"You can have five hundred great dialogue writers, " Billy Wilder once said, "but in there only five people who are great at construction." And that comes to mind when you think about how well written this film is (the screenplay was Oscar nominated). For one thing, the whole is set against the Depression and that story, with narration by David McCullough, recurs at appropriate moments - the whole story is about not writing off losers, and the Second Chance. Then look at how the stories of three disparate characters - played by Chris Cooper, Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire - are told and cross cut until they finally are all together - which, by the way, doesn't happen until a sweet fifty minutes in. Cooper's rescue of an injured horse is in there early - in fact it's one of the things that endears Bridges to him in the first place. And the child's game, in there so early, there again later, basically saying that Maguire has become Bridges' substitute son.
"Is that Tom Newman?" I queried over a particular passage of music. Well, no, but close - it's Randy Newman. So love that theme that kicks in at 1:07 when 'Biscuit' opens up. And with John Schwartzman on camera and William Goldenberg editing, it's a classy production.
And William H Macy, always so good, a really distinctive personality, who's great as the radio broadcaster.
Tobey's in 2009 Jim Sheridan film Brothers, which looks good.
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