a Truly Moving Picture

Rating: 10/10 (18 May 2005)

I saw this film on May 17th in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival that screens films for their Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture "...explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life." Heartland gave that award to this film.
The impact of this film on the viewer is as powerful as Rocky and Million Dollar Baby. While all three films have boxing and love of the underdog as a common theme, this movie is much more. The backdrop of the movie is Depression-era America around NYC. And you are taken back to this depressing and hopeless time of willing, hard-working, idle, discouraged, poor people.
The threesome of Russell Crowe, as the fighter Braddock, and Renee Zellweger, as his wife, and Paul Giamatti, as his manager were Academy-Award worthy. They professionally played their parts and let the story be the real star.
Braddock is a down-on-his-luck aging and hurt boxer who can no longer box and can no longer find enough work to support his wife and three kids. By a twist of fate, he is given another chance to fight, and his career begins again.
Braddock and his wife display low-key dignity and honor that we wish we all had. They are good spouses, parents, neighbors and citizens without "showing off." While this is a serious drama, it has a lot of light humor throughout the picture that is entertaining and appropriate. Director Ron Howard does a wonderful storytelling job and has kept directorial tricks to a minimum. The fight scenes were the most real I have seen in any movie.
This is film-making at its best.
FYI - There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past winners going back 70 years.