The Fighter
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo
Director: David O. Russell (2010)
Mickey Ward was a three-time New England Golden Gloves champion boxer who turned pro in 1985, winning his first fourteen fights. The ups and downs of being a local hero in Lowell, MA resembles the great Rocky Marciano (also from MA), but without the ultimate success. Ward had a lot of obstacles to his winning a professional title.
Fighter is a biographical drama about professional boxer Micky Ward (Wahlberg) who was managed by an overbearing mother (Leo) and trained by his older half-brother Dicky (Bale), a former boxer himself who is so strung out on crack as the film opens that he thinks the HBO camera crew that’s following him for a documentary about crack addiction is actually following him to document is “comeback.”
Mired in a largely forgettable, journeyman career, Micky lets his mother and half-brother convince him to take a fight he shouldn’t take, and the resulting beating prompts Micky to retreat from the family — including seven sisters as loud and as obnoxious as their mother — and develop a relationship with Charleen (Adams), whose growing influence doesn’t set well with the family.
Dicky’s drug problems eventually land him in prison, and while Micky takes on a few minor bouts to reclaim his confidence, Dicky sees the debut of the HBO documentary and is stunned to realize that it was about how crack killed his career and not his comeback.
Dicky eventually cleans himself up, but when he gets out of prison the rift remains, and Micky refuses to work with him or his mother. With a new manager and a new trainer, Micky is buoyed by the infusion of stability and resurrects his career. Eventually the family reconciles, and Micky finally gets his title with a match in London to close the film.
Opinion/Review: Bale’s Oscar-winning performance as Dicky has been hailed as one of the greatest in cinema history, and he deserves every bit of that praise. The rest of the cast is outstanding as well; Leo earned an Oscar for her role, and Adams was nominated. Even if you know the story of Micky Ward front to back, this will keep you guessing nonetheless.
Fun Facts: Sports Illustrated called this the best sports movie of the decade. … The Oscars for Bale and Leo marked the first time since 1986 that the same film produced the best supporting male and female actors. … Among other awards, the film was named best sports movie at that year‘s ESPYs. … Bale lost 30 pounds for the film.
