Why we can't wait to see ''Seabiscuit''
THE STORY Based on Linda Hillenbrand's book ''Seabiscuit: An American Legend,'' the movie tells the true tale of a racehorse and a broken-down prizefighter-turned-jockey (Tobey Maguire) who came out of nowhere to capture the imagination of Depression-era America.
THE GOODIES Besides the web-slinging star of2002's biggest movie, ''Seabiscuit'''s cast also boasts recent Oscar winner Chris Cooper as the horse's trainer and shoulda-been-an-Oscar-contender Jeff Bridges as Seabiscuit's owner. The movie reteams Maguire with writer/director Gary Ross (''Pleasantville''), who knows his Americana.
CREATIVE CASTING Bridges' wife is played by Elizabeth Banks, briefly seen alongside Maguire in ''Spider-Man'' as Daily Bugle employee Betty Brant.
BURNING QUESTION Can Maguire carry a big, mainstream movie without wearing his Spidey suit?
TREND WATCH Racehorse biopics. In October, Viggo Mortensen stars in ''Hidalgo,'' the story of a 19th-century Mustang known for its prowess in cross-country endurance races.
COULD BE The film that lets Maguire and Ross jockey for Academy Award nominations. Or… a box-office also-ran. Has there been a hit movie about horse racing since ''National Velvet''?
