During the Great Depression a common man’s hero, James J. Braddock, a.k.a. the Cinderella Man became one of the most surprising sports legends in history!! By the early 1930s, the impoverished ex-prizefighter was seemingly as broken-down, beaten-up and out-of-luck as much of the rest of the American populace who had hit rock bottom. His career appeared to be finished, he was unable to pay the bills, the only thing that mattered to him was his family, they were in danger and he was forced to go on Public Relief. But deep down inside, James J. Braddock never relinquished his determination. Driven by love, honor and an incredible dose of grit, he willed an impossible dream to come true. In a last-chance bid to help his family, Braddock returned to the ring. No one thought he had a shot. However, Braddock was fueled by something beyond mere competition and he kept winning. Suddenly, the ordinary working man became the mythic athlete. He was carrying the hopes and dreams of the country!!
The boxing scenes are intense, featuring slam-cuts, close-ups, brutal sound effects, images of bloody and beaten flesh. The boxer and his family (including three young and adoring children) suffer poverty and cold winters with no heat and hunger. Characters smoke, drink, use some language and argue, sometimes vehemently. One character dies from a beating during a scuffle with police. The boxer and his wife kiss earnestly. The film's focus however, is on its inspiring message, namely that the underdog fighter is not, too old, too small and too out of practice. He returns to the ring, triumphant as if by sheer will and determination. 5* (I really liked this movie)
144 min, Biography directed by Ron Howard and written by Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman with Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Craig Bierko, Paul Giamatti, Paddy Considine, Bruce McGill David Husband, Connor Price, Ariel Waller, Patrick Louis, Rosemarie DeWitt, Linda Kash, Nicholas Campbell, Gene Pyrz, Chuck Shamata.
Note: Imdb 8* out of 10* with 175,368 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 80% with 214 critics 91% with 282,229 audience scores, Metacritic 69 out of 100 with 40 critics 8.9 out of 10 with 315 user scores, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, Common Sense Media Cynthia Fuchs, 3* out of 5*, age 14+, 3* drinking, drugs & smoking, 5* violence, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 2519 reviews, Letterboxd 3.6* out of 5* with 101 fans, RollingStone 3 1/2* Peter Travers, dove.org language 5*, violence 2*, drugs 2*, nudity 1*.
Special Note: Rosemarie DeWitt (Sara Wilson) is the granddaughter of the real James J. Braddock. She is the daughter of his daughter Rosemarie who is portrayed by Ariel Waller in this movie. Professional boxers played as James J. Braddock's opponents. They were told to land their blows as close to Russell Crowe’s body as possible. Unfortunately, they sometimes couldn't pull back in time and ended up injuring Crowe. He suffered from several concussions and cracked teeth during the fights. To film the final fight, the seats were filled with 15,000 blow-up dummies with masks and hats as the audience. In real life, after Max Baer knocked out Frankie Campbell in the ring he stayed by Campbell's side for thirty minutes. He waited for the ambulance to arrive and spent time with him and his family at the hospital. He told Frankie's wife how sorry he was. The next day Frankie Campbell was pronounced dead. When Baer heard this news, he broke down in tears.
Mistakes: In 1933, Jimmy Braddock reports a dream of dining at the Ritz with Mikey Rooney. In 1933, Rooney was 13-year-old Mickey McGuire and he starred in a series of comedy shorts. Rooney became a major star and household name in the late 1930s. In the dock yard working scene, a modern-day crane delivers the sacks that Jimmy Braddock loads. When Mae and the kids are stealing wood and see a man leaving his wife, the man walks past a modern blue USPS postal collection box. In the 1930s, the boxes were olive drab colored and more square in shape. When the Braddocks enter the fancy restaurant, the band plays a version of Opus One and this song came out in 1944?
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