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Based on the non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit takes place just after the end of the great depression, as three men begin to rebuild their lives from the shattered shards that remain: John “Red” Pollard (Tobey Maguire) is the insecure young jockey; Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) is the “horse whisperer” with an almost supernatural ability to communicate with his charges; and Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) the bankrupted entrepreneur who will take Red under his wing. All three will rally around a horse named Seabiscuit, and as they attempt the impossible - to take him all the way to the finals - their triumph will rejuvenate the hope and optimism of a nation that long thought itself beyond salvation.

Seabiscuit is a love letter to the American Dream. It is corny, even maudlin, and many of its stylistic conceits - the sun-drenched widescreen vistas, Ken Burns-like documentary narration and baroque score - feel like something out of the 40's, hopelessly antiquated in this day and age of postmodern irony and hipness. But Seabiscuit is the kind of film that doesn't just reject cynicism, it pummels it into the ground with all of the fury of a wild steed. It borders on fantasy, with an unwavering belief in the power of positive thinking - nothing in this world is impossible if you have enough idealism, gumption and dedication to will it into existence. If it leaves a slightly bittersweet aftertaste of treacle in its wake, well, even positivity doesn't come without a cost.

Most impressive about Seabiscuit is the gorgeous photography by John Schwartzman and the terrific cast. Schwartzman makes sure every shot drips with nostalgia, yet the film has a palpable sense of reality that resists easy manipulation. His work is truly sublime. And forming the core of this boy's tale are Maguire, Bridges and Cooper. I have to admit to not being a particular fan of Maguire's in the past, but here his very stoic demeanor suits the insecurity of the character, and he manages to express great nuance through subtle facial gestures and body language. Bridges and Cooper are typically terrific - has either ever given a bad performance? - and William H. Macy delivers another finely-etched supporting turn in a small role as announcer "Tick Tock" McGlaughlin. And director Gary Ross (Pleasantville) brings all of the elements together with expert pacing: this is one 141- minute movie that feels half as long.

In a year that has seen numerous retreads, dreary remakes and pitiful sequels fail at the box office, Seabiscuit is a breath of fresh air indeed.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Beautifully shot by director of photography John Schwartzman, Seabiscuit looks stunning. (If this film isn't a lock for at least a Best Cinematography Oscar, the Academy deserves to be pummeled with a few horseshoes.) Universal Studios Home Video is offering three DVD versions of the movie - full screen and 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen Collector's Editions, and a widescreen Limited Edition two-disc set. This is such a well-shot and purposely composed film I can't imagine why anyone would want to ruin the experience by watching the cropped version. So don't make that mistake - this is a film and a group of filmmakers that demand the proper respect.

Everything about this widescreen presentation is top- notch (both the Collector's Edition and the Limited Edition contain the exact same first disc). The source material is pristine, with perfect blacks, excellent contrast and color reproduction that is simply stunning. Awash in beautiful daylight that is alive with golds, oranges and deep reds, there is no flaws to be found. Detail is almost staggering, so three-dimensional is the picture. I noticed no artificial edge enhancement that would cause ringing or obvious halos. There is also little to no apparent grain in most shots, and even the darkest interiors boast excellent shadow delineation. A wonderful presentation.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

Presented on all versions in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround only, this is a lively, aggressive soundtrack. Frequency response is excellent, with lush highs and deep, powerful lows. Stereo separation is sharp with nice balance between the dialogue, effects and rousing score, which never overwhelms the action. Surround use is impressive, with noticeable discrete effects and near-transparent imaging in the racing scenes. I would have liked a bit more score deployment to the rears and a bit more consistent ambiance, but otherwise this is an excellent Dolby track. Too bad a DTS option wasn't also provided.

Other options include English captions encoded as subtitles, plus French and Spanish subtitles as well. There is no true Closed Captioning provided.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Universal has ponied up for a very nice package of supplements that is even better on the two disc set. First, let's look at the first disc, which features the same extras regardless of what version you buy.

The highlight of the supplements is the new screen- specific audio commentary with director Gary Ross and Steven Soderbergh (anyone wondering what the connection might be, Soderbergh was a producer on Ross' first film, Pleasantville). This track is great fun but also quite informative, with Soderbergh grilling Ross on all facets of filmmaking, from developing the script based on factual material, to casting, working with animals (over ten different horses were drafted in to play Seabiscuit), managing the various departments to editing and putting on the finishing touches. This is exactly the sort of commentary that gives the form a good name: it doesn't reinvent the wheel, but I can't imagine any fan of this film being disappointed.

Next up are three featurettes which are a little more hit or miss, if only because the main making- of, the 15-minute Bringing the Legend to Life: The Making of Seabiscuit, suffers from that common calamity of DVDs, a reliance on production or EPK interviews. This Laurent Bouzereau- produced piece is certainly quite nice, with contributions from all of the principals, including Ross, Maguire, Bridges, Cooper and the author of the original book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand. But the thrifty runtime is too short, and only Ross is given enough time to really make an impression. The wealth of on-set footage is a plus, however.

The other two featurettes, Anatomy of a Movie Moment and Seabiscuit: Racing Through History are more interesting because they are more unique. each also runs about 15 minutes, with the former primarily an i interview with Ross, where he guides us through two key scenes, helped by his annotated script notes. THis is a short but strong presentation, as Ross is very clear about how he sets up shots, chooses angles and films action. Racing Through History provides the much-needed historical context to increase our understanding and appreciation for the film. Ross again narrates, and this informative recap includes archival footage and extensive stills - no surprise since the real Seabiscuit was the biggest star of his day, generate more ink and coverage than any human or animal figure of the time. (Like all of the featurettes included on both the Collector's and Limited editions, these are presented in 4:3 full screen with no optional subtitle or captions provided.)

The last major extra is a terrific still gallery, Photo Finish: Jeff Bridges’ On-The-Set Photographs. Bridges is fast becoming a very skilled and prolific photographer, often documenting all of the films he works on, and here we get a great collection of some very creative and innovative shots he took throughout the making of Seabiscuit. The gallery is accompanied by a very nice underscore and audio recordings, and is easy to navigate and skip through.

Rounding out the disc are nearly 30 pages of production notes, less robust filmographies for the main cast and crew, an amusing Longshot: A Special Message from Buick TV spot featuring Charles Howard, and more Universal promo spots for the film's soundtrack and, of all things, MasterCard. Note that I could not find any theatrical trailers for Seabiscuit on the disc.

Those opting to spend an extra few bucks will likely find the two-disc Limited Edition DVD release of Seabiscuit worth a look. The first disc is the same as the widescreen Collector's Edition, plus a second disc with more extras. The set comes housed in a very nice collectible keepcase (the package is not oversized) that includes an attractive foldout holding the two discs, a full-color 16-page booklet with additional historical info and production notes, a collectible senitype and some loose photos.

As for the second disc itself, all of the extras it contains are video- based materials. The half-hour HBO First Look Special is exactly what you would expect. It is more of an expanded version of The Making of Seabiscuit featurette already included, although it obviously includes more interviews and is slightly more satisfying. Better are the reflective featurettes Winners’ Circle: The Heroes Behind the Legend and The True Story of Seabiscuit. Along with Racing Through History, these provide more important historical insight, although they are best watched after the main feature - I found it best to let Maguire, Cooper and Bridges be my first images of these real-life characters. Regardless, Seabiscuit fans and historical buffs will be most enticed by these extras; casual renters probably won't care too much. Rounding it out is some archival footage of the actual 1938 Match Race featuring Seabiscuit trouncing his competition, War Admiral. It is fascinating to watch. Go, Seabiscuit, go!

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

Both the Collector's and Limited editions of Seabiscuit include the same PC-enhanced extras, although there really aren't any. The standard Universal skin pops up when you insert the disc (either of them in the Limited Edition). There are basic DVD controls and some weblinks, but no exclusive or new content I could find. (Check this space on street date for an update if anything new is added.)

Parting Thoughts