SECRETARIAT

Gentle Readers,

If you need a movie the entire family can watch and enjoy together over Memorial Day weekend, then I recommend Secretariat. You won't have to fast forward past anything or put your hands over the kids' eyes and over Grandma's ears.

Secretariat, while not a brilliantly made movie, is certainly inspirational and fun, although I thought gospel music for a horse was a bit cheesy. This is a Disney movie, though.

You will definitely want to point out to the children and some men that the good ole' boys made fun of Penny Chenery for being a lowly housewife who thought she could have a winning race horse, but win Secretariat did. You can also look at actual footage of Secretariat online. I particularly enjoy his win in the Kentucky Derby.

I remember watching Secretariat win the Triple Crown when I was but a wee lass. Every race was thrilling.

With older children, you could also teach them a bit about film making and the fact that true stories are not always the truth. Filmmakers embellish or leave out information to add to the intensity of the story or make it flow more smoothly. For example, Secretariat did not save the Chenery's stable. Riva Ridge had done so the previous year. But it is true that the stud fees for Secretariat paid the inheritance tax when Penny's dad died. Penny Chenery was also one very well educated "housewife."

I guess that makes it a good time to talk about the importance of education, then.

So I think Secretariat can give you and the fam a lot to talk about and have fun with. And oh my goodness, you can also tell the kids not to do what Lola just did -- end a sentence with a preposition.

Shame on me.

Infinities of love,

Lola