Secretariat: The Movie, Whoa!

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

If that is the case, they must not tell the moviegoers that Meadow Farm/Stable won the 1972 Derby with Riva Ridge, or it would make it difficult to put the farm in dire straits so Secretariat could come along and save it.

From what I understand there is absolutely no mention of Riva Ridge in the entire movie.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

From what I understand there is absolutely no mention of Riva Ridge in the entire movie.

Since the producer, or writer, or whomever it was, said that Secretariat would have won the triple crown again had he not been retired as a 3yo, I doubt they even have heard of Riva Ridge.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Since the producer, or writer, or whomever it was, said that Secretariat would have won the triple crown again had he not been retired as a 3yo, I doubt they even have heard of Riva Ridge.

Allegedly that was a misquote. It was really something about being a successful 4yo in the big races for older horses. Of course, that could've just been arse covering, but I'll let them go with that story.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Allegedly that was a misquote. It was really something about being a successful 4yo in the big races for older horses. Of course, that could've just been arse covering, but I'll let them go with that story.

That 'misquote' is so far off from what they said was really said, it really cannot be possible for it to be a misquote.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

That 'misquote' is so far off from what they said was really said, it really cannot be possible for it to be a misquote.

On the contrary, happens all the time with celebrities. Sometimes quotes get entirely made up. Maybe whoever did the interview wanted a better one, didn't know jack about racing, and punched it up to the point of implausibility.

[Indian Charlie]

uh huh.

sounds perfectly applicable to this 'celebrity'

[ddthetide]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

From what I understand there is absolutely no mention of Riva Ridge in the entire movie.

we just came from the movie. there is NO mention of RR at all. 1972 starts with Secretariat's first race in july at aqueduct. the movie is really about Ms. Chenery.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by ddthetide

we just came from the movie. there is NO mention of RR at all. 1972 starts with Secretariat's first race in july at aqueduct. the movie is really about Ms. Chenery.

Sorry it was news to you that there was no Riva mention. It would be harder for me to walk in not knowing that, but we heard about it awhile back during the making of the movie (maybe Haskin or someone on ATR mentioned it) and I had a chance to get past my disappointment. There's not enough drama for a movie about a superhorse if Riva saves the day. The only real underdog they can create is 'housewife trying to save the farm.' It's what I was always afraid of when I thought someone should do a film about Secretariat. Getting over that hurdle is hard.

I haven't been able to go yet, planning to this week.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Sorry it was news to you that there was no Riva mention. It would be harder for me to walk in not knowing that, but we heard about it awhile back during the making of the movie (maybe Haskin or someone on ATR mentioned it) and I had a chance to get past my disappointment. There's not enough drama for a movie about a superhorse if Riva saves the day. The only real underdog they can create is 'housewife trying to save the farm.' It's what I was always afraid of when I thought someone should do a film about Secretariat. Getting over that hurdle is hard.

There's drama there, but it's in Riva Ridge's story. If Disney hadn't been so convinced it had to be a horse the general public (vaguely) had heard of, they could have had a nice little movie about love and sibling rivalries and parents loving their "kids" for who they are. You'd still have to fictionalize a lot, but Riva's story has more of an arc to it naturally. Maybe something like:

Act 1: Farm in trouble, Riva Ridge comes along, saves farm, public sees him as the best chance to break the Triple Crown curse. Penny falls in love with the ugly racehorse, rejoices in his celebrity. Horse adores her right back.
Act 2: Riva fails at TC, due to wet Preakness, has terrible second half of 3-year-old season. Along comes a real super horse, who, ironically, is also owned by Penny. Penny tries to like Secretariat, but can't, because he's outshining her favorite. Riva wins no awards, while Secretariat gets Horse of the Year.
Act 3: Riva pulls it together for 4-year-old season, Secretariat becomes even bigger star. On eve of Belmont states, Penny learns to celebrate what Secretariat is doing for racing, happy about TC, and can accept it wasn't to be for Riva. Public clamors for the 2 horses to meet. Penny desperately wants Riva to beat Big Red, but, before race, realizes Secretariat races for himself, but Riva races for her, and win or lose, if she loves him, that's all that matters to him (yeah, I know, but again, Disney movie). Riva loses to Secretariat in Marlboro Cup, Penny politely leaves winners' circle with Secretariat to go see Riva Ridge, saying to the press "I respect Secretariat but I love Riva Ridge." Which is the headline on some fictional sports article that comes out the next day.

Now, see, Disney? Is that so hard? And then some kid who saw the movie and later comes in third in the second-grade spelling bee comes home all depressed about not winning and her parent says, "But you did your best! You were just like Riva Ridge!" and the kid says, "But Riva came in second in the Marlboro and I came in third." And the parent says, "Don't you mouth off to me you little know-it-all" and then smacks the kid and Child Protection Services is called and that becomes a movie, too, but not for Disney; for Lifetime Telelvision.

[Clip-Clop]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

There's drama there, but it's in Riva Ridge's story. If Disney hadn't been so convinced it had to be a horse the general public (vaguely) had heard of, they could have had a nice little movie about love and sibling rivalries and parents loving their "kids" for who they are. You'd still have to fictionalize a lot, but Riva's story has more of an arc to it naturally. Maybe something like:

Act 1: Farm in trouble, Riva Ridge comes along, saves farm, public sees him as the best chance to break the Triple Crown curse. Penny falls in love with the ugly racehorse, rejoices in his celebrity. Horse adores her right back.
Act 2: Riva fails at TC, due to wet Preakness, has terrible second half of 3-year-old season. Along comes a real super horse, who, ironically, is also owned by Penny. Penny tries to like Secretariat, but can't, because he's outshining her favorite. Riva wins no awards, while Secretariat gets Horse of the Year.
Act 3: Riva pulls it together for 4-year-old season, Secretariat becomes even bigger star. On eve of Belmont states, Penny learns to celebrate what Secretariat is doing for racing, happy about TC, and can accept it wasn't to be for Riva. Public clamors for the 2 horses to meet. Penny desperately wants Riva to beat Big Red, but, before race, realizes Secretariat races for himself, but Riva races for her, and win or lose, if she loves him, that's all that matters to him (yeah, I know, but again, Disney movie). Riva loses to Secretariat in Marlboro Cup, Penny politely leaves winners' circle with Secretariat to go see Riva Ridge, saying to the press "I respect Secretariat but I love Riva Ridge." Which is the headline on some fictional sports article that comes out the next day.

Now, see, Disney? Is that so hard? And then some kid who saw the movie and later comes in third in the second-grade spelling bee comes home all depressed about not winning and her parent says, "But you did your best! You were just like Riva Ridge!" and the kid says, "But Riva came in second in the Marlboro and I came in third." And the parent says, "Don't you mouth off to me you little know-it-all" and then smacks the kid and Child Protection Services is called and that becomes a movie, too, but not for Disney; for Lifetime Telelvision.

I love it. Though this kind of thing no longer happens. Probably because schools are run to prevent any kind from coming in second let alone THIRD!

[letswastemoney]

The kid should be retired for losing the spelling bee. Only winners count these days.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

The kid should be retired for losing the spelling bee. Only winners count these days.

Clearly she'd done enough.