"It played even without syncing... could've saved a lot of money in post," Greenwood hams, lips worming manically over his teeth.
Frederik Du Chau, Racing Stripes' writer/director, laughs. "It's true... the story played well even before the voices were added."
There's a lot riding on Racing Stripes: It's Du Chau's live-action directorial debut (he directed 1998's animated Quest for Camelot) and his first feature writing credit. But more importantly, Racing Stripes is a balancing act of cinematic styles. Like the runaway hit Babe, it's an animal talkie (with voices by Frankie Muniz, Dustin Hoffman, Mandy Moore and Joe Pantoliano, among others) that is also a story about beating the odds, in which a pubescent zebra is pitted against pedigreed steeds in the breakneck culture of Blue Ribbon track racing. Running alongside is the human story, Greenwood's story, of a father and daughter coming to terms with life in the wake
"It's a beautifully heartfelt story... but it was a bit of a trick to juggle the two stories because although they meet at points, they can also exist separately," Du Chau observes. "In another film, either one might have worked by itself. We wanted to be more ambitious than that. It's really down to the voice actors that the talking animal story is so believable.
"As for the human story, it simply wouldn't have worked if the chemistry between Bruce and Hayden [Panettiere, who plays Greenwood's daughter] hadn't been there," he adds. "If you don't believe the story, you can't expect people to be engaged."
It was decided early on that the animals of Racing Stripes would only be able to talk to each other. It's just one measure of an attempt to ground the film in an old-fashioned sensibility. Much of the comedy exists in contrast to heavier themes like bigotry and loss, and the film's pacing harkens to a time of softer sentimental comedies rather than the bombastic spastic pyrotechnics of today.
"There is a point where my character turns a corner in himself and he lightens up," Greenwood says. "Even then, I think there's this reluctance to give in completely to the moment. He's still weighed down with responsibility and that's a very real conflict to have. It was a crucial aspect of what made me want to take the role.
"Truly, [my character] is the anchor of the story," he adds. "You need to ground the story in some sort of reality. Everyone else is providing so much froth that it's really left to me to keep the fantastical aspects from floating away with the film. If you think of it in terms of kites, the stronger it is on the ground the crazier and higher it can fly."
Though Greenwood seems pleased to have helped keep Racing Stripes' hooves in the sod, he admits the experience wasn't without its drawbacks.
"[This shoot] was the only time a co-star has ever bitten me or knocked me to the ground and kicked me repeatedly," he says. "The next time I work with a group of actors, I'll definitely get there a few weeks early and soften them up by feeding them warm milk from a bottle."
Racing Stripes
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