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Racing Stripes
Available
on DVD and video on June 16th Racing Stripes is the story of a baby zebra
who is left behind when a travelling circus departs during a shocking storm.
Soon Nolan Walsh comes across the abandoned foal and takes him home to his
small farm. Raised by Nolan's daughter Channing he is named Stripes
and upon coming across the neighbouring thoroughbreds and racetrack decides
he wants to be a racehorse - no one has told him he's a zebra not a horse.
Channing has always wanted to ride in races but her father refuses to let
her mother couldn't be saved after a tragic fall.
With the
encouragement of all the barnyard animals things somehow fall into place for
both to have the opportunity to take on the thoroughbreds in the time
honoured Kentucky Open.
The idea
for the film came about when executive producer Steve Wegner and Dave
Schmidt were at the races and wondered what if a non thoroughbred wanted to
be a racehorse. The story developed further with director Frederick Du
Cahu and Kirk Di Micco and became Racing Stripes.
Best known
for Malcolm in the Middle Frankie Muniz was chosen as the voice of Stripes
while Bruce Greenwood plays Nolan Walsh and Hayden Panettiere as Channing.
The owner of the elite throughbreds Clara Dalrymple is played by Wendie
Malick best known as Nina on Just Shoot Me with Woodzie the trackwatcher
played by M Emmet Walsh.
The
shetland pony Tucker is voiced by Academy Award winning actor Dustin Hoffman
while Whoopi Goldberg is the nanny goat Franny. Joe Pantoliano is a
voice of Goose the Pelican with Steve Harvey and David Spade voicing Buzz
and Scuzz the horse flies. Mandy Moore is Sandy the showjumping filly
and Jeff Foxworthy is the barnyard rooster Reggie while Snoop Dogg is the
bloodhound Lightning.
Filmed in
South Africa the producers decided to try and use Zebras for the main role
knowing that they had the backup of CGI and effects but animal trainers
thought it could be done with the actual animals. Two zebras named
Columbia and Zoe played the baby Stripes while 8 mature animals were used
for the mature Stripes. Zena is the one you see lying on the ground
and pulling the plough while Sammy and Daisy were the two used for the
ridden scenes.
Renown
horse trainer Heath Harris was involved in the Blue Moon race scenes where
they had 40 horses stand there while the zebra walked between them and in
the end most of what is on screen is real not special effects.
Tucker was
played by three ponies named Austin Powers, Mini Me and Ben Hur. Mini
Me was used where Tucker was running while Austin Powers had most of the
scenes with other animals and Ben Hur is seen rearing at one point in the
movie. Franny was played by three goats Jazz Rapper and Hip Hop all of
whom had been used in South African commercials before. Goose was
played by Mr Penelican who was found at a rehabilitation centre before
joining a fair in Cape Town. Four roosters were used as Reggie while
an Arabian called Anushka played Sandy and Sniffer was Lightning.
The
thoroughbreds were trained to perform by Heath Harris and 80 racehorses were
used in total. They also had to be taught to tolerate the zebras
during filming and to slow down in the race scenes.
The Walsh
farm was film on a 600 acre Riverholme Farm which used to be a stud farm.
The farm house and racing stables were built there by the production crew.
Scottsville racecourse
Pietermaritzburg near
Durban was used as Turfway Park and everything that was needed to make it
look like Kentucky was built.
Sting and
Bryan Adams provide a song each for the movie. Bryan Adams has a new
song It Ain't Over Yet written with Gretchen Peters and Eliot Kennedy which
is used in the scenes as Stripes trains for the big day with shots of how
the thoroughbreds train. Bryan Adams was previously involved with a
film soundtrack when he was featured throughout the animated film Spirit
Stallion of the Cimarron. While Sting's new song Taking the Inside
Rail is heard in full at the close of the movie.
Racing
Stripes is an entertaining family movie. The barnyard animals can talk
(though of course the humans can't understand them) and hatch various plans
to help Stripes reach his goal. Adults may question how prized
thoroughbreds can get out of stables and wander the countryside or how a
stud stallion in Sir Trenton is free to advise his son as a foal and later
racing colt but small factors such as this should be overlooked in enjoying
the tale of the zebra with an ambition to be a racehorse. One thing to
look for during Bryan Adam's song is the thoroughbred 'Sauna Suit'!
The DVD
also has plenty of extra features resulting in over three hours of
entertainment. Included is an alternate ending, an interesting piece
on how using computer animation they make the animals talk, training the
animal actors to perform for the camera and for Sting and Bryan Adams fans
short interviews with both about writing the two main movie songs (both
songs are played during the credits) plus interactive features.
The movie
is available from major DVD & video retailers.
© Cyberhorse 2005 Jenny Barnes
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