASK, BRAVEHEART screenplay) and writer Mike Rich (THE ROOKIE). With the unbelievable, mud-in-your-face cinematography of Academy Award winner Dean Semler (DANCES WITH WOLVES) and the galloping sound work of 20 time Oscar-nominee Kevin O’Connell, SECRETARIAT is as close to a real horserace as you’ll ever get.

What’s terrific about SECRETARIAT is that it’s not a feminist film by any stretch of the imagination. It’s purely the story of a woman who, as Chenery recently said, wanted to be recognized for doing something as a person, not solely as a woman. For once in her life, Chenery took the lead and stood her ground with one of her father’s wealthiest business partners. Going up against a husband and brother who tried to dissuade her, a lonely Chenery found the inner strength to turn Big Red into a champion.

Oscar nominee Diane Lane is spot on in her role as the The First Lady of Horse Racing and gives the portrayal such bravery and confidence. She’s the tie that binds the film. Look for a possible Best Actress nomination for Lane. The on-screen meshing between she and Secretariat trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich) is electric.

That’s what I love about Malkovich. The actor can go from buffoonery roles like in the upcoming spy-comedy RED to the more serious outing as the down and out, eccentric trainer Laurin. He has a range and method that most actors can only dream of. To be sure, the film is filled with affable performances from James Cromwell, Fred Thompson, Kevin Connelly, Dylan Baker, and Dylan Walsh, with particular notice to Nelsan Ellis (HBO’s True Blood) as Secretariat’s groom and real-life jockey Otto Thorwarth as Secretariat’s jockey, Ron Turcotte. But it’s Malkovich’s easygoing scenes that are really the most absorbing.

With the stirring score by Nick Glennie-Smith (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films) and the precision editing of 2-time Oscar nominee John Wright (HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, SPEED), ultimately the movie comes down to the three big races of the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes are both recreated magnificently with real race horses and jockeys. But what die-hard racing fans would hope for comes in the second race, the Preakness, in which we are treated to seeing the actual race from 1973, complete with the original “here comes Secretariat!” call of the race. One of the film’s highlights are 3…THREE!… big race scenes and even though we all know who wins, its nonetheless very exciting.

The best thing about this movie is that they don’t add a lot of extraneous storylines for dramatic effect. It never tries to be more than it is. The focus is solely on the story of where Secretariat came from and how he won the Triple Crown, a feat that had not been achieved in 25 years. Unbelievably, only two other horses have won since Secretariat. Seattle Slew in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978. The filmmakers have done a good job of keeping everything relatively historically accurate, even though they made it seem like Secretariat came from a broken down, failing horse farm. The reality is, the same owners had Riva Ridge, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont the previous year, 1972.

Special props to the makeup & hair designers and costume designers Michael Boyd (GETTYSBURG, WE WERE SOLDIERS) and Julie Weiss (TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, SHANGHAI) – their contributions to this period piece truly breathe extra life into this special film about two superheroes. What impressed me the most was what director Wallace captured in the film – not another documentary, but the fact that Secretariat wasn’t racing against other horses; he was running for the joy of it.

Seeing that it’s truly a great, heart-warming film, look for SECRETARIAT to be this year’s THE BLIND SIDE come Academy Awards time. At the various screenings which began in March, everyone has been cheering and yelling out “go, go, go” even though we all know the outcome of the victorious ride. SECRETARIAT is the kind of Disney family film from the golden days sure to make you laugh, cry, and give you a euphoric boost – a little something we all need in these trying days.

Rating: 5 out of ***** stars

SECRETARIAT opens today. The film is rated PG for brief mild language. Check out the film’s official site here, on Facebook and Twitter.