Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that the boxing scenes are intense, featuring slam-cuts, close-ups, brutal sound effects, and images of bloody, beaten flesh. The boxer and his family (including three young, adoring children) suffer poverty, cold winters with no heat, and hunger. Characters smoke, drink, use some language ("Go to hell"), 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, the underdog fighter -- too old, too small, and too out of practice -- returns to the ring, triumphant as if by sheer will and determination.
Families who see this movie can discuss the Great Depression, when many families were unexpectedly poor and afraid. Families might also consider the particular dedication and strength shown by the resilient Braddocks, who resolved to stay together in the face of many setbacks.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Cynthia Fuchs
Both heartening and formulaic, this boxing saga is buoyed by Russell Crowe's often remarkable performance. Based on the true story of James Braddock, Ron Howard's CINDERELLA MAN paints him as an inspiring, utterly sincere and admirable underdog. Initially a mildly successful boxer who falls on hard times (a broken hand, some disappointing fights), Jim learns he's no longer marketable as a fighter; as the Depression takes hold, he can find only occasional work on the docks. Fiercely protective of scrunchy-faced wife Mae (Renee Zellweger) and their two young kids, Jim soon loses his home and, unable to make rent on their tiny basement apartment, swallows his pride in order to go briefly on welfare.
While Jim is surrounded by supporting types played by terrific actors -- good buddy Mike Wilson (Paddy Considine), mutteringly loyal trainer Joe Gould (Paul Giamatti), hard-nosed promoter Jimmy Johnston (Bruce McGill) -- he remains the film's emotional and moral focus, always righteous and worthy, his personal crises mirroring those of his community (one scene shows the aftereffects of a riot and police violence in Central Park, where homeless folks are living in boxes and tents). When he returns to the ring and wins, he becomes a media sensation, a hero for Depression victims. He earns a shot at the heavyweight title, bumped up a weight class since his younger days and facing the arrogant and quite gigantic Max Baer (Craig Bierko), who once killed a man in the ring.
When immersed in Jim's melodrama (courtesy of Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman's hagiographic script), the movie is predictable and deliberate. But the boxing scenes are often stunning, deftly paced, beautifully shot, and eerily subjective. While slow motion lends an overt and familiar poetry to such violence, the more effective shots come faster and more aggressively (and so, perhaps worrisome for younger viewers), punctuated by crowd reactions (some almost as disturbing as the fighters' battered faces). Surprisingly imaginative, these images can be jarring enough to alleviate some of the sappy factor.
Families who like this movie might enjoy the similar story in Seabiscuit or, for more complex portraits of boxers, Martin Scorsese's brilliant Raging Bull, Michael Mann's Ali, even Karyn Kusama's Girlfight. They might also want to check Howard and Crowe's previous collaboration, A Beautiful Mind.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentHusband and wife kiss earnestly. |
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ViolenceBoxing scenes are intense and effectively constructed. |
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LanguageMild. |
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Social BehaviorSome characters pick fights to assert manly reputations. |
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CommercialismBoxer sells "" to media, through interviews. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoCharacters drink beer, smoke cigarettes and cigars. |
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