It's Who You Are

You all know I've been excited for the new Disney movie Secretariat to be released.  I saw it at BlogHer in August, in Boston in September and just recently with my kids at our local cinema.  Loved it all three times.

Excited to see that it is doing well in theatres.  I truly recommend seeing it in the theatre.  I can't imaging the shots from the Jockey's angle will feel the same at home.

Anyhow, I really like the song that leads into the ending credits.  My daughter is 8.  She has been singing on stage since she was 4.  She asked me to look up the song when we got home.  So I did.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like a Secretariat soundtrack has been released.  I found a video on YouTube though.

Until I saw the video, I didn't realize the girl singing the song is the actress who plays Penny's daughter Kate in the movie, Amanda (AJ) Michalka.  Nice touch, Disney.

I've noticed a number of mean comments on YouTube saying the song is cheesey and the singing is horrible.  One even says Amanda is ugly.  WTH is wrong with people?!  It's OK to not like the song, but do they have to be so mean spirited?  Personally, I like the song, find the country twang appropriate for the setting of the movie and think Amanda is gorgeous.  So there.

It's Who You Are is a great Disney song for a great Disney movie.  The topic is one my 8 year old daughter can sing.  I love that.  Do you know how hard it is to find a current song that isn't about break ups and love and inappropriate topics for her age?  Trust me, it's next to impossible.  She sings in local talent shows and is getting a little bored with Star Spangled Banner and Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Anyhow.  Just wanted to see what you all think of the song.  And... see if you have any song suggestions for my daughter.  She loves, loves, loves Taylor Swift but her songs are too mature for her to be singing in public right now - at least I think so.  Before you recommended it... she's not a fan of The Climb by Miley Cyrus.  Any others out there?

Secretariat follow up

Regular Mommycosm readers know, I got to see a pre-release screening of the new Disney movie Secretariat while at BlogHer in August.  I loved it and declared it to be a Must See Movie of Fall.

I am also hosting a Secretariat Prize Pack Giveaway including a hat and t-shirts.  The deadline is coming up.  Enter by midnight on 10/8/2010.  You might not know it yet, but you're going to love this movie and will totally want a "Team Secretariat" shirt.

Disney generously offered me free tickets to bring my family to see another advanced screening down in Boston.  Unfortunately, I couldn't bring the kids because it was 7pm on a school night.  In Boston.  However, I took Jake, his parents, his sister and my brother in law.  They all loved it as much as me and finally understood why I've been so excited for everyone to see it.

Also, I think I enjoyed it more the second time around - if that is at all possible.  Don't take my word for it.  Check out what my family had to say about Secretariat:

Secretariat is a great "feel good" story centering on believing in yourself and the people you trust. The cinematography is breathtaking and the story moves along at a captivating pace. Enjoyable were several subtle camera angles where you realize they are from the horse's point of view.
You won't go wrong betting on the movie Secretariat!

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Felt myself galloping on the horse and had to look around to be sure the seats were not being moved. It was all me.

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I love that even though I knew how the story would end...,The movie sucked me into the mystery of the moment.

Loved, Loved, Loved the GIRL power message, and how Penny eventually succeeded despite all the nay sayers surrounding her.

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Loved the scene where Penny communicates with Secretariat. His eyes are full of expression, the camera caught magnificent muscle power in Red's body- you could easily fall in love with him.

Secretariat behind-the-scenes featurette

If you're new to Mommycosm, let me catch you up to speed.  I watched an advanced screening of the new Disney movie Secretariat while at BlogHer back in August.  I LOVED it and declared it to be a Must see movie of Fall 2010.

I am hosting a Secretariat prize pack giveaway for Disney here at Mommycosm.  You can enter to win through opening day, October 8, 2010.

OK - caught up now?

Want to share with you a new Secretariat behind-the-scenes featurette released by Disney.  It's called Penny's Story: Against all Odds.  Truly, Penny's story is the heart of the movie.  I must say, Diane Lane was fabulous as Penny.  Fabulous.

I cannot wait to see Secretariat with my family!  If you live in the Boston area and would like to see an advanced screening, I may still have a few tickets for Monday, October 4, 2010 at 7pm.  Leave me a comment with your email if you are interested in going with me.

This is not a sponsored post.  Please read my disclosure policy if you have further questions.

Giveaway: Secretariat prize pack

Remember when I went to BlogHer in NYC and got to see an advanced screening of the new Disney movie Secretariat?  I got to meet director Mark Ciardi also.  It was such a great experience.  I declared Secretariat to be a Must see movie of Fall 2010. 

Well, guess what?  I woke to temps in the 50s and walked the kids to their bus this morning.  Fall is almost here!  The movie's October 8th release is right around the corner.

I was in a movie theater last night and saw the large poster in the lobby for Secretariat.  It gave me the chills.  I loved this movie so much and cannot wait for the rest of the world to see it so we can actually talk about it.  I haven't been this excited about a movie in a very long time.

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, watch:

If you're hesitant to see this because horse movies aren't your thing...trust me, this isn't just a movie about a horse.  It resonated with me on many levels as a woman, wife and mother.  Moms will love it, kids will love it and there is enough action to keep dad's attention, too.

My friends at Disney have offered a fabulous prize pack for one Mommycosm reader.  It includes a Secretariat men's, woman's and youth tee as well as a hat.

Want to enter?  It's easy.

Leave a comment in this post through opening day, October 8, 2010.  1 comment per person please.

For bonus entries:

- Follow @Mommycosm and @SecretariatFilm on Twitter and tweet the following: "I entered the @SecretariatFilm prize pack giveaway at @Mommycosm. Have you? http://bit.ly/aIGbSP" Come back to this post and leave a comment with the link to your tweet.

- Like Secretariat on Facebook.  Come back to this post and leave a comment telling me you did so.

All comments must be posted by midnight (eastern US time) on October 8, 2010.   I will choose a random winner on October 9, 2010.  Disney will send the winner their prize pack.  Easy, right?

Disney offered to provide one prize pack to a Mommycosm reader in exchange for this post.  I was not compensated to host the giveaway.  Opinions, as always, are my own.  See my Disclosure policy.

Update on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at 07:31AM by Mommycosm

And the winner is....

Comment #16...

Congratulations, Rebecca Graham :)

Thank you to everyone for participating.  I hope you get the chance to see the movie soon.  It really is fabulous!  If you do, come back here to share your thoughts.

Must see movie of Fall 2010: Secretariat

While in NYC for BlogHer 2010, I was invited to attend a private screening of a new Disney movie called Secretariat to be released in October 2010.  (Thank you SherrieMae23!)

The only thing I knew about the movie before attending: Secretariat was a Triple Crown winning horse back in the 1970s.  Honestly, it didn’t sound like a topic that would be of great interest to me...I was a bit, um...meh about it.  Now that I've seen the movie, the trailer gives me goosebumps.

Get this.  The invite included a meet and greet with producer Mark Ciardi after the screening.  He also produced Miracle and Invincible; I thought both were pretty good.  I had somewhat low expectations about the movie itself, but the meet and greet enticed me.  Seriously, how often do you get to meet a movie producer?  Little ‘ol me from east nowhere New Hampshire can answer: not so much.

So, of course I pulled myself away from the conference and went.

Let me tell you, I LOVED Secretariat.  LOVED it! 

It was such a beautifully filmed movie.   The story was less about the horse and more about its owner, Penny.  Both the story and character resonated with me on so many levels.  This movie is truly special and one the whole family will enjoy.

I read somewhere that a good movie will tell a story, but a great movie will make you feel the story.

Gotta tell you... Secretariat is a GREAT movie.  I was feeling it.  I am not a crier, but I caught myself teary-eyed multiple times.  As a mom, Penny’s story touched my heart.  The one-liners were right on and hilarious.  Knowing it is based on a true story just makes it that much more inspiring.

To steal from one of my dad’s favorite lines: I laughed. I cried. It became a part of me.

As for the meet and greet, the producer was such a nice person.  Very down to earth.  Very real.  Very warm and welcoming and actually cared about what us Mom bloggers had to say.  I walked away in love with the experience.

Check out the photo we took with Mark Ciardi:

I am to the right sporting my lime green Energizer polo.  I know Nicole from Momtrends is on the left.  If anyone else from the picture is reading this, please let me know and I can give you a proper shout out and link.

Disclaimer: I was given a free ticket to see Secretariat, but was not asked for a review or anything else in return.