The film, a behind-the-scenes look at several trainers' efforts to get their horses into fighting shape for the brief contest, lacks the depth or context to make it compelling.
Comment
05/15/08
The First Saturday in May (2008)
69 %
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted: 26
Fresh: 18
Rotten:8
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Consensus: This touching documentary about the horses and trainers behind the Kentucky Derby leads up to the two most exciting minutes in sports.
Theatrical Release:Apr 18, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: 40,000 horses are born each year. Only 20, however, will make it to the gate in the Kentucky Derby. Known as ʺthe most exciting two minutes in sports,” the Kentucky Derby is racingʹs... [More]
Director: Hennegan Brothers
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Reviews for The First Saturday in May
Top CriticThe movie has more heart than art, but it's unfailingly genuine.
04/25/08
The filmmakers emphasize the disparate personalities of the trainers, who can taste victory with every stride of the beautiful animals with whom they work, groom and feed.
04/25/08
The video is dully and cheaply shot, but the Hennegans are lifelong racing fans with family ties to the sport, and their infatuation with the derby is infectious.
04/25/08
Top CriticIt sure inspired me to make plans for Emerald Downs.
04/24/08
The First Saturday in May digs in its heels with acute portraits of six trainers, including a paralyzed ex-cyclist in California and an MS-stricken Lexington native who works for the royal family of Dubai.
04/24/08
Top CriticGranted sweep and stature by the triumph of the legendary Derby winner Barbaro and the big shadow cast by his tragic destiny, pic successfully elaborates on the sorts of color pieces that traditionally precede the race on television.
04/22/08
Top CriticIt's got its share of characters, plenty of triumphs, and a Shakespearean tragedy at its core. When it comes to drama, that's a hard combination to beat.
04/21/08
The horses' quest for the Kentucky Derby is supposed to be the big-picture idea, but there isn't a whole lot of horse footage--too much standing around in stalls waiting.
04/18/08
Top CriticFrom the breezy essence of Michael Matz to the frankness of Frank Amonte, each trainer has a story and ambition to get to the top. The goal of the filmmakers is not only to promote their favorite sport but to bring more people into the power of it.
04/18/08
The reason I don't love the Kentucky Derby documentary The First Saturday in May is because it's about a bunch of dull people who keep blocking our view of beautiful, fascinating horses.
04/18/08
The story isn't just about the result, but rather a look at lives and hopes that are part of our American culture.
04/18/08
Top CriticFor anyone with an interest in racing, First Saturday is a sure bet.
04/18/08
Top CriticHorse-racing fans will likely just find fun and nobility here; others may find a too easy façade stripped bare and ugly. Fate intervened in this film. Perhaps it was trying to tell us something.
04/18/08
Top CriticAll-consuming passion and the ways in which it works positively and negatively in the lives of six horse trainers is brought to the screen brilliantly in the new documentary The First Saturday in May, an inside look at the run-up to the 2006 Derby.
04/18/08
Top CriticAs the filmmakers tell us at the beginning, 40,000 Thoroughbreds are born every year, but only 20 make it to the Kentucky Derby. Thus starts the movie's confusion about whether it is a documentary about the horses or their human competitors.
04/18/08
Never [coalesces] into a greater portrait and tending to cancel each other out. Sometimes a story does need a star.
04/18/08
Top CriticAudiences watching the scene in which Matz coaxes his young son into petting the powerful horse will be every bit as touched emotionally as the horse on screen is physically.
04/18/08
...once the Hennegans begin their build to the final race, everything false into place with a quickening intensity towards 'the most exciting two minutes in sports.'
04/18/08
While competently made and an overall enjoyable experience for those with a less-than-passing interest in racing, the film will likely be only of interest to the deep-rooted fan.
04/17/08
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