Disney’s Secretariat is a must see film

Disney’s “Secretariat,” directed by Randall Wallace and written by Mike Rich and William Nack is definitely a must see  film; perfect for the whole family.  The story is about history’s most famous race horse, Secretariat (also known as Big Red); from the beginning of his life through his amazing win at the Belmont Stakes in 1973, making him the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years.  To this very day, his records at 2 of the three Crown races have never been beat.  Very Exciting!  I LOVED the race scenes!!!
The cast of Disney’s Secretariat did a phenomenal job.  How could they not!  Diane Lane played Penny Tweedy, Secretariat’s owner; John Malkovich plays his Trainer; Dylan Walsh is Mr. Tweedy, and Scott Glenn plays Penny’s dad. 

I am an aspiring actor, so I LOVE to watch the pros.  I totally believed Diane Lane stressed about almost losing her horse and farm, and John Malkovich as the trainer was terrific… and … is it true Malkovich can’t play golf!   🙂
A HUGE THANK YOU to one of the young stars of the film, Sean Michael Cunningham, playing Penny’s son Chris, for taking the time to answer a few of my questions.    (You know he’s only 14 and already in a big motion picture)  Awesome!   It’s always a privilege when we can hear, first hand, from someone actually in the film.
My first question for Sean was, “What was your favorite part about making this movie?”

His Answer … “Easy question Dharbi… being able to work with such amazing actors who are all accomplished, and especially working for Mr. Randall Wallace.  He gave so many inspirational speeches and made everyone working on the film feel like family.”

Secondly, I asked “What was it like being on set with Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Scott Glenn, etc.?”
Of course he said,  “It was an incredible experience working with all of these actors.  They were all very professional on set, but normal people just like you and me, and were very encouraging to us kids.  It was interesting watching them work, especially knowing that I was working with some of the best.  Mrs. Lane was wonderful; she sat with us at lunch just like she was our mom, and a lot of fun to be with on set.  Hanging with Mr. Malcovich/John, Dylan, and Jamie was also an experience, I got along with everyone.”
My final (and very important question for all us hopeful kid actors) was “What’s your “Top Tip” for kids wanting to be actors?

His advice …“First make sure that this is your passion before you go into acting because there is a lot of rejection in the industry and it doesn’t always mean that you’re not good at what you do, it could only mean that you’re just not the right overall look for the part, or your voice may not be right for the part.  Also, be patient because it takes time in this industry to meet your goals.  If you have that passion for acting, then never give up on your dreams, and believe in yourself!”

Now that’s great advice!

Secretariat was suspenseful and the race scenes exciting!  Kids, adults, and horse fans will LOVE the film.
And before I say good-bye, I’d like to give a special thank you to Children in Film … ChildreninFilm.com and the Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, CA, and Disney for providing the opportunity to prescreen Secretariat!  It opens in theaters October 8.  Don’t miss it. 

Also watch for the exclusive interview of Nestor Serrano on ActosE Live Chat show Friday, October 1st at ActorsE

And thank you to Children in Film for all your assistance!
Children In Film

That’s all I have for now.  Thanks for joining me. “Grab your ticket, popcorn and seat … and enjoy the movie!”
By Dharbi Jens, Host and Children’s Movie Reviewer