I consider Big Spender a sleeper in the world of horse movies. Few people have ever heard of it. There's already another horse movie called Second Chances, but that would have been a good title for this movie.
Both Eddie Burton, who has spent much of his young life in prison, and Big Spender, a Thoroughbred reject from the race track, are given second chances in this inspiring movie. Unless Eddie turns his life around, he will lose his 8-year-old son, Will.
With a probation hearing coming up, Eddie is given the opportunity to participate in a program through the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Prison inmates help retrain and rehabilitate off-the-track Thoroughbreds. Eddie boasts that he's had a lot of experience with horses, but it quickly becomes obvious that he doesn't know the first thing about them. His first assignment is cleaning stalls. Later, he is instrumental in rehabiliting Big Spender, a former race horse that had been neglected and arrived at the stable near death.
The story of Big Spender in the movie is based on a real hrose, Banker's Jet, who won 28 of 106 races before becoming injured and unraceable. After experiencing neglect, Banker's Jet was rehabilited at a TRF facility at the Wallkill Correctional Institute in New York.
Seeing Eddie's posture when he rode Big Spender for the first time made me laugh out loud. But the movie also contains parts that will make you cry. The movie is fairly predictable, but still good.
Cautions:
Although, I like this movie, it's not suitable for younger ones. I heard three "bad" words - hard a##, pi##ed off, and he##. Also one "swear to God." Eddie was involved in three fights, two at the prison and one at the stable, but nothing gory or prolonged.
My Rating for the Movie: 4
Equine Realism: 4
MPAA Rating: PG
Time (minutes): 95
Year: 2003
