'Secretariat' (the movie) Archive

Please understand that as time goes on some links might become inactive. We have no control over that.

They are listed in chronological order by day/date as they appeared in their various publications with the latest being at the top of the list.

Secretariat imdb page [Internet Movie Database]

Secretariat Rotten Tomatoes page [movie review compilation]

Secretariat: Hall of Fame page

Secretariat: Lifetime PPs

Secretariat.com: The official website

Haskin remembers Secretariat "...my recollections through a kaleidoscope of colors and images that it is hoped will bring Secretariat to life for those who did not have the privilege of seeing him in person."

Turcotte on Secretariat - the movie: "It's alright for everyday people. I think they will enjoy it... [Lucien Lauren] was not a goofball... No, I never saw him wear clothes like that... [Frank Martin] was great to me and it hurt me to see the way he was portrayed."

AUDIO: NPR discusses Secretariat - "I would put it probably number three on my list of top racing movies after Seabiscuit, and probably even after The Black Stallion."

LA Times: Secretariat 2nd-weekend ticket sales dropped just 25% to $9.5mil. That's the smallest second-weekend decline for any movie this year

Scribe says: For baby-boomers "Secretariat was our Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. We had his posters. We wanted to take quiet walks with him. We wanted to kiss him on the cheeks and tell him how special he was to us."

Secretariat opens Abu Dhabi Film Festival - some walk out early, others impressed

LA Times sees Secretariat as part of recent trend to control production costs... "'Secretariat' cost $35 million while 'Seabiscuit," a similar horse racing drama made in 2003, cost roughly $85 million."

Interesting: A different kind of film review for Secretariat... Three 'discuss' the movie... "I'll admit, the first thing I did when I got home was search for footage of that 1973 Belmont Stakes race on YouTube."

Business blog comment: Disney must be delighted... Pictures like Secretariat work for Disney... Secretariat should be a reliable library title for its copyright life, like an oil well

Hovdey: "Think of Secretariat as a combination of truthy and fictionesque, and be at peace."

Davidowitz: "That the racing industry is falling all over itself to embrace Secretariat, the movie, is a most embarrassing twist of priorities for a sport that unfortunately hungers for 'good publicity.'" [SEE: Comment #3]

Secretariat holds #3 spot on weekend box office list

Crunching the numbers: Analysis of weekend box office for Secretariat

>>> LA Times: "...slow out of the gate... But there's reason for Disney to believe it won't be a short race for 'Secretariat,'... Those who came loved the picture..."
>>> Wash Post: "...trailed in third place with $12.6 million, which, for the record, is $8.3 million less than 'Seabiscuit' made out of the gate in the summer of 2003."
>>> Disney distribution exec, "You wouldn't think of this as a family film but it is a film that plays for families... Now we just need to convince the people on the coasts to see the movie."
>>> Rotten Tomatoes: "...the film attracted good reviews and skewed towards an adult female audience which generally does not rush out on opening weekend. The studio hopes to play into November..."
>>> Entertainment Weekly: "...over performing in smaller markets such as Salt Lake City, Denver and Dallas. It also scored very well with those female, over 25 moviegoers, who gave it an A, according to the exit pollster."
>>> Time magazine: "Disney had blockbuster hopes for Secretariat... Didn't happen this weekend - though not every movie has to sprint out of the starting gate to be an ultimate winner. Secretariat could still have, as they say in the racing and movie businesses, long legs; it's just up against longer odds."
>>> Hollywood Reporter: "Disney needs a decent theatrical ride with 'Secretariat' to salvage corporate pride. So execs now will look to the next couple of weekends to pad the film's poor opening stake."
>>> Access Hollywood: "...so-so debut..."
>>> NY Times: "The studio now must hope that older moviegoers, usually reluctant to come out on opening weekend, will heed the film’s upbeat reviews in the weeks ahead."
>>> The film has put Disney marketing executive MT Carney in the hot seat. "One of the big things that we're doing is to look at what's working for us and what's not working... We have to look at what's making an impact and actually driving people to see the movie - as opposed to what just gets people talking."

Wall: Secretariat still striking a chord with the general public 37 years later

Rush Limbaugh jumps into the controversy over the wacky Salon review of Secretariat

AP: Turcotte OK with how Secretariat came out

Blog review: "It's infrequent that I come across a film (that does not involve Luke Skywalker or Hobbits) I can enjoy with my [5YO] son; when asked for his opinion on the movie, he informed me he liked 'everything' about it."

Blog review: "I've been trying to figure out what exactly wasn't quite right about the racing scenes... it has something to do with the sense of smallness that pervaded the movie."

>>> PaceAdvatnage forum:
"There is the usual artistic license in these movies but it was a good movie overall IMO."
"No, not all the facts are 100% correct. I found myself not caring so much because I was so entertained during the movie."
"If ever there was a story that should have been told with real accuracy it was this one. Still, a great movie experience." "Saw it last night with free tickets, and got my money's worth...I thought I was watching a TV sitcom..."

>>> Bloodhorse readers:
"I enjoyed the entire movie myself, my friend and her daughters (13 & 17) LOVED it!"
"I've never been to a movie where people cheered and clapped so much!"
"Very good movie but not enough about Secretariat."

LA Times: In the wacky world of horse films, Secretariat runs (relatively) close to the truth

Diane Lane's performance in Secretariat on list of "Five inspirational film females"

Turcotte: "I think they glorified me a little bit."

Behind the scenes: Crowd in race scenes was actually rooting for a a yard stick with pink tape on the end bring carried by a prod asst

Daley: "Let's hope this delightful Disney movie creates many new fans for The Sport of Kings, as well as bringing back those whose interest has lapsed these past few years."

Vanity Fair: We answer every question that you could possibly have about Secretariat... Q: If Secretariat does well at the box office, how do you expect other studios will respond? A: Coming in 2011... Seattle Slew!

Sigh, what some folks think of horse racing... From a review of Secretariat: "The world of horse racing is a sport that's almost exclusively the domain of rich white men and their rich white wives who like to wear big hats to the Kentucky Derby while they sip mint juleps..."

Voice an opinion: Scribe asks, in relation to Secretariat - "When you see such a movie, does it bother you - as much as it bothers me - when filmmakers change the facts?"

It's a horse race! Secretariat hovers on the "fresh"/"rotten" borderline on movie review compilation site
Ranking dips from Wednesday to Thursday. According to the Rotten Tomatoes website: "In order for a movie to receive an overall rating of FRESH, the reading on the Tomatometer for that movie must be at least 60%."

With Friday's opening around the corner the reviews are piling in and Secretariat has maintained a "fresh" ranking after dipping into "rotten" territory briefly on Thursday afternoon.

Philly racing scribe Jerardi recalls his Secretariat cameo

Georgia sports scribe remembers watching Secretariat's Triple Crown as an 8YO - "Over the course of a career, I have had the pleasure of covering in their prime and talking to legends from Michael Jordan to Wayne Gretzky to Joe Montana to Tiger Woods. Not one of them ever made me feel like I did that day standing with my father watching Secretariat."

Frontpage treatment: 10/07/10
USA Today: Hanging onto a horse's tale: Secretariat still astounds us

Popular film reviewer [and Bill Nack's longtime buddy] Roger Ebert: "It is a great film about greatness..."

Beyer: Secretariat introduces extraordinary horse to a new generation

LA Times: Although the film may look a bit like a long shot, Disney is trying an array of tactics to attract moviegoers

Ogden 'Dinny' Phipps recalls the outcome of 'the coin flip': "What we had was a sister to Secretariat that couldn't outrun me. We wanted a filly out of the mating, it just didn't work out for us."

Diane Lane talks horses and life with Secretariat owner Penny Chenery

Secretariat producer Ciardi played in big leagues, modeled in Europe

Diane Lane has a love of horses

For Kevin Connolly, taking the part in Secretariat was a no-brainer. As a lifelong horse racing fan, Connolly was intimately aware of the legend of Secretariat

Bentley/McClatchy newspapers: "You'll leave the theater cheering Secretariat's victories - but it will be the human stories that linger."

AMC review: "Secretariat is a film that aims to take families through an interesting emotional journey and leave them smiling. To that end, it succeeds."

Simon/Buffalo News: Disney's corny take on America's greatest racehorse

VIDEO: Diane Lane on Thur's The Early Show on CBS

VIDEO: American Movie Channel's News correspondent Jacob Soboroff interviews Lane, Malkovich, Connolly, and director Randall Wallace at Santa Anita

VIDEO: Interviews from Secretariat's world premiere last week

Chenery-Tweedy daughter says the film might not be spot-on accurate - but it's plenty enjoyable regardless

Blount: Film is vehicle for Secretariat to wow new generation

Review: Admitted racing know-nothing declares that the film "starts a bit unimpressively, but down the home stretch, when it really counts, it roars to a thundering, soaring finish."

Racetracks hope for boost from Secretariat

Penny Chenery, "It's a Disney movie." ... About her relationship with her most famous horse, "No, we didn't have a spiritual connection."

Christine: "I was there, and it's impossible to sit through the picture without wondering why the director, Randall Wallace, shot a script that had so many holes and took so many liberties."

PostMedia News: It is Diane Lane who dominates. In fact, the performance might be a highlight in her career... Q&A

Hollywood comes to Lexington... Sunday night's Secretariat premiere

Photo gallery: Lexington premiere

Angle-who??? Christine: The horse that beat Secretariat two weeks before the Kentucky Derby but is all but absent from the movie

Louisville native's love for Secretariat helps filmmakers get the story right

Hollywood Reporter review: "Mayhem Pictures... have successfully hit upon a formula for making inspiring sports movies, and Secretariat, the story of the world's greatest racehorse, is no exception."

Blog review: "This exciting one hour and fifty-six minute, PG Rated movie was a joy to watch."

Blog review: "Secretariat is as rote and regimented and corny as Kansas in August..."

Yeesh: Secretariat review: "...gambling and its troubling social repercussions and destroyed lives which are central to the horse racing sport, are invisible here."

'Big Red' on the Big Screen in Lexington">Official Disney Secretariat movie website

Crist's Secretariat review: "It's nice that there's a movie out with his name on it, but a pity that the movie deviates from the truth so much that we never get to the heart of what made him so worth celebrating."

Bookmakers price Secretariat movie at 16-1 for Best Picture

Photos: Diane Lane At Thur's LA premiere of Secretariat

Secretariat director happy with Ky locations: "We got something from the Kentucky people that just lights up on the screen."

Q&A with actress AJ Michalka: "It's such a riveting experience to sit there in the stands and watch the horses at the gate and then when the gate is opened, your heart just leaps for them."

Penny Chenery set for Secretariat's Hollywood premiere, "I've seen it twice already, and I liked it very much."

Secretariat producer talks about finding the right formula for bringing the story to the screen... "It was Penny Chenery's story. Obviously, the horse was never really an underdog, but she was."

Hollywood Reporter: Disney targeting Christians for Secretariat... Marketers employing same strategy used by The Blind Side

Penny Chenery set for Secretariat's Hollywood premiere, "I've seen it twice already, and I liked it very much."

Secretariat producer talks about finding the right formula for bringing the story to the screen... "It was Penny Chenery's story. Obviously, the horse was never really an underdog, but she was."

Left to right, Kevin Connolly, Diane Lane, Randall Wallace [dir], John Malkovich, Nelsan Ellis, Mark Ciardi [prod]

VIDEO: Secretariat Press Conference 1/3
Diane Lane: "Watching the original races in the original broadcast form with Penny on the VHS... Watching Penny watch it again, she was absolutely re-engaged. It really sealed the deal for me that I better not screw this up."

John Malkovich: "I think Randall and I chose not to base [my portrayal of Lucien Lauren] on his actual person very closely - we're so different."

Diane Lane: "I selfishly and very personally love horses as a species - it's my 'totem animal', if you will... Made sense to me that a horse was finally on the cover of all the magazines. I took that personally being eight-years-old, that everybody was finally waking up and appreciating the great species that they are."

VIDEO: Secretariat Press Conference 2/3
Director Randall Wallace: "I understood about this movie from the beginning that we had to experience these races as participants, not as observers... You're not seeing what it's like to see Secretariat run, you experience what it's like to run like Secretariat. There's a world of difference in that."

VIDEO: Secretariat Press Conference 3/3
Director Randall Wallace: "My hope is that our movie will make people have a greater affection for horses... Racehorses often times are not treated particularly well when their racing career is over. I believe our movie is going to pertain to making that a better situation."

Director Randall Wallace: "I went to seminary. I grew up attending Bible. If you are going to look at a guy and say 'Is he trying to put his dogma in a movie?', I would be a good candidate for that accusation."

Entertainment website rates Secretariat's Oscar chances: Best Picture nomination "not out of the question"

Blog review: Predictable, but pleasing

Md-based rider Grant Whitacre plays Big Red's first jockey, "I talked to the producers, got some lines, sent them a tape via email and ended up being offered the role of Paul Feliciano."

Audience enjoys Louisville screening, "I loved it... It brought back so many memories."

Ebert's 'thumbs-up' -- well, ummm, uhh, we guess this constitutes a 'thumbs-up' -- for Secretariat's Belmont Stakes performance

McKee/Balt Sun: Secretariat movie, "The night I saw the preview, it inspired the entire audience to break into spontaneous applause three times..."

Secretariat movie: Jockey Otto Thorwarth recounts the casting process that led to his part as Ron Turcotte

Eng movie review: "For Secretariat to be a success and to help the horse racing industry, it is the newcomers who must embrace it. I think they will."

Appealing to a younger audience: Irish racing officials kick off the new Go Racing Kids Club School

From turf to screen: Ex-jock Tom Foley recounts disillusionment that led to giving up riding - and his upcoming role in Secretariat

West: Secretariat movie "gets it right"

VIDEO: Entertainment Tonight previews the Secretariat movie

John Malkovich: I couldn't say no to Secretariat, "I have been a fan of horse racing in the sense I have been around it much of my life. My grandfather was a big gambler."

Georgetown screening of Secretariat: "The theater was filled with cheers and applause at each on screen race won and sniffles at each success over the odds."

Balt Sun: Secretariat movie's Preakness depiction - "Rather than lavish the same attention on re-creating [Pimlico] that [the director] did on Churchill Downs, he shows the middle jewel of the Triple Crown entirely on television."

Evangeline Training Center has big role in Secretariat film

Haskin: Movie review - Secretariat, "I think the mainstream reviews will be excellent and that audiences will be thrilled and moved by it, and that's all that matters."

Thoroughly fun facts about Disney's Secretariat

Secretariat movie exhibit opens September 23rd at Kentucky Derby Museum

Pricci: Secretariat movie review - "Although disappointed that Hollywood can never seem to get horse racing right, I left the theater smiling."

Secretariat movie: Two new 'featurettes' released

Photo gallery: New stills released from upcoming Secretariat movie

>>> Equidaily.com's review... "The last twenty minutes - the run through the Triple Crown - were fun. But it took too long to get there."
>>> TTimes: "It was not bad, and it was not great - it was merely a regular, average movie."
>>> NY Post: "Disney may have a winner in Secretariat. Two back-to-back Hamptons screenings..."
>>> LA Times: "Horse racing fans will cherish the movie."
>>> Hamptons.com: A "beautiful and touching film that not only addresses (wo)man's relationship to animal, but a woman's relationship to men."

Times-Union: Upcoming Disney film tells story of legendary Secretariat and his owner

Q&A with Secretariat flick director... "I wanted the audience to experience the races as participants, not as spectators."

New Secretariat movie poster unveiled

Cronley: "In most horse racing flicks, there's one staple of the business that is usually relegated to crowd scenes, blimp shots, and bit parts: the gamer. The horse player. The gambler."

USA Today preview fall movie season - including Secretariat "...a drama about a woman venturing into one of the oldest of the old boys' clubs."

Disney fan club members to get early look at Secretariat flick

VIDEO: NYRA Time Machine - Onion's upset victory over Secretariat in 1973 Whitney Hcp

Bookshelf: New book provides more insight into Secretariat/Tweedy story

Jim Gaffney, galloped Secretariat, dead at 75

>>> Racing forum post: "I was lucky enough to attend an advance screening of Secretariat tonight... Definite recommendation, despite it's flaws."
>>> Movie blog: "The best thing about this movie is that they don't add a lot of extraneous storylines for dramatic effect."

Penny Chenery and Diane Lane reflect on filming of Secretariat

VIDEO: Louisville TV interviews Penny Chenery

Secretariat movie trailer

Interview with director Randall Wallace and more on-set photos

USA Today: Secretariat film provides distraction for troubled horse racing business

Nov 2009: Walt Disney Pictures Secretariat filming in Louisiana

Secretariat filming continues at Churchill

VIDEO: Local TV news covers Churchill filming

Editor at biz publisher Hoover's says, "I will be among those eagerly waiting to see Secretariat."

Rees: Watching filming of Secretariat movie

Owner's rise central focus of Secretariat

Extras in the movie Secretariat act for the camera during filming in the paddock area at Keeneland Monday

'Secretariat' extras relive fashion and glory of 1970s

VIDEO: Extra's behind-the-scenes footage of the movie shoot at Keeneland

Flyer invites extras to a "70's Happening" at Keeneland for Secretariat filming [pdf]

July 2009: Disney-backed Secretariat movie, starring Diane Lane, coming to South Louisiana

June 2009: Diane Lane reportedly cast as Penny Chenery in planned Secretariat movie

Movie timeline/June 2009: Secretariat project announced

Note: Pages on this site are labelled with the equidaily.com logo. Some links are for information only and lead to pages at other sites. equidaily.com is responsible only for the pages on this site. equidaily.com assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Always check with official sources to verify info.