The Champ (1979)

The Champ is a 1979 remake of the 1931 film directed by Franco Zeffirelli (in his American directorial debut), starring Jon Voight, Faye Dunaway and Ricky Schroeder (in his film debut).
==Plot==
Former boxing champion Billy "The Champ" Flynn (Jon Voight) works as a horse trainer in Hialeah, Florida and is raising his young son T. J. (Ricky Schroeder) after his wife Annie (Faye Dunaway) left him seven years ago.
In order to give his kid a good life, Billy comes out of retirement and starts working on his comeback, but things get complicated when Annie comes back into the picture, wanting to be a part of T.J.'s life again.
==Cast==
*Jon Voight as Billy "The Champ" Flynn
*Faye Dunaway as Annie
*Ricky Schroder as T. J. Flynn
*Jack Warden as Jackie
*Joan Blondell as Dolly Kenyon
*Arthur Hill as Mike
*Strother Martin as Riley
*Elisha Cook Jr. as Georgie
*Stefan Gierasch as Charlie Goodman
*Mary Jo Catlett as Josie
==Reception==
"The Champ" received negative reviews from critics and currently holds a rating of 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Vincent Canby from the New York Times gave the film a negative review, saying, "The most offputting thing about such canny, tear-stained movies as The Champ is not their naïveté but their unholy sophistication. These movies don't mean to deal with the world as it really is, but as it should be."
==Theatrical Trailer==
thumb|right|335 px
Category:1979 films
Category:MGM films
Category:Film remakes
Category:United Artists films
Category:American drama films
Category:American sports films
Category:Boxing films
Category:Rated PG
Category:1970s films
Category:Films directed by Franco Zeffirelli