Racing Stripes is a 2005 American sports comedy family film directed by Frederik Du Chau. The film was produced by Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Lloyd Phillips and Edward L. McDonnell, and written by David Schmidt, from a story by Schmidt, Steven P. Wegner, Kirk DeMicco and Du Chau. The film tells the story of Stripes, a circus zebra who is accidentally abandoned in Kentucky and raised on a farm next to a racetrack. Believing he is a racehorse, Stripes dreams of training for and competing in a horse race. The film stars Hayden Panettiere, Bruce Greenwood, Wendie Malick and M. Emmet Walsh, with the voice talents of Frankie Muniz, Mandy Moore, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jeff Foxworthy, Joshua Jackson, Joe Pantoliano, Michael Rosenbaum, Steve Harvey, David Spade, Snoop Dogg, Fred Dalton Thompson, Dustin Hoffman and Whoopi Goldberg. Racing Stripes was released theatrically on January 14, 2005, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $90 million worldwide.
Plot During a thunderstorm, a traveling circus, Circus Sarano, inadvertently abandons a young plains zebra after replacing a flat tire. The foal is rescued by Nolan Walsh, a Kentucky widower and former racehorse trainer, and taken to his farm, where he is named "Stripes" by Nolan's teenage daughter Channing and meets a Shetland pony named Tucker, a goat named Franny, and a rooster named Reggie. The next day, Stripes becomes convinced that he is destined for the nearby racetrack, Turfway Park, unaware that he is a zebra and is not qualified. A pair of thoroughbred foals named Trenton's Pride and Ruffshodd challenge Stripes to a race, but Pride's father Sir Trenton notices and forbids them to play with Stripes again. Three years later, after losing to the mailman in their race, an adult Stripes meets an Arabian filly named Sandy and develops a crush on her. Stripes is then approached by Pride, Ruffshodd, and Sir Trenton, and Pride challenges him to a race at a secret racetrack in the forest called the Blue Moon Races, which Stripes ends up losing. The following day, Tucker, having watched Stripes in secret, approaches him and suggests that he gets proper training first. Stripes chooses Channing for his rider and convinces a pelican named Goose to sabotage Channing's motorcycle and 'Old Blue', Nolan's old pickup truck, so that Channing can ride him to her workplace at Turfway Park. The plan works, and Channing, with Nolan's reluctant approval, rides Stripes to Turfway Park. There, Channing is antagonized by her boss, Clara Dalrymple, for bringing Stripes to the racetrack, while Stripes himself meets a pair of horsefly brothers named Buzz and Scuzz. At night, Channing, remembering her first horseback ride with her late mother Carolyn, completes a lap around the track with Stripes. They are approached by Woodzie, a racetrack gambler and old friend of the family, who encourages Channing to sign herself and Stripes up for a tryout race the next day. She agrees, despite Nolan's disapproval stemming from Carolyn's death in an accident years ago, which discouraged him from horse-training, but Stripes gets scared by the starting gate and gets hit by flying dirt while running, causing Channing to fall off. Although she is uninjured, Nolan chastises Channing, but he defends her when Clara ridicules Channing's riding skills. Clara responds by sarcastically signing Stripes up to compete in the Kentucky Open. Meanwhile, Stripes finally realizes that he is a zebra after being told off by Sir Trenton, which severely discourages him. Despite Channing's pleas and Woodzie's encouragement, Nolan refuses to let his daughter race Stripes. Realizing this, the farm animals lure Nolan into the barn to show him a table with pictures of his past accomplishments, and he changes his mind. The following day, due to Stripes' misbehavior during training, Franny reveals to Stripes that Tucker helped Nolan train many racehorses, including Sir Trenton, without getting any thanks, which encourages him to begin training. Refusing to let Stripes race, however, Sir Trenton and several thoroughbreds ambush him and Sandy at a creek at night while they are making up for their previous argument, and they kidnap Sandy, intent on hurting her if Stripes races, and knock the latter unconscious. The next day, after finding Stripes and waking him up, Tucker, Franny and Goose agree to rescue Sandy for him. With help from Buzz and Scuzz, they succeed in doing so and return in time for Stripes to go to the race. At the race, Nolan makes a deal with Clara that he will buy Sandy if Stripes wins, but will come back to work for her if he does not. During the race, Ruffshodd and his own jockey attempt to stop Stripes and Channing, but Scuzz gets them disqualified by biting Ruffshodd's rear end. Later, Stripes starts wearing out, until he finally remembers Tucker's advice: "Don't look back. Leave it all on the track", which boosts his confidence. Stripes wins the race in a photo finish and earns his respect from Pride and the other horses. In the end, they all come together in a group photo, which is later shown with the past Walsh wins.
Cast
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
