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Plot |
The movie starts with Mark Allen (Christian Kane) in a bar fight that he is losing. Chip Woolley (Skeet Ulrich) decides to come to his rescue and together they make it out of the bar alive. Once outside they go their separate ways. Mark is on his way to Alaska and Chip wishes him well on his journey. Ten years later Chip is in a failing business with his brother Bill (David Atkinson). They train horses and can barely make ends meet. Then Chip discovers that his one-time pal Mark is in town and he happens to be a well to do horse owner. Chip wastes no time in rekindling his friendship with Mark and see if he can make him a client. Mark is glad to see Chip and agrees to make him his trainer sending him off on his private jet to evaluate a horse that has been offered to him. At first Chip is underwhelmed by the horse, but after seeing him race he has a change of heart. Hearing that this horse ‘Mine that Bird’ has some prospects Mark tries to entice Leonard Doc Blach (William Devane) to buy it for him. Doc agrees and Chip begins to train Bird. After a couple a races it doesn’t appear that is Bird performing well. Looking for something to blame Doc second guesses Chip as the trainer. When Chip meets up with his brother he learns that their business is bankrupt. They have bills way pass due and all their other owners have taken back their horse. The only have Bird. Shortly later Chip is in a bad motorcycle accident and fractures his leg in several places. Because Chip is determined to continue training Bird Mark introduces him to Alex (Madelyn Deutch). Chip is reluctant to work with a woman and they subsequently don’t get along well. Then Mark gets a fortuitous call that he cannot at first believe: ‘Mine that Bird’ has qualified for the Kentucky Derby. |
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Character Development |
Despite the fact that Chip Woolley is the underdog and because he has the most to lose he therefore goes through much diversity and develops the most out of all the other characters. The other players are mainly there to be along for the ride. Except for Alex who showed some minor changes everyone else are really static characters; not to fault Skeet Ulrich as an actor, but Mark Allen hardly changes for the first cell of the film to the last. Most performances were like that. |
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Acting |
The acting is mainly serviceable and mostly serious with a few laughs mixed in with a few close calls. Much of the performances were in effect trying to portray the fish out of the water story of the county bumpkin in the big city; much like in the movie “The Cowboy Way” (1994) with Woody Harrelson and Kiefer Sutherland. Another good chuck of the story dealt with the trek from their homes in New Mexico to Louisville, Kentucky. |
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Overview |
Not as enjoyable as I would have hoped. Everything seemed to be riding on that last race and I felt the payoff wasn’t that big. The biggest feature of this story though was that it was based on a true story and it was revealing to see the real footage at the end of the film. Interesting enough the real jockey, Calvin Borel, of the horse ‘Mine that Bird’ is in the film playing the part of the jockey and Skeet Ulrich very much looks like the real Chip Woolley. Yet the road trip was slow and uninspired and much of the middle of the storyline sagged. I know it is based on a real story, but they could have embellished a little more and given it a little sizzle. Too many times I felt like I was just soaking in the background and waiting for something to happen. I thought there could have been some more interchanges and heard some more histories. Maybe honesty is not always the best policy. |
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