Remember, when watching DVDs for English practice:
1st time:  Japanese subtitles 字幕
2nd time:  English subtitles
3rd time:  NO subtitles

You do not have to watch the movie 3 times in 1 day.  For English listening practice, you can watch it once a week, if you have time.

This month’s review, “Seabiscuit.”

Title:  Seabiscuit
Japanese Title  (タイトル）: シービスケット
Year(製作年):  2003
Director (監督):  Gary Ross

Main actors and characters
Character name (actor name)
Johnny “Red” Pollard (Tobey Maguire　トビー・マグワイア)
Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges ジェフ・ブリッジス)
Tom Smith (Chris Cooper クリス・クーパー)
Marcela Howard (Elizabeth Banks エリザベス・バンクス)
the narrator (David McCullough)

Is the story good?
Yes, it is.  It is a very positive story.

This movie is about the real racehorse named Seabiscuit.  Seabiscuit was a very popular and successful racehorse in the 1930’s.  In the beginning, he was not successful, but the people and Seabiscuit became a successful team.  The people in the movie had difficult lives.  Some parts of their pasts were not happy.  They came together because of Seabiscuit.  Seabiscuit gave the characters hope.

It is based on a true story, so you can see American life during the Great Depression.  You can see old-fashioned cars, styles, and entertainment. The clothing and the sets help you imagine America in the past.  The horse racing scenes are also exciting.

Is  the movie good for English practice?
It is not easy, but it is OK for English practice.

After you understand the story, you can catch some of the conversations.  Some characters speak quickly, or with a special accent, especially Tom Smith.  It is difficult to catch all of his words. It is better to focus on the conversations between Red Pollard and Charles Howard.

The narrator speaks well.  He speaks clearly, not too fast, and with an easy to catch rhythm.  There are some difficult words, but it is good practice to listen to him.  

My recommendation
If you buy the DVD, I recommend the Premium Edition.  It has two discs. Disc One is the movie, and Disc Two has information about Seabiscuit and information about making the movie.  You can watch the movie first. After that watch Disc Two and learn about the topic and the movie. Then watch it again with a deeper understanding.

narrator ナレーター
racehorse 競走馬
to be based on ~に基づいている
The Great Depression  大恐慌
recommend　勧める