Entertainment : Front row of the Balcony: What makes 'Secretariat' so inspiring

I remember reading, years ago, the account of a young child who met Man O’ War, one of the most famous racing horses of the 20th Century. Writing about that encounter years later, that woman recalled how that as a child, she could tell that the horse seemed to be aware of its greatness, and eager to share its story with humans.

Movie-goers have a chance to come as close as possible to experiencing that awe in the movie dedicated to another legendary horse: Secretariat.

The movie based on the 1973 Triple Crown winner – and records that he set that have not been broken since – is on the screen at the Palace this week. I went on Saturday night with the horse lover of the family, where we sat on the front row of the balcony. (By the way the digital screen is great; even from the balcony, with 45-year-old eyes, I could read the small print on the candy wrappers in the ads for the concession stand.)

It’s been 32 years since there has been a Triple Crown winner, although it happened three times in the 1970s. All of the Triple Crown winners have been dead for years. So the only way we can become inspired by the great horses is to hear about them second-hand.

And “Secretariat” is inspiring. Go. See it.

The Story

Penny Chenery Tweedy (Diane Lane) would have been quite happy to continue her life in Colorado, being a housewife and the daughter of a successful horse breeder. But her father’s illness and her mother’s death forced Penny to make a choice: Spend years trying to run a struggling horse farm in Virginia while raising her family in Colorado, or sell the farm.

Despite the recommendation from her family that she avoid the risks and sell the farm, Penny refused. She decided to hire legendary trainer Lucien Laurin and jockey Ron Turcotte (played marvelously by Otto Thorwarth, an actual jockey appearing in his first big movie).

The family farm is struggling; the birth of a promising new colt has Penny hoping for – and needing – a Triple Crown contender who can help her overcome the financial challenges. Being a housewife in a sport that is virtually all-male is just one of her obstacles. A family friend advises Penny to ask Lucien to come out of retirement to train the horse. And she takes the risk of hiring an aggressive jockey to match the competitive spirit of the horse. The family calls the horse “Big Red” but the horse-racing industry wants something unique. The family’s secretary Ham chooses the name Secretariat, who breezes through the 2-year-old season but faces bigger challenges when he is 3.

Why you should go:

You already know how the story ends. That’s one challenge of making a movie based on fact. But the movie makers created a film that takes the viewers on an inspiring journey, even though they know well in advance how the journey will end. The inspiration begins by quoting the Bible – particularly the Book of Job – on the majesty and power of horses. It ends with a hymn. In between, we are inspired by the horse and by his owner’s courage as she faces challenges from just about everyone in her life.

What you should know before you go:

I am a stickler for historical accuracy. While the outlandish dress worn by actor John Malkovich – who will probably earn awards for his portrayal of the trainer – and the trash talking of another owner make the story more entertaining, the people who know the horse industry are quick to point out that these two portrayals are less historically authentic than they are interesting.

But the movie does a great story of telling the story of Secretariat and his owner – who (spoiler alert) does very briefly appear in the movie.

My favorite part

“I got what I wanted.” “No, you got what nobody else wanted.”

But my favorite part of the movie is not a line, but an effort that is woven throughout the story. Like the owner of Secretariat, I too, traveled a long distance and took on the challenge and expenses of keeping a farm in the family. That’s why I came to Vinton – the farm.

I figured the job thing would work itself out –and it finally did this year – while I figured out what to do with the place.

Although I have never been much of a horse racing fan, I can tell you that the farm is the place where my grandfather lived since Sir Barton became the first to win the Triple Crown; and on that farm is the house where my father was born a few weeks after Count Fleet won his Triple Crown, setting a record that Secretariat broke 30 years later.

My farm, of course, is obviously much smaller than Meadow Stable; my risks do not run in the millions. But as I watched the struggle for one family farm, I thought of my own struggles the past few years. I realized as I watched that Mrs. Tweedy did not know in 1970 whether or not her long-shot efforts would work. And if I do succeed, there will never be a movie deal in it for me. But many of the struggles I saw on the screen, I had experienced in my own small way since like the owner of Secretariat, my journey home began with a tragic late afternoon phone call one autumn day.

Lots of people – from women competing in arenas typically ruled by men to people looking for ways to continue the traditions of their ancestors – will, I think, find the true story of Secretariat as inspiring as I did.