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The Fighter

Based on a true story

This true-life story follows “Irish” Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a welterweight boxer living in the working-class town of Lowell, Massachusetts during the early ’90s. Mickey -- labeled a “stepping stone” in the boxing ring -- lives in the shadow of his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), a former boxer who is known round town as “The Pride of Lowell” for a famous losing bout in which he supposedly knocked down the great Sugar Ray Leonard in the ring before being defeated. Dicky is Mickey’s idol and his trainer -- little brother heeds whatever big brother tells him to do. The boys’ mother Alice (Melissa Leo) works as Mickey’s manager, making Mickey’s career a nice tight family operation -- one that has already hit the rocks and is falling apart. Dicky is a full-blown drug addict; Alice is a drinking, chain-smoking dragon-mother who is still living off the glow of Dicky’s expired fame. Mickey can’t seem to navigate his way through this quagmire of dreams, obligations, family and loyalty -- that is, of course, until he meets Charlene (Amy Adams), a local barmaid who wants to help Mickey get his head on straight. However, despite all the drama and chaos surrounding him at the end of the day Mickey Ward can only be a champion if he himself decides to step up and be one -- inside and outside the ring. The Fighter is a rare movie in terms of its quality, but it is certainly even more of a rarity within the sports drama sub-genre. Tales of athletic conquest lend themselves so easily to the dramatic side of cinema, yet David O. Russell, along with his exceptional cast, has managed to craft a sports drama that is actually more of a stripped-down dark comedy about the delusions and realities of fame, fortune and success in America. Sure, the basic framework is the same as that of Rocky Balboa’s story (with Massachusetts grit substituting for Philadelphia grit), but it is the shape and tone of the flesh laid over those bones that distinguishes The Fighter from so many other movies like it. This film is a character piece, pure and simple. While Mickey’s stumble and ultimate rise through the boxing ranks provide the narrative arch, the film is focused squarely on the players riding along for the journey -- Mickey, Dicky, Alice, and Charlene. It’s clear that Russell came across this story and recognized the value of unique and vibrant characters like these (I refer to both the real-life Ward/Eklund family as much as their onscreen counterparts), and not just the generic sports story that has been so thoroughly mined by Hollywood. What we get here are characters who are unapologetically flawed and trashy (even sweet Charlene defines herself as a screw up who partied away her chance at college) -- but they’re also characters who are refreshingly raw, lively, and quite hilarious. The Fighter solicits more hoots and belly-rolling laughs than it does tears or goosebumps -- and while there are a few heavy moments, those moments are never exploited for dramatic weight. Instead of working you over for the emotional payoff, Russell instead lets the audience’s empathy for these characters carry the emotion for him -- no need to hit anybody over the head with meaning. Rather than trying to tug at your feelings, screenplay/story writers Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson and Keith Dorrington make the smart move of injecting life into their characters and plenty of sparks into the whip-smart “colloquial” dialogue traded back and forth like daggers by the main players. The cast (for the most part) do a phenomenal job bringing these rich and crazy characters to life -- a crucial task in a film like this. Thankfully, Russell is working with some of the best actors in the business and they manage to hit the right stride. Kofi Outlaw, ScreenRant.com Official Trailer
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Directed by: 
David O. Russell
Running Time: 
115
Country(ies): 
U.S.A.
Language: 
English
Starring: 
Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams
Screenplay by: 
Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy

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