The thrilling, pulse-quickening world of thoroughbred horse racing comes to life in this story of 1973's Triple Crown winner, owner Penny Chenery and trainer Lucien Laurin. Based primarily on the book "Secretariat: The Making of a Champion", the movie's real intensity comes from Diane Lane's strong performance as Chenery, a woman who left her city life to take over her ailing father's money-losing horse stables. John Malkovich, too, puts in another strong stand here as Laurin, who helped to create the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time. The film was directed by Randall Wallace, the screenwriter of "Braveheart," who also wrote a song for the film. While everyone knows the ending to this historic sports story, the facts behind the racehorse's multiple wins are both revelatory and rewarding.