Great Rags To Riches Story

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 2007)

This movie surely has to be counted as one of the great rags-to-riches stories in history, made more poignant by its basis in fact and more entertaining by the superb performances of the actors. Going into the movie I wasn't particularly familiar with James J. Braddock. I knew he had been the heavyweight champion of the world but knew nothing about his personal life and struggles. This movie certainly filled those gaps. The film offers a grittily realistic portrayal of life in the Great Depression as Braddock (Russell Crowe), once promising but now no longer able to box, struggles (and usually fails) to find enough work to support his wife Mae (Renee Zellweger) and children. He eventually descends from unemployment to welfare to begging just to pay the bills. The struggle was put into even greater perspective by some of the opening scenes which make it clear that Braddock and his family once lived a comfortable, middle-class life before the catastrophe hit.
Eventually, Braddock gets another shot at boxing - at first just a one-time shot, as a fill-in for an injured boxer because the promoters couldn't find anyone credible on short notice. Somehow Braddock regains his form and eventually turns that one-shot deal into a shot at the title against the fearsome champion Max Baer (Craig Bierko).
I understand Baer's family was upset with director Ron Howard's portrayal of the man. It's true that he didn't come across as Mr. Nice Guy, but based on some of the criticisms I had heard I was expecting to see Baer portrayed as some sort of sadistic monster. Actually, while he certainly taunted Braddock and said some unpleasant things to Mae Braddock (at least according to the movie) I didn't think he came across that badly. In the scene of the two coming across each other at the restaurant it seemed to me that Baer was portrayed as truly concerned about Braddock. Like everyone else, Baer (who had already killed two men in the ring) assumed that Braddock would not only lose the title fight; he'd lose badly. Baer's real message in that encounter seemed to be "let's find a way out of this because I really don't want to hurt you." It seemed to me that in the end Baer was also portrayed as a gracious loser once his fight with Braddock was over.
I really enjoyed this movie. There's very little to criticize, and it offers the always necessary reminder that no matter how hard you might fall, there's always a chance to get up. 9/10