“Seabiscuit” has all the components of a story American movie makers salivate over.

There’s a classic underdog, climactic race track scenes with scads of cheering onlookers and three strong, charmingly flawed characters played by capable actors. And all of this is based on a true story brought to the forefront in the best-selling book of the same name by Laura Hillenbrand.

And yet, it suffers the plight of many Hollywood films: overdramatization. Soaring music by Randy Newman strategically accompanies scenes in a blatant attempt to tug at the heartstrings. Lines of dialogue are repeated (just in case you missed it the first three times) to drive home themes of forgiveness and redemption.

However, the underlying story is so genuinely compelling, I can forgive director and screenwriter Gary Ross for the excess.

“Seabiscuit,” set in the early part of the 20th century, parallels the Great Depression and the movie effectively illustrates this connection through historic photos and narration by David McCullough, more commonly known for narrating PBS documentaries.

The film begins with the introduction of the automobile and the rise of Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) from bicycle repairman to million dollar Buick businessman. It then transitions to Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), a frontiersman on a disappearing frontier, and finally Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire) the jockey who would ride Seabiscuit to glory. Seabiscuit himself doesn’t make an appearance until well into the first hour of the film.

These three men, though from alarmingly different backgrounds, work together to form an unlikely partnership that blends beautifully. Bridges, Cooper and Maguire each embody their roles with the adaptability of seasoned actors. Bridges plays the showman, Cooper invests Smith with soft spoken wisdom and Maguire captures Pollard’s fiery energy. Though they aren’t exactly friends, this is a partnership built on respect and trust and is the foundation of the film. Ross takes time to develop each man’s character before moving on to more exciting action: horse racing.

The film is flawlessly shot by cinematographer John Schwartzman, capturing the wide expanse of the West that Smith called home, as well as the stifling confines of the factories on which Howard would build his success. Then there are the stadium scenes with the cacophony of the crowd, the guttural rumbling of hooves mixed with the earnest radio announcer’s call and photographers’ flash bulbs. Ross makes you feel as though you could have been there standing in your seat, hands clasped in anticipation rooting for homely Seabiscuit to best the superiorly bred War Admiral and beat the odds.

Other characters provide the film some sophistication and sly wit in the form of Marcela Howard (Elizabeth Banks), Charles’ second wife, and radio announcer Tick Tock McGlaughlin (William H. Macy).

Taking a look at some of director/writer Ross’ previous films, “Pleasantville,” “Dave,” and “Big,” which deal with ordinary people dealing with extraordinary circumstances, it’s not surprising he was attracted to the story of Seabiscuit. Ross is clearly skilled at bringing out the hero in the underdog.

Cliched though it may be, if there is one characteristic Americans value over others, it is heart – the determination to persevere through tragedy, to look your worst enemy in the eye and triumph in a battle of wills. Despite some faults, “Seabiscuit” certainly has it.

“Seabiscuit”Rated – PG-13

for some sexual situations and violent sports-related images

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper and Tobey Maguire

Director: Gary Ross

Length: 140 minutes

Now playing at: Astoria Gateway Cinemas

Short take: Director Ross takes the story of the unlikely race horse Seabiscuit based on Laura Hillenbrand’s book and sentimentalizes it the Hollywood way. However, even that doesn’t take away from some superb acting, pounding race sequences and a genuinely terrific story.

Rating: 3 stars

Rating system:

4 stars: Absolutely the best

3 stars: Good, solid entertainment

2 stars: Wait for the video

1 star: Don’t waste your time

Movie Trivia: How many horses shared the role of Seabiscuit in the film?

Movie Trivia answer: Ten horses shared the role of Seabiscuit.