Category Archives: Contemporary

I’m generally not a horse movie person. Normally, I’d rather take in a hard-hitting drama or explosive action movie. But there’s quite a lot to be said for doing something with friends – and when the PHC debate team decided to see “Secretariat” after our recent tournament, I was game.

“Secretariat” is the story of arguably the greatest racehorse to ever live. Knowing the ending beforehand can sometimes make a movie less appealing – but in this case, knowing the outcome gives the movie depth and direction. Upon the death of her father, former housewife Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) takes over management of his horse farm, expelling corrupt hired hands and negotiating breeding agreements. Shortly thereafter, Secretariat is born – and, for Penny, is special from the very beginning. As the just-foaled Secretariat staggers to his feet, one observer notes, “No horse ever stands up that fast.”

Penny swiftly determines that a horse with Secretariat’s potential deserves a good trainer, and proceeds to call Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich, in a surprisingly non-creepy role) out from retirement. Together, the two successfully mold Secretariat into a supremely powerful racehorse. That’s not to say Secretariat doesn’t have his weaknesses – generally, he suffers from slow starts and must accelerate rapidly in order to win – but Penny and Laurin are confident in his ability to claim victory.

However, there are cracks beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect story. Penny’s constant trips to the horse farm – as well as to races – start taking a toll on her family. She begins missing her family’s important events, and even becomes embroiled in a heated legal argument with her own brother. Ultimately, however, her crusade proves successful. After winning a series of small races, the next step is logically the Triple Crown. As fans of horse racing will already know, Secretariat wins the three races and sets two records in the process – records that stand unbroken today.

From a purely technical standpoint, the film excels.Notably, the racing sequences in “Secretariat” are truly breathtaking. The effective use of slow-motion cameras enhances the action, making fast-paced horse races much easier to follow. The acting is also effective, although no one performance stands out. Also worth considering is the fact that there’s no innuendo or violence, and very little language, making “Secretariat” a generally good choice as a family film.

However, “Secretariat” has a serious and subtle flaw – the character of Penny Chenery.

It may sound strange to identify the main character as the movie’s biggest flaw, but Penny is just not a likable lead. She is ruthless in pursuing her goal of a victorious Secretariat, and does not care who she alienates in the process. Having known a few people like Penny, I found myself cringing at the way she treats her employees when she believes they’re not helping Secretariat achieve his potential. More problematic is the lack of interest she shows in her children, husband, or brother. Secretariat quickly becomes her #1 priority, trumping all other concerns in her life. It’s a dark undercurrent of aggressive feminism that keeps “Secretariat” from being a completely praiseworthy movie. And this isn’t a sexist argument – I’d raise the same concerns if this was a movie about a man who neglected his wife and children in order to pursue his goals. The film treats Penny’s choice as perfectly valid and praiseworthy, without ever really pausing to consider the impact on her family.

So, should you watch “Secretariat”?

This movie has divided Christian critics. Some don’t see Penny’s single-minded determination as problematic, while others recognize the less positive aspects of her story. Personally, I found it hard to enjoy a movie that, while it may be cinematically excellent, seems to condone putting one’s own self-centered interests above the welfare of one’s family. Some moviegoers may not pick up on these elements, and it’s certainly possible to enjoy “Secretariat” as purely a well-done horse movie. In that respect, at least, the film is well worth watching.

VERDICT: 6/10
A well-done sports movie saddled with an unfortunate underlying message.

Normalized Score: 1.6

There’s some irony in the fact that I’m writing a review of the Facebook movie…for my Facebook page.

“The Social Network” is director David Fincher’s fascinating look at the birth of Facebook, and the men responsible for its creation. It is a story of entrepreneurship and theft, and of friendship and betrayal. More than anything else, though, it is a study of Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook’s enigmatic creator, and the world’s youngest billionaire. Thrown into the mix are some intriguing concepts of greed, integrity, and intellectual property rights, elevating “The Social Network” from a simple biopic to a critique of our culture.

After being dumped by his girlfriend, Mark (Jesse Eisenberg), at the time a student at Harvard, takes revenge by setting up “Facemash.com”. By hacking into the Harvard student image directories, Mark creates a website enabling guys to rank girls based on their “hotness.” His project is wildly successful – the flood of network traffic that night brings the Harvard campus network to its knees. Impressed by his work, the two Winklevoss brothers contact him with an idea of their own: an elite, Harvard-only online social network (primarily for dating purposes). But Mark – along with his friend and roommate Eduardo (Andrew Garfield) – isn’t interested in creating a mediocre MySpace imitation. He takes the Winklevosses’ idea and modifies it, crafting a similar website but without using any of the brothers’ code. The resulting site – TheFacebook.com – instantly becomes a massive success on campus.

But of course, innovation requires money. Mark appoints Eduardo as the company’s Chief Financial Officer, tasking him with the financial management of the fledgling corporation. A conflict soon mars their relationship – Eduardo believes the company needs on-site advertising in order to remain viable, while Mark feels advertising will make TheFacebook “uncool.” To settle the dispute, Mark calls in Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), famed founder of the illegal-music-sharing website Napster. Sean has plenty of suggestions for TheFacebook (including a slight name change, to “Facebook”) but Eduardo is uncomfortable with Sean’s involvement. The resulting disagreement sends Mark and Eduardo to opposite sides of the country: Mark (along with Sean and a team of programmers) moves to California to continue developing Facebook, while Eduardo moves to New York in an attempt to solicit financial support for the website.

From this point, the story follows the pattern of many corporate dramas. I won’t spoil any key plot elements, but suffice it to say that the actions taken by Mark and Sean torpedo their relationship with Eduardo.

Perhaps the most interesting element of “The Social Network” is the way in which the director depicts Mark’s transformation from a naive, nerdy college student into a ruthless, cold-hearted businessman. This is accomplished predominantly through the toxic influence of Sean, whose “cool” persona is hopelessly alluring to Mark. Sean’s utter lack of concern for the welfare of others rubs off on Mark, leading to the breakdown of his relationship with Eduardo. “The Social Network” also serves as a sharp critique of our society’s obsession with success. Even at Harvard, Mark’s fixation with Facebook-oriented projects alienates those around him. He gains some measure of notoriety after the initial releases of Facemash and TheFacebook, but such popularity ultimately proves superficial. By the end of the film, he has emerged as an arrogant businessman with no real friends – a lonely billionaire.

Issues of faith and worldview are never directly addressed. Mark and his business partners frequently act amorally, making decisions without considering their ethical consequences. Characters frequently act out in petty, vindictive ways throughout the course of the film.

From a cinematic standpoint, “The Social Network” is outstanding. The performances by Eisenberg and Timberlake are especially notable – Eisenberg is perfectly believable as the slightly tortured genius Mark, while Timberlake perfectly captures Sean’s egotistic, devil-may-care attitude. A tightly plotted script – alternating between college flashbacks and future lawsuits – keeps the story moving along at a fast pace.

As anyone who’s seen the trailers already realizes, there are some content issues (mainly due to frequent scenes of college partying). The movie contains several sexual situations (nothing extended or explicit) and a few scenes where female characters are wearing little more than lingerie. There are a few harsh expletives (including f-words) thrown in as well. Overall, “The Social Network” earns its PG-13 rating, and would likely not be suitable for viewers younger than 15 or 16.

“The Social Network” is a masterful piece of filmmaking. As a corporate drama, it works perfectly. However, as an factual biography…it may not be quite so exceptional. The film portrays Mark Zuckerberg as an insensitive egomaniac (albeit a haunted one). One can only wonder how the real Zuckerberg would respond to the film’s allegations – and as many of the facts surrounding the birth of Facebook are surrounded in clouds of legal secrecy, “The Social Network” may or may not be entirely accurate. In the coming weeks, there will probably be a good deal of speculation about the truth behind the movie.

Should you see it? If you’re reasonably interested in the modern Internet culture, or if you enjoy business-related dramas, “The Social Network” is for you. There are some problematic elements, but the target audience for this film is reasonably adult (I didn’t see anyone under 15 when I went to the theater). “The Social Network” is a well-acted, well-directed warning against obsession and greed that will likely prove thought-provoking for many members of our society.

At the very least, you’ll be thinking about it the next time you check your Facebook.

VERDICT: 8.5/10
An eye-opening story of one man’s struggle for success, regardless of the cost.

Normalized Score: 6.9