Originally Posted by GenuineRisk
There's drama there, but it's in Riva Ridge's story. If Disney hadn't been so convinced it had to be a horse the general public (vaguely) had heard of, they could have had a nice little movie about love and sibling rivalries and parents loving their "kids" for who they are. You'd still have to fictionalize a lot, but Riva's story has more of an arc to it naturally. Maybe something like:
Act 1: Farm in trouble, Riva Ridge comes along, saves farm, public sees him as the best chance to break the Triple Crown curse. Penny falls in love with the ugly racehorse, rejoices in his celebrity. Horse adores her right back.
Act 2: Riva fails at TC, due to wet Preakness, has terrible second half of 3-year-old season. Along comes a real super horse, who, ironically, is also owned by Penny. Penny tries to like Secretariat, but can't, because he's outshining her favorite. Riva wins no awards, while Secretariat gets Horse of the Year.
Act 3: Riva pulls it together for 4-year-old season, Secretariat becomes even bigger star. On eve of Belmont states, Penny learns to celebrate what Secretariat is doing for racing, happy about TC, and can accept it wasn't to be for Riva. Public clamors for the 2 horses to meet. Penny desperately wants Riva to beat Big Red, but, before race, realizes Secretariat races for himself, but Riva races for her, and win or lose, if she loves him, that's all that matters to him (yeah, I know, but again, Disney movie). Riva loses to Secretariat in Marlboro Cup, Penny politely leaves winners' circle with Secretariat to go see Riva Ridge, saying to the press "I respect Secretariat but I love Riva Ridge." Which is the headline on some fictional sports article that comes out the next day.
Now, see, Disney? Is that so hard? And then some kid who saw the movie and later comes in third in the second-grade spelling bee comes home all depressed about not winning and her parent says, "But you did your best! You were just like Riva Ridge!" and the kid says, "But Riva came in second in the Marlboro and I came in third." And the parent says, "Don't you mouth off to me you little know-it-all" and then smacks the kid and Child Protection Services is called and that becomes a movie, too, but not for Disney; for Lifetime Telelvision.
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