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The film has other weaknesses, too, from its one-dimensional villain—Clara Dalrymple (Wendie Malick), the heartless, aristocratic chairwoman of the Kentucky Open, who makes a very improbable but all-too-Hollywood last-minute bet with Nolan at the climactic race—to its selection of music, which includes a Bryan Adams track that sounds like a leftover from the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron sessions. In matters like these, the film treads safely where many other filmmakers have gone before. Then again, for the children who are this film's target audience, all the old conventions must seem pretty new, still. Racing Stripes never pulls ahead of the pack, but it's good for a few laps around the track.

1. Zebras, we are told, are not natural racers because they have not been domesticated or bred for the purpose the way horses have been. What role do nature and nurture play in shaping our abilities? Is it possible to rise above the circumstances of our birth? If so, how?
   
   
2. What do you make of the relationship between Stripes and the other racehorses? Do you think the younger racehorses secretly respected Stripes all along? How were they influenced by the opinions of the older racehorses? Who was more gracious—the animal that won the race, or the animal that lost? Or were they about equally gracious?
   
   
3. Do you think the horseflies were justified in attacking that one horse during the race? Were they giving Stripes an unfair advantage, or evening the odds? Does it matter whether the horse had been very unfair to Stripes during the race prior to that point?

Racing Stripes is rated PG for mild crude humor and some language. Much of the humor involves excrement and flatulence of the barnyard variety. A couple of male horses also admire a female horse's "flanks." The pelican makes a number of references to mafia and gangster movies that will probably go over the heads of most children (e.g., he tells one horse his head will end up in somebody's bed some day, a la The Godfather).

Photos © Copyright Warner Brothers

The star of TV's Malcolm in the Middle, Frankie Muniz, plays a very different character in Racing Stripes. He supplies the voice of an abandoned zebra who believes he's a racehorse and follows his dream to the Kentucky Derby, coached along by barnyard buddies and a young girl (Hayden Panettiere). Director Frederik Du Chau tries mixing animation and live-action in the tradition of Babe, and the resulting reviews aren't bad, but they're not exactly raves either.

Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) says it's "nowhere near as interesting or entertaining as the two Babe movies, but it is probably better than Cats & Dogs, if only because it has a fair bit of heart and takes place in a natural world that people of all ages can relate to. [The movie] may have its problems … but in its own modest way, it is a fun, charming little family film that should keep the kids happy while giving parents a chuckle or two."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says, "Though its crowd-pleasing ending is never much in doubt, the film is a fun and lively ride right out of the starting gate and should leave the competition in the dust. The film imparts a positive message about acceptance and overcoming challenges by believing in yourself."

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