Lesson 12

[Paul Penley]

Paul P's Seabiscuit Anaylsis

What I learned: I'm not sure I understand this assignment. I think I get what we're supposed to do but I'm having a hard time putting it down on paper. THere were a lot of examples of what made the movie profound and how the writers expressed their ideas.

Profound Moments.

1. Everyone needs a second chance. – America needed a second chance. – Seabiscuit, the owner, the trainer, the jockey, the trainer's first lame horse all needed a second chance.

Examples.
Saving a lame horse.
Both Seabiscuit and the Jockey received a "second" second chance. Last race.
Market crash. From buying a horse to a bag of books. (Red's life from riches to rags.)
The shop worker going from spokes to bikes to cars to horses.
Divorce, to marriage.
Red breaking his leg. ( He won't ride again. Red is allowed to ride and wins.
Don't throw a life away because he's banged up a little.

2. Give a little and get a lot in return.

Examples.
America was broke and needed a hand. The President created jobs to rebuild America. It gave men jobs which gave them hope and dignity.
Red needed money. He asked for $10 he was given $20
The little horse to represent the little man. ( Not just a rich man's sport. )
Red lied and didn't tell them he was blind in one eye. He wasn't fired.

3. Sometimes we forget what we're here for.

Example.
Seabiscuit needed to learn how to run again.
Red needed to be a jockey.
The owner needed someone to love
The trainer needed to train horses again.
Americia needed to work and become productive once more.

4. We find the answers to our problems in the oddest places.
Example.

Seabiscuit fixed us. Everyone of us.
The horse who wouldn't give up, helped inspire a nation.
It's not in his feet. It's in here. ( points to her heart. )
The jockey in the last race holding back to help Red and Seabuscuit regain their confidence.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 4 weeks ago by  Paul Penley.

[Jennifer Quintenz-Berry]

Jenn’s Seabiscuit Analysis

What I learned doing this assignment is: This was my first time seeing the movie. I was surprised at the time spent introducing everyone, but even before it became clear that the three men would be united, I found myself wanting them to be together. The relationship between Red and George surprised me as well – they had a friendship that survived Red’s accident: he graciously insisted George ride in his place, then experienced jealousy and feeling betrayed when it looked like he’d never ride again, but pushed through that to get back on the horse (sorry) and then George roots for him in the end. Quite beautiful.

List the Profound Moments, then tell briefly what made them profound for you.

* The son’s toy as visual metaphor, both keeping the memory of his son alive for us, but also when the wife says “I can never keep the ball in the hole” (or similar) – I took from this both that you can’t stop things from changing, and that you have to let things go. Profound for me because I have two sons myself, and as a parent it’s difficult but necessary to let them go their own way as they grow up. You protect them as long as you can, but then you have to give them freedom.

* Multiple similarities between Seabiscuit and Red, from them both being fighters, to them both being underdogs (small horse, big jocky) to their injuries (you don’t throw a life away because it’s banged up) to their recoveries. Profound for me because when they win the race at the end, it shows the power of never giving up.

* The barn as visual metaphor: first it houses his prized cars, then after his son dies in a car accident, he locks that part of his life away. Then he opens the barn back up to house Seabiscuit … so that his new life and his new adopted son can thrive. Profound for me because it shows that life can survive grief.

* The gentleness of the trainer who is so good fixing horses, who gets furious when he learns Red is blind in one eye, and hears his own words given back to him about not throwing away a life because it’s a bit banged up. Profound for me because the trainer, who bonds so naturally with horses, seems reluctant to let himself love people in the same way, but this seems to shift something in him.

* Red’s relationship to George, they are competitors but also friends. It’s a strong, healthy relationship that weathers the grief and jealousy after Red’s accident, and then the acknowledgement at the end when George tells Red to enjoy the ride, knowing he’s going to win – it feels great that there is no resentment there, and that George is genuinely rooting for his friend and Seabiscuit.

~ end

[Paul Penley]

Paul P's Turn Insights Into Actions.

What I learned doing this assignment. This excersize helped me develope a better approach to express my insights.

New Ways and Insights for my audience to experience.

1. Family is all you have. Take care of eachother.
Examples: Father tells Johnny to watch over his brother Billy.
Johnny stands in for a challenge and saves his brother's life.
Billy realizes that his Gang of outlaws has become his family. He tries to save their lives.

2. Hell can be anywhere you make it.
Examples:
The Devil's bowl is a small sample of Hell.
Crossing the river STYXX .
The Spanish Mission is Hell. Below the Spanish Mission is a labrinth of caves. ( a lower level of Hell ) Hell is relevant to your circumstances.

3. Being first to the gun brings more trouble.
Examples:
Johnny shoots Balin and becomes his captive.
Billy shoots the Apache Leader and doesn't learn about the Spanish Mission.
Adam shoots a rattle snake and spooks Goldie's horse. Gets reprimanded.
Billy shoots Capt. Hernandez and must pay the penatly for shedding blood in the Temple of Balin.

4. Your God given talents were bestowed upon you for a reason.
Examples:
Billy is good with a gun. He uses it to get what he wants and to get himself out of trouble.
Billy is always 6 steps ahead. His planning keeps him alive.
Adam doesn't believe in himself. When he develops a plan, it works.
Grace isn't good with a gun but she's amazing with a sword.
Goldie is full of wisdom from his past. He develops his skills and they keep him alive.

5. Be careful of who posseses your soul. You are the captain of your ship.
Examples:
Johnny sells his soul multiple times to get revenge and has no way out of Hell.
Red sells his soul to heal his wounds. Becomes the ward of Lady Lilith.
Wild Bill refuses to sell his soul and dies a horrible death.
Grace's father refused to fight and was torn to pieces.
Goldie refuses to sell his soul and is saved by Billy who sold his soul to Loki.
Grace stays pure and refuses to sell her soul.

6. Forgive your father for his inequalities, his lessons good or bad will last forever.
Examples:
John Sr. died trying to protect his sons. His lessons remained strong in both of his sons and helped them survive.
The Angels betrayed God. Yet they still know his ways.
Grace followed her father to the Mission to save him. She survived on the lessons he taught her.

7. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Examples:
Billy and Johnny are taught to stay six steps ahead. They continue to use it throughout their adult hood and it keeps them alive.
Billy plans an alternative escape route in the Mexico City robbery. They escape.
Goldie recognizes Billy's plan to distract the crowd during his Duel with Johnny. You're Six if you're two!!
Billy distracts Lord Balin with an empty gun to get close enough to impale him with an iron spike.

8. Even the most evil of beings experience fear.
Examples: The most evil beings in Hell, fear their maker.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 4 weeks ago by  Paul Penley.

[Jennifer Quintenz-Berry]

Jenn Turns Insights Into Action

What I learned doing this assignment is: This will be a great tool for seeking greater depth in scenes that don’t have it yet. I started brainstorming profound moments for some of the key character introductions, or significant events they go through, and found some new and deeper ways to construct the action.

List of New Ways/Insights
Insight: Vulnerability Can Create Connection
Insight: Vulnerability Can Be Drawn Out Through Unexpected Approaches
Insight: Not everyone will try to “fix” you, some will meet you where you are
Insight: I’m not as powerless as I thought.
Insight: Real love isn’t just about holding on; it’s about recognizing when letting go is the most loving choice.
Insight: I can’t wait for others to fix this—I must take the first step.
Insight: I can choose how this ends.
Insight: Relationships Require Effort, but it’s worth it
Insight: First Impressions Can Be Misleading
Insight: Losing someone doesn’t erase the love we shared.
Insight: Being a strong person isn’t about never feeling pain—it’s about letting yourself feel it and moving forward anyway.

Turning New Ways/Insights into Action

Insight: Vulnerability Can Create Connection

Action: Carrie, despite her rough exterior, makes the first move to connect. She shares a raw personal story, perhaps about her own near-death experience or a loss she’s suffered. This is not framed as oversharing but as a direct response to Taylor’s attempts to emotionally wall herself off. Taylor doesn’t respond immediately but is visibly taken aback. Later, when Carrie isn’t around, Taylor notices a photo or object related to Carrie’s story, making her see Carrie in a new light. Taylor sees how Carrie’s willingness to be vulnerable builds trust between them. Inspired by Carrie’s action, Taylor finally opens up about her guilt over Sydney, letting herself cry in front of someone for the first time.

Insight: Vulnerability Can Be Drawn Out Through Unexpected Approaches

Action: Riaz doesn’t start with the usual “tell me about your symptoms.” Instead, he pulls up a chair and asks a surprising question, like, “What’s the one thing you wish someone understood about what you’re going through?” Taylor, initially skeptical, tries to brush it off with a sarcastic remark, but Riaz waits patiently. His willingness to sit with the silence forces her to respond honestly, even if reluctantly. This small action shifts the power dynamic, showing that he’s not here to lecture but to listen.

Insight: Not Everyone Will Try to “Fix” You—Some Will Meet You Where You Are

Action: Taylor starts by listing the same complaints she’s told every other doctor, expecting Riaz to respond clinically. Instead, he surprises her by saying something empathetic yet practical, like, “That sounds exhausting. What would make it easier for you right now?” The question catches her off guard because it’s focused on her experience, not just the symptoms. This approach disarms her, and for the first time, she hesitates, realizing he’s not here to impose solutions but to understand her.

Insight: I’m not as powerless as I thought.

Action: Taylor complains about the dull decor, and Carrie challenges her to take action. Instead of dismissing the idea, Taylor surprises herself by persuading an orderly or staff member to smuggle in paint or other decorating supplies. Together, Taylor and Carrie transform their room into something vibrant and personal. The process itself (sharing stories, making a mess) bonds them, and the end result makes the space feel more like home. The act of physically changing her environment mirrors Taylor’s growing realization that she has the power to affect her circumstances, even if it’s in small ways. The collaboration with Carrie strengthens their connection and gives Taylor a sense of agency.

Insight: True love isn’t just about holding on; it’s about recognizing when letting go is the most loving choice.

Action: Taylor and Riaz share a deeply vulnerable moment, maybe after Taylor has a breakthrough with her condition or an intense lapse that Riaz helps her recover from. In the aftermath, their emotional connection is undeniable, and they almost cross the line—a lingering hand touch, a near-kiss. Riaz stops himself and retreats. Later Taylor asks if they can have an honest conversation: After a shared moment of tension, Taylor looks at Riaz and says, “If we met anywhere else, at any other time, this would be different, wouldn’t it?” He nods but doesn’t speak. His silence says everything. Taylor finishes for him, “But we didn’t. And we can’t pretend that doesn’t matter.”

Insight: I can’t wait for others to fix this—I have to take the first step.

Action: Taylor finds a janitor’s closet full of broken furniture and lamps and things – she asks why they’re sitting there, Dominique says they havn’t got the time or money to fix them. Taylor is frustrated – she overhears an older gentleman patient talking about being an electrical engineer. She asks him to fix the broken things (lamps, chairs, etc) in the facility. The fixed objects becomes a source of pride for the man, and other people come to him to fix things of theirs. Fixing something symbolizes the belief that we can repair our own lives, even in small ways.

Insight: I can choose how this ends.

Action: Taylor must choose between two outcomes: One option saves Sydney, but at the cost of Taylor’s life; the other allows Taylor to survive but she will always know she could have done something to save Sydney. Taylor’s choice demonstrates her ultimate control over the story, as she stops being reactive and instead becomes the architect of her own destiny. Taylor delivers a speech (perhaps the toast scene we’ve discussed), recounting her journey from powerlessness to agency. The speech itself isn’t just about what happened but how she’s rewritten her relationship with herself. Her confidence radiates her transformation.

Insight: Relationships Require Effort, but it’s worth it

Action: Carrie sets boundaries right away, rearranging the room. Taylor’s initial reaction is annoyance, but she doesn’t push back. Carrie notices a habit of Taylor’s that signals her emotional isolation (retreating into books). Without calling it out directly, Carrie does something bold or unexpected, like purposely pulling the bookmark out so Taylor loses her place. When Taylor snaps or reacts, Carrie responds lightly, showing she’s unbothered by Taylor’s anger: “Good! You’ve got some fire in you after all.” This shifts Taylor’s perception of their dynamic, making her feel less fragile and more capable of connecting.

Insight: First Impressions Can Be Misleading

Action: Taylor hears footsteps and, assuming it’s Carrie, launches into a complaint or sarcastic remark without looking up. When Riaz answers with calm professionalism, she’s caught off guard and looks up to find him observing her with a mix of curiosity and empathy. She immediately sizes him up, expecting him to be just like the other doctors, and makes a cutting comment about how none of the others have been able to figure her out. Instead of reacting defensively, Riaz surprises her with a disarming response like, “Good thing I like puzzles.” This subtly shows he’s not intimidated by her resistance.

Insight: Losing someone doesn’t erase the love we shared.

Action: The man who fixes the lamps and is a hero dies one night in his sleep. The group comes together to remember him, and though Taylor is afraid of going, expecting it to be full of grief, she shows up and finds people laughing, sharing stories of how this man brightened their lives. Someone could see her confusion and tell her that losing someone doesn’t erase the good times you shared with them.

Insight: Being a strong person isn’t about never feeling pain—it’s about letting yourself feel it and moving forward anyway.

Action: During a session, Taylor becomes visibly frustrated with her own progress—saying something like, “Why does it still hurt? Shouldn’t I be over this by now?” Riaz gently pushes her to stop fighting the pain and accept it. “This is part of you now. Feeling it doesn’t make you weak—it proves you’re alive.” Taylor realizes strength isn’t about avoiding the pain—it’s about feeling the pain and not letting it cripple you.

~ end

[Mark Roeder]

Mark Roeder’s Seabiscuit Analysis

What I learned doing this assignment is the injuries to both Red and Seabiscuit make it look impossible for Red to ever ride him, which make the ending surprising, yet inevitable, and makes simple moments like Red lacing up his boot before the race more profound and emotional.

PROFOUND MOMENTS:

A toast to the future, then stocks crash on October 29. VO says people had a new definition of home. And shows people sitting outside by fires, rundown houses, cars.

Tom sits on a train in a box car. Profound because it shows how poor he is now I think.

Red is boxing. That’s what he’s forced to do now, to get beat up.

Red sips his soup, then VO says they called it relief. What it really was is for the first time in a long time, someone cared. You weren’t alone. This is profound building a parallel between people in that time during the depression getting relief and Red getting relief.

Red pulls ahead in the race, then wins for the first time. This is profound partly because of the build up to the excitement of this moment.

Profound moment when Charles says Red is Seabiscuit’s jockey now and forever. Because it means he has faith in him no matter what.

Profound moment when Red’s dragged by horse after he falls, then slams into wall. Why? Cause he didn’t just fall, he was dragged.

Seeing families and everyone listening to the race on the radio is profound because it shows so many people care about Seabiscuit and Red and this race.

George rides Seabiscuit into the finish line, ahead. What made it profound is probably holding Seabiscuit back first, as Red suggested, casting just a bit of doubt, then letting him go and seeing the expressions on Elizabeth’s face.

Seabiscuit tears a ligament. Red senses it and calls them concerned. Seabuiscuit’s not gonna race again they say. That’s profound because we care about this horse now and everyone involved with him.

Red eats a big, hearty meal. This is profound because it contrasts when he just sipped the soup before, and shows his appetite now that he rode Seabiscuit again for the first time after their injuries.

“Just let him ride, Charles” Elizabeth, his wife, says, when Charles is worried about Red dying like his son did.

Profound when Red laces up his boot to ride. Why? Because his legs been broken, and Seabiscuit’s been injured, and we thought this would never happen.

Profound when Red rides Red out runway toward stadium because they’re going to race.

George, Red’s jockey friend that rode Seabiscuit, is at the starting line on a competing horse, and says he himself doesn’t have a chance. It’s profound how supportive George is of Red even when he’s racing against him.

Red’s leg hurts as he rides at start of race. Why is that profound? Showing what a struggle this is.

When Red passes George, George says “have a nice ride.” George has always been supportive of Red for whole movie, not even seeming to care about himself as much.

[Mark Roeder]

Mark Roeder Turns Insights Into Action

What I learned doing this assignment is to get into the action to express the new ways.

1. New Ways:

Supportive
Fights for her panda.
Part of a team
Caring
Good mother
Insightful
Loves her panda with all her heart
Trusting

Insights:
Incisor is Kyo’s father

2. Action

Trusting:

Rosemary stops fighting Kyo and lets him claw her. Stands in the way of humans who aim weapons at him.

Fights for her son Kyo no matter what (even though he triggered an alien invasion):

After they find Kyo sent the signal to trigger the alien panda invasion, a member of Blaze’s team aims Rosemary’s euthanize gun at Kyo. She kicks it out of her hand. It hits a tree. A branch falls off onto a man attacking Kyo. She jumps on the man to fight him off.

Part of a team:

Rosemary helps a sprawled Kyo up. He tucks his head in and she gently rolls him. Kyo rolls beside Rosemary as she runs toward the invading pandas. They roll right through encircling pandas.

One panda claws at Blaze, and Rosemary throws it off. Kyo jump kicks a panda off a woman on Blaze’s team. Blaze, the woman warrior, Rosemary and Kyo run toward Incisor and his panda army that attack men.

One panda drags one of Blaze’s woman warriors to a ship. Kyo leaps at the panda, clawing it with its hind paws. They helps the woman up, barely conscious. But she joins them in their fight.

Supportive/Loves her panda with all her heart:

An alien panda blasts Kyo with a wave gun that obliterates what’s in its path and Rosemary steps in the way. It kills her.

Insightful/Good mother/caring:

Rosemary pulls her son Kyo off Incisor when he’s tearing Incisor to shreds with his claws, with an insight that it would be damaging for Kyo to kill his own father Incisor, and that even Incisor has something special inside him.

[Margaret]

Margaret’s Seabiscuit Analysis

What I learned: Since I started taking the profound class, I have been more sensitive to the subtle messages in movies and realizing how they previously mpacted me as the viewer without realizing it.

Profound Moments:

1. After the comment, “They ought to make a better spoke”, the responspe was “then what would you do.” This left the listener thinking and motivated him to change his life and move west. His comment “dream big enough and have the guts to follow it” reflected his attitude.

2. Visual picture of fences on the prairie and a car coming down the lane reflected the culture was changing. Another visual picture, cars filling the stable, also showed the shift. These visual pictures, along with the line, “the future is in the finish line, this is just the start of the race” leaves you feeling that what we consider our stable environment is subject to change.

3. Visual picture of him dropping the rope to give the horse freedom and the horse settled down: Sometimes we constrict others to control behavior when giving them their freedom is what they need.

4. “We never know how high we are until we are called to rise.” “When the little guy doesn’t know he’s a little guy he can do big things.” “He doesn’t know he’s little” “This is the horse that won’t give up – even when life beats you by a nose”: All of this dialogue points to the limitations we put on ourselves and what we consider “less than.” Sometimes we just need to give them the opportunity to rise.

5. In response to, “Why are you fixing him?” – “Every horse is good for something” – This them is repeated with “You don’t throw a whole life away just cause he’s banged up a little.” “This is a theme that is profound – akin to “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”

6. After his son died, he padlocked the barn with the cars. After buying the horse, which he had previously stated, ” I wouldn’t pay $5 for a horse”, he moved the cars out of the barn and got it ready for the horse. It showed him doing away with past regrets and moving forward.

7. Visual picture of horse bucking and Red fighting along with dialogue, “It ain’t just the speed, it’s the heart. Somehting that won’t run from a fight.” – This along with the visual picture of both Seabiscuit and Red limping yet going forward gives a profound message of the fighter’s heart is what it takes to be a winner.

[Margaret]

Margaret Turns Insights into Action

What I learned: I could use A.I. to brainstorm with me for this assignment. My insights were there in my outline, I just didn’t recognize them, but A.I. did.

New Ways/Insights with potential Actions to express them:

1. Insight: Ordinary people can be extraordinary heroes Action: The scene where Lise, despite believing she “talks too much,” uses her chattering ability to distract a Nazi officer and save Suzanne. Instead of seeing her tendency to talk as a weakness, she transforms it into a strategic strength that directly saves a child’s life.
2. Insight: Resistance is an act of deeply personal moral courage Action: The moment Margot rips off a button from the doll before handing it to the Nazi officer – a small, silent act of defiance that shows how resistance isn’t always about grand gestures, but about making principled choices in moments of extreme pressure.
3. Insight: Compassion transcends religious and cultural boundaries Action: The scene where Helene, a Catholic, works alongside Calvinist women to save Jewish children, demonstrating that humanity and empathy can unite people beyond their traditional differences.
4. Insight: Wisdom and strength can come from unexpected sources Action: Marie-Claude’s moment of brilliant deception, pretending to be a bumbling grandmother with dementia while actually being a mathematical genius who designs complex resistance codes – showing how perceived vulnerability can be a powerful form of resistance.
5. Insight: Hope can be sewn into the smallest of things Action: The recurring motif of the rag dolls themselves – simple objects transformed into lifelines for children, with each stitch representing a potential escape, each button a coded message of survival. The final scene where Margot continues to create dolls in her shop, with resistance messengers coming and going, symbolizes how hope is a continuous, creative act.

[margo meck]

Margo Turns Insights into Action

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” I think this assignment just confirmed my view on this medium that the point is to “show not tell” through dialog. However, I also learned that the Action could be emphasized by reiterating it through dialog.

New Way One: Proud of her accomplishments.
Action: When we meet Brandi, she doesn’t have a driver’s license (even though she is 18). Her only transportation is her bicycle. She studies for and gets her license. She swaps her bicycle for a motor scooter. She is proud of her accomplishment and a new sense of independence.

New Way Two: Brandi becomes a national figure not a small town nobody.
Action: She shows a natural talent for para-surfing and begins competing. Through hard work, dedication, and grit she works her way up through the ranks of competing at the national level.

New Way Three: Congenial camaraderie with peers instead of being shunned.
Action: When almost the whole small town finds out Brandi is the product of incest, they shun her. Her new peers and fellow competitors accept her. She has a new-found camaraderie.

New Way Four: Brandi is respected for who she is not what her parents did.
Action: Her skills in para-surfing blossom. Her new community respects her for her abilities as she moves up through the ranks of this competitive sport.

New Way Five: Brandi creates her own narrative.
Action: When Brandi loses the only future she could foresee, she moves out of her mother’s home and starts building a life of her own.

[margo meck]

Margo’s Seabiscuit Analysis

What I learned doing this assignment is…?” I learned some of the differences between an event being emotional and it being profound. I will claim this as my “Breakthrough” for this week :o)

There were many many emotional scenes in this film, but there weren’t that many scenes that were actually profound for me. Here are a few of them:

1 When Smith stopped the white horse from being shot for having a fractured foot. Later this action is put into dialog: “You don’t throw a whole life away just ‘cause he’s banged up a little.” This was profound for me because it seems that throwing away a life happens too often in the modern world including a person throwing his/her own life away. This scene hit me hard.

2 The “He fouled me” scene was profound for me. Red was compelled to fight back instead of focusing on the big picture of winning the race. This was profound for me because there was a time in my life when it was more important to “be right” than to see the big picture. Red was “fighting” for the wrong thing. One of the “Truths” of the film might be: “Keep your eyes on the prize.”

3 Smith says about Seabiscuit: “He’s forgotten what he was born to do. He just needs to learn how to be a horse again.” This was profound to me because this seems to happen too often in life. We get beat down and lose any notion of what we were “born to do.” Smith has some ideas about what they need to do to help Seabiscuit “learn how to be a horse again.” Where is our manual about how we can find our way and get back in the race?