If you haven’t seen Disney’s newest movie Secretariat, then you are missing out. This movie is absolutely outstanding. It’s a movie about courage and triumph that gives you chills and leaves you with a sense of joy. What makes this amazing story even better is that it really happened! This movie is the true story about the 1973 Triple Crown Winning horse, Secretariat.


Penny Chenery, played by Diane Lane, is a devoted wife and mother who inherits her parent’s horse farm. Against the wishes of her brother and husband, she decides to continue her father’s dream of horse breeding. With the help of her parent’s friend and assistant Miss Hamm, played by Margo Martindale, and the wildly eccentric French horse trainer Lucien Laurin, played wonderfully by John Malkovich, Penny decides to enter the male dominated world of horse racing. She is absolutely fearless. She uses her combination of knowledge (gained from her Dad when she was a girl), heart, guts, and spirit to bring to the racing world what people still consider to this day to be the greatest racing horse of all time, Secretariat. The acting in this movie is phenomenal. Malkovich is priceless and Lane is perfect in her role as the strong and classy Chenery. The movie really displays what Penny had to go through and the risks she had to take to save her family’s farm and to make Secretariat a winner.


My favorite part of the movie is the last race. In all the previous races Secretariat was allowed to start slow until mid way through the race, when she would kick into high gear to finish first. The worry in the past races was that over the long haul, Secretariat would not last. With the last race, The Belmont Stakes, being the longest race, Penny and Lucien decide to push the horse and just let him run. And run he does! Secretariat goes on to win the final race in the Triple Crown by 31 lengths over his rival Sham. The speed at which Secretariat ran and the distance by which he won at the Belmont, still stands today.



What made this movie even better was that it came loaded on a 2 disc blu-ray/DVD combo. The blu-ray came with tons of features, my favorite of which was A Director’s Inspiration: A Conversation with The real Penny Chenery. I love her hearing about this amazing story directly from the woman who lived it.
This movie just left me with chills and a happiness that can’t be explained. Hollywood has become so filled with true story movies that end sadly. I loved that Secretariat was true and had a happy ending. It was a great story about hard work and triumph that my whole family enjoyed. Definitely see this movie. Your family will enjoy it as well.

DISC BONUS FEATURES:
DVD:
• Heart Of A Champion - This feature takes a look at one of the most famous thoroughbred horses ever known. Secretariat was a horse with style as well as amazing speed and an unsurpassed racing record. We interview all the key players from the day as well as today’s filmmakers to learn more about the horse affectionately called “Red.”
• Deleted Scenes With Optional Audio Commentary By Director Randall Wallace
o Director Introduction
o Memories
o Seth Joins The Team
o Too Soon T o Celebrate
• Music Video – AJ Michalka “It’s Who You Are”


BLU-RAY:
The same as the DVD, plus...
• Choreographing The Races - This piece looks at how director Randall Wallace and the filmmakers used innovative tools and technology to accurately and excitingly recreate the Triple Crown races that make the viewer feel like they are standing on the backstretch themselves.
• A Director’s Inspiration: A Conversation With The Real Penny Chenery - Director Randall Wallace sits down with Secretariat owner Penny Chenery to review the movie and some of the key scenes. Penny reflects on what it was like to have been a woman in a male dominated sport and to have been part of horse racing’s most exciting moments in history.
• Audio Commentary By Director Randall Wallace - View the film with optional audio commentary from Director Randall Wallace.
• Deleted Scenes With Optional Audio Commentary By Director Randall Wallace - The same deleted scenes as the DVD, plus four more...
o Alternate Opening
o Introduction
o “Are You A Golfer?”
o No Time To Rest
• Secretariat Multi-Angle Simulation - Relive Secretariats triumphant 1973 Preakness race by viewing the race from a number of perspectives as well as listening to commentaries from fans, announcers and even the jockey who rode Secretariat to their record finish.

SPECIAL OFFER! For a limited time Disney Movie Rewards is offering $8.00 off the purchase of the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack! Click image below to get your coupon.





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