Racing Stripes
(
2005)
|
Frederik Du Chau
(
WGA)
David Schmidt (story) &
Steven P. Wegner (story) ...
|
Genre:
Family /
Adventure /
Animation /
Comedy
Tagline: His stripes made him an outcast. His heart made him a hero.
Plot Outline:
| |
| In the middle of a raging thunderstorm, a traveling circus accidentally leaves behind
some very precious cargo--a baby zebra. The gangly little foal is rescued by horse farmer Nolan
Walsh, who takes him home to his young daughter Channing. Once a champion thoroughbred trainer, Walsh
has given up horse training for a quiet life with Channing on their modest Kentucky farm. The little
zebra, or "Stripes," as Channing calls him, is soon introduced to the farm's misfit troupe of
barnyard residents, led by a cranky Shetland Pony named Tucker and Franny, a wise old goat who keeps
the family in line. The group is joined by Goose, a deranged big-city pelican who's hiding out in the
sticks until the heat dies down in Jersey. The un-aptly named bloodhound Lightening keeps a lazy eye
on goings-on at the farm - in between naps. The Walsh farm borders the Turfway Racetrack, where
highly skilled thoroughbreds compete for horse racing's top honor, the ultra-prestigious Kentucky
Crown. From the first moment Stripes lays eyes on the track, he's hooked--he knows that if he could
just get the chance, he could leave all those other horses in the dust. What he doesn't know is--he's
not exactly a horse. But with characteristic zeal, he devotes himself to training for the big time,
with a little help from Tucker, who has coached a host of champion racehorses in the past.
|
|
User Comments: Predictable but enjoyable
User Rating:
4.9/10 (805 votes)
|
|
|
Bruce Greenwood
|
.... |
Nolan Walsh |
|
Hayden Panettiere
|
.... |
Channing Walsh |
|
Caspar Poyck
|
.... |
Mailman |
|
Gary Bullock
|
.... |
John Cooper |
|
Wendie Malick
|
.... |
Clara Dalrymple |
|
M. Emmet Walsh
|
.... |
Woodzie |
|
Thandi Puren
|
.... |
Reporter #1 |
|
Morne Visser
|
.... |
Reporter #2 |
|
Dawn Matthews
|
.... |
Reporter #3 |
|
Matt Stern
|
.... |
Reporter #4 |
|
John Lesley
|
.... |
Paddock Boss |
|
Graeme Hawkins
|
.... |
Track Announcer |
|
Tarryn Downes
|
.... |
Anthem Singer |
|
Frankie Muniz
|
.... |
Stripes (voice) |
|
Mandy Moore
|
.... |
Sandy (voice) |
|
|
MPAA: Rated PG for mild crude humor and some language.
Runtime: 84 min
Country:
South Africa /
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
DTS /
Dolby Digital
/
SDDS
Certification:
Argentina:Atp /
Australia:G /
Germany:o.Al. /
Ireland:PG /
Singapore:G /
Switzerland:6
(canton of Zurich) /
Switzerland:7
(canton of Vaud) /
UK:U /
USA:PG
Trivia: The Shetland pony, Tucker (Dustin Hoffman), had to be painted brown during filming
because his real coat turned gray for the winter. Everyone was so surprised, but the animal trainers did a
little touch-up with brown dye.
|
User Comments:
Predictable but enjoyable,
8 January 2005
Author:
illucianlux
from United States
Yes, it's stereotypical, and no, it doesn't reach or even approach the experience of Babe, but it is a fun
flick, and one I feel is worth a matin�e ticket if you're at all intrigued. I have to give kudos to
the filmmakers for using real zebra sounds and vocalizations for Stripes; little details like that can make
or break a talking animal film for the viewers who actually know a bit about the animals featured in a
film...and hey, is it really too much to ask for a zebra to make zebra noises? There is some amount of potty
humor, especially concerning the flies and the Jersey gangster pelican Goose, but it wasn't as much as I had
assumed from earlier reviews.
There certainly are better movies out there, but the kids will enjoy this one, and the kid in me did.
It was predictable, but comfortingly so, and sometimes it's nice to just sit back, suspend disbelief, and
have a non-taxing movie experience where talking, wisecracking animals deliver lessons in life, like how
being different isn't a bad thing, real winners are those with the heart to try, and success is often due to
the support of those around you. And I do have to admit that one scene near the end brought tears to my eyes,
much to my own surprise.
|
