From the studio that brought you Remember the Titans is another inspirational period piece taking place in bigoted America with a protagonist who faces prejudice and conquers it all. Secretariat is not a knock-off of Remember the Titans, though the similarities between the films general idea is somewhat laughable. To compare the two films any further would be too much accreditation to Secetariat, because Remember the Titans is a moving drama about oppression and acceptance, and Secretariat is a watchable drama with little emotional impact.

Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) is your typical housewife with an average American family. Her life takes a dramatic turn when her mother dies. Upon visiting for her funeral, she realizes that her father is no longer in the condition to run the horse ranch that he has owned since she was a little girl. Now, against all the odds and her husbands will, Penny must turn her father’s ranch around; not just for the money, but for the pride. This may sound like an enticing plot, but the story doesn’t come off that way. It just goes along and no tension is really built because all of the issues that arise are so easily resolved.

As obvious and predictable as the film might be, it would be wrong to say that it wasn’t an enjoyable ride. It didn’t do much for my tastes, but for someone who is looking for a drama without any sort of heavy investment would love this. For some people there is nothing better than a movie that will make you happy without much of a thought behind it, and like most second-rate Disney movies, this is one of them.

The features on this Blu Ray are pretty much the bare minimum for a movie like this. There are two background features, Heart of a Champion, and A Director’s Inspiration, which both go over the real life events this film is based on; then there is a technique feature in Choreographing the Races. Aside from the Choreographing… feature, there isn’t much left worth watching. A die-hard fan of the film might be interested in what the director or the people who lived the events have to say, but this isn’t the type of movie to have die-hard fans.

Secretariat is a bare minimum kind of film. It fulfills all the set requirements to make a movie. It doesn’t make much of an impact, but if you are a fan of horse racing, or just in the mood to watch an uplifting story about a woman empowering herself in a time where that was far from the norm than you will be satisfied. If you are however, not someone who fits into those categories, this won’t do much for you.