Secretariat (film)

Secretariat
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRandall Wallace
Written byMike Rich
Sheldon Turner
Produced byMark Ciardi
Gordon Gray
Starring
CinematographyDean Semler
Edited byJohn Wright
Music byNick Glennie-Smith
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • September 30, 2010 (2010-09-30) (Hollywood)
  • October 8, 2010 (2010-10-08) (United States)
Running time
123 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million
Box office$60.3 million

Secretariat is a 2010 American biographical sports drama film produced and released by Walt Disney Pictures, written by Mike Rich and Sheldon Turner based largely on William Nack's 1975 book Secretariat: The Making of a Champion, with music by Nick Glennie-Smith and directed by Randall Wallace. The film chronicles the life of Thoroughbred race horse Secretariat, winner of the Triple Crown in 1973. Diane Lane plays Secretariat's owner, Penny Chenery, who takes over the Doswell, Virginia, stables of her ailing father Christopher Chenery despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. With the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (played by John Malkovich), she navigates the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years, widely considered the greatest racehorse of all time.

Filming took place on location in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, and around Lafayette and Carencro, Louisiana. The film premiered in Hollywood on September 30, 2010, and was released in the United States on October 8, 2010, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It received generally favorable reviews from critics and earned $60 million on a $35 million budget.