Secretariat, a family film with broad appeal

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This week I thought I’d share a movie we just watched.  I’d heard good things about it from a few friends who are very selective about what they take their kids to see in the movie theaters.  So, I knew it would be family friendly.
This movie is a based on real people, which typically is an indicator that I’ll enjoy it.  And, there is the set up of risk or adversity that is so prevalent in good, inspirational films.  (Netflix actually gave it 4.9 out of 5 stars when predicting how I’d like it.  I’d say they were spot on!)
Now, we are not big into horses in our house.  The idea of going to the races just isn’t something even bouncing around in our brains.  Yet, while this film is centered around the horse that is now a gold standard of race horses, there is so much more to the film.
What struck me was the determination Penny Chenery possessed.  Many people could have just gone into fire sale mode when faced with a failing family enterprise.  Yet, she saw great potential when others saw actions of a somewhat crazy man (her father.)  She also had to struggle with individuals ‘in the business’ of raising race horses treating her as if she hadn’t a clue about things. 
The road was not easy for her and at times during the film you can almost detect the possibility of her choices negatively affecting her own family life.  But, by the end of the film, her family had now rallied around her and Secretariat as he takes the Triple Crown in 1973.
Everyone in the family enjoyed this film, although the older boys did say that it wasn’t as much fun to watch as some of the action shows they’d usually select.  I made up for that with my hormones going into some kind of overtime and tears wanting to well up (happy tears, though) as the film came to a close.  I really enjoyed seeing the photos of the ‘real’ characters during the closing credits and P got a kick out of seeing that Penny Chenny was an extra in the film’s final scenes.
There are a few instances of language in this film (giving it a PG rating), but even with that it would definitely get my seal as a whole family film.  I almost felt like Disney had taken a step back in time by producing a family film of this caliber compared to some of the selections that seem to cater to modern culture.
If you are interested, there is a website all about Secretariat that includes his history and video clips of all 21 career starts.  (Can you see the homeschool unit study hat sitting on my head??)
This post has been submitted for inclusion in The Christian Home carnival (Issue 18) hosted by The Legacy of Home.  As the featured columnist for the Movies and Music category, you can be looking forward to weekly posts on what we are watching or music we’ve enjoyed. Feel free to leave suggestions for me as well.  While I have several movies and some music selections in mind, I’m always on the lookout for other great choices.