Seabiscuit
MPAA Rating: PG-13
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Entertainment: +4
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Content: -1
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Seabiscuit tells the true story of three men and a horse that ignite hope in the common mans heart during the Depression. Jeff Bridges plays owner Charles Howard, who made his fortune introducing the automobile to the American West. Tobey Maguire is the half-blind, ex-boxing prizefighter, Red Pollard, who becomes the horses jockey. Chris Cooper is the horse whisperer who becomes Pollards trainer. And, Seabiscuit is the undersized, knobbly-kneed horse that beats the legendary War Admiral and goes on to win Horse-of-the-Year honors in 1938, becoming a legend in his own time. A remarkable story of triumph against all odds, Seabiscuit is a top-notch film with excellent acting, inspired direction and an invigorating score. The film neglects to deal with any of the characters resoundingly painful emotional issues, and unfortunately, its otherwise good dialogue is hampered by crude language.
At first glance, Seabiscuit appears to be an excellent family film. Historically accurate, with an educational voiceover and black-and-white photos place the setting in era of the Depression. This film offers an insightful commentary about horse racing, along with the birth and growth of the automobile industry. Hollywoods recurring theme of fatherless-ness flows throughout Seabiscuit, and Bridges character offers a wonderful antidote to that problem: a father figure who has confidence in his adopted son, trusts him, forgives him, gives him a second chance and is always there for him. Moreover, the film is an inspiring story that leaves audiences with a good feeling about perseverance and the underdog beating the odds. Sadly, however, filmmakers chose to litter Seabiscuit with foul language, bloody fights, lots of drinking, and a few (albeit brief) scenes of interaction (including implied future intercourse) with prostitutes. For this reason, Preview gives Seabiscuit a negative acceptability rating.
Preview Reviewer: Annabelle Robertson
Distributor: Universal Pictures
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Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.
Crude Language: Several (9) times SOB 3, damn 7
Obscene Language: Many (18) times crap 2, hell 5, S-word 13
Profanity: Several (8) times (GD 4, JC 3, C 1, Cs sake 1), Exclamatory 12 (OMG, MG, BG)
Violence: Few times Mild (men shouting, shoving and pushing while on race horses, men fighting to restrain man, men fighting to restrain horse, accident with horse dragging man, implied death of child), Few times Moderate (fist fights, bloody boxing matches, bloody bullfight)
Sex: None
Nudity: Few times (man in boxer shorts, men in underwear, man in hospital gown, top of womans chest (implied nudity) and womans bare back)
Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Few times (prostitutes in lewd positions, man and woman in bed discuss intercourse, men groping women, man mouths clothed breast)
Drugs: Many times (men drink beer throughout film, man drinks liquor, glasses and bottle of wine on dinner table, man jokes about giving beer to horse, many cases of beer shown in stables, parties with drinking and drunkenness, close-ups of bottles and drinks, cigarette-smoking)
Other: Sale of illegal alcohol (during Prohibition), self-induced vomiting, prostitution, divorce
Running Time: 140 minutes
Intended Audience: Ages 13 and older
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