Movie Review: Honey, I'm leaving you for a horse

Here's a story about a Denver man who lived in a nice house with his attractive spouse and four children back in the late-1960's. After his elderly mother dies, he decides to help out his mentally frail father on the family horse farm in Virginia. He realizes that his attractive spouse and four children just don't "do it" for him, and that racing thoroughbred horses is what really excites him. He sends his family back west and remains in Virginia.


The man's spouse, who believed the arrangement would be temporary, puts on a brave face and works hard to raise the couple's growing children.  After two years, however, the spouse is becoming overwhelmed.  "We need you here," the spouse pleads.  The man rejects this entreaty -- his prized thoroughbred "Big Red" is getting ready for a race.  The man's presence is not really essential to the horse's success -- skilled trainers and handlers manage the horse on a day-to-day basis.  He could just as easily manage affairs from his home in Denver.  Nevertheless, the man feels justified in neglecting his family because living away from his horse would somehow constitute not "doing what you believe is right."

When the man's father passes away, he learns that the estate faces a seven-figure tax liability.  This debt could be completely resolved by selling "Big Red."  The horse's continued racing success would be just as likely with a new owner.  In addition, the sale would bring in a tidy profit for the man and his family.  Despite all this, the man retains the horse and enters into a financial arrangement that could potentially ruin his family in order to facilitate the hobby that has completely supplanted them.

What's the audience supposed to think of this man?  Disney apparently hopes that the fact that the man in this story is actually a spunky middle-aged woman named Penny that the audience will call it "a feel-good movie."

I didn't feel particularly good.  I know the film makers wanted me to be impressed by Penny's brave struggle against a male-dominated society, or something.  But I was unable to make the connection between the woman's "sacrifice" and her race horse's historic success.  The horse was awesome, but not necessarily because its owner made her husband a single-parent and she missed out on a significant part of her kids' childhood.

If you've watched Secretariat, I'd like to hear your take.  What did you think?