Historian David McCullough narrates the film, creating a documentary feel to much of it. I didn't mind his use one bit, because McCullough's voice lends itself perfectly over the historical photographs, especially revered in Ken Burns' "The Civil War" series. Even now, when I read a book written by McCullough, I hear his voice reading the book to me as I turn the pages.

The key to Seabiscuit is on four folks rebuild their lives and end up inspiring a nation -- a horse that's too small, a jockey who is too big, a trainer who is too old, and the owner too dumb to know the difference:

Jeff Bridges is Charles Howard, a wealthy entrepreneur who made his fortune in horseless carriages (read: cars), a dreamer with the call to "look to the future!" He's the ultimate salesman and showman with the capabilities to back up the boasting and promises. After family problems, to put it mildly, he re-finds the joys of life with new wife Marcela, played by Elizabeth Banks, who is merely an accessory, albeit a really pretty and proper one.

Tobey Maguire portrays jockey Johnny "Red" Pollard, perpetually told he's too big to be a jockey and harboring bitter feelings toward the removal from his family because of the Depression. A well-educated lad, he is an avid storyteller and poet who quotes Dickinson and Shakespeare, but a bad boxer who loses the sight in his left eye. Red's spirit and drive gets him through the 'minor leagues' of horse racing, where it apparently was a full-contact sport. The hardships make him into the best jockey to ride Seabiscuit, a horse whose past was as crude as Red's by former handlers. Still, the horse keeps the zeal and impulse to compete well and enjoy life on the run or lying in the field under a tree.

The filmmakers certainly convey that the jockey and horse share a bond, a common history and destiny, and I believed all of it. Even beyond horse and rider, Seabiscuit was the People's Champion, favorite of the common man down on his luck during the harsh Depression era.

The fourth project is Academy Award winner Chris Cooper as trainer Tom Smith, an adept horse whisperer. Well, at least he whispers to horses a lot, and has the knack for taming the beasts, discerning their moods and mannerisms, and be able to read other horses competing against Seabiscuit. When Smith tells Howard that, "You don't throw a whole life away just because he's banged up a little," he could be talking about both the horse and himself, not to mention the country as a whole.

In support, William H. Macy almost takes over as a radio announcer framing all the horse racing talk, and fueling the challenge of Seabiscuit to superstud War Admiral. He is colorful and eccentric, fashioning his own sound effects with remarkable execution.

Red befriends the best jockey in the world, flamboyant George Woolf (played by Kentucky Derby-winning real-life jockey Gary Stevens), whose nickname is Ice Man. It's an amazing scene when Woolf confronts Red and says that Red is too reckless. Red's eyes bug out and he grabs Ice Man's collar, saying, "That's right, Ice. I am dangerous."

Um, sorry, I've just been told that is the wrong movie.

The costumes deserve recognition, too, because folks sure dressed to the nines back then, whether poor or at play. We're so slouchy and grungy nowadays, far too unfitting for the sport of kings, no matter how many cigar-chomping old guys in leisure suits inhabit today's dingier tracks.

My younger sisters live in Louisville, where you don't just go to the track, you go to THE track, Churchill Downs, with the twin spires overlooking the most revered horse racing venue in the world. Taking the tour at the Kentucky Derby Museum within the Downs, you really feel the history and learn to respect the sport, with the awesome size, power and speed of the thoroughbreds.

While Seabiscuit didn't win the Derby, and thus none of the vaunted Triple Crown, he performed well in major races on the west coast before taking on 1937 Triple Crown winning horse, War Admiral, in a match race. This is the climax of Seabiscuit, although there's another race in the end to pull the heartstrings.

Still, even with all the positives I'm giving the movie, I can't shake the feeling that the movie was a little uneven. Something - I don't know what, and I'm grasping for words - was just ... off. Maybe there was one too many comebacks, maybe it was that I can't figure out why McCullough spent so much time talking about cars when the move was about horses and people, or perhaps the editing could have sliced ten minutes off without hurting the pacing.

Don't get me wrong. I'm highly recommending the film. But, unfortunately, it won't be my Oscar frontrunner as I hoped it would with the first seven months out of the way.