The film is an intersection of the lives of three men and a horse, all broken in their unique ways. The true story takes place before and during The Great Depression, one of the worst times economically in the country. People are broken in spirit as their ability to make money and provide for their families has been taken away from them. The rich continue to get wealthy, but the working man has lost everything and has been relegated to created patch-work slums to live in.
Howard has lost his son in an automobile crash and he and his wife's marriage falls apart. Red's parents give him away to a man who can employ, board and feed him as they have nothing for him. And, Tom is a man out of step with the new advancement of industry in America. Finally, Seabiscuit is a champion who, just like the American people, has been broken. He's been trained to be a loser and believes he is. But, when this group of characters comes together they create a mosaic of grit, determination, heart and perseverance similar to the men and women who are attempting to survive day after day.
This story is felt deeply as the circumstances of the world outside during the Depression are matched to the inner turmoil of the characters that must exist in this world. And, we watch as the obstacles within each character are overcome until they reclaim their identity in belief and then in the world. Thus, their journey represent the journey of America into the late 1930s and early 1940s as it begins to rebuild with Franklin Roosevelt's Works Project Administration. And, the final race with Red racing with a broken leg and Seabiscuit returning from a torn ligament represents them becoming stronger in the broken places rather than being shattered by the circumstances of life.
