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By November 1928, Jim Braddock (Russel Crowe) has gained the monicker "Bulldog of Bergen." Not
only is be a promising contender for the heavyweight championship. He also can support his wife Mae (Renee Zellwegger) and their three children in comfort. But
within a few years his fortunes dramatically decline as the Great Depression in the U.S. deepens. He loses some matches so badly because of a broken right hand that he
loses also his boxing license. With unemployment at its peak, he is able to get a job only at the docks slinging sacks of grain with his left hand. He and his
family experience real poverty with hardly anything to eat and with no heat in the dead of winter. When his former manager Joe Gould (Paul Giamatti) arranges a bout with
a heavyweight contender for only $250 at short notice, he decides to fight and wins to everybody's surprise. His work has so strengthened his left hand that he has
developed the deadly left hook. This victory leads to others and eventually he is pitted in the heavyweight championship in 1933 against Max Baer (Craig Bierko), the
much favored boxer who has killed two opponents in the ring. Jim has now become the Cinderella Man to the American masses, one who has "died" and risen as if from the
ashes, the symbol of all their hopes.
Based on the rags-to-riches true story of the 1930's famous prizefighter Jim Braddock,
Cinderella Man, despite its title, is far from being a fairytale. Its well choreographed boxing sequences are not only physically brutal but also emotionally
compelling. Exciting to aficionados of this sport, the picture qualifies as a worthy successor to other great boxing films like the Oscar winners Rocky and
Million Dollar Baby.
With its grim realism, this feel-good movie can be a tear jerker in some scenes. Among the most poignant is that episode when Jim is so desperate that he begs from his ex-colleagues to raise money to reconnect the electricity. After essaying roles like that of the introspective Dr. Nash in the
Beautiful Mind and the firm and tempered master and commander in another movie, Russell Crowe has proven again his versatility and sensitivity in his portrayal of
a determined boxer in the ring but who exudes goodness and gentleness with much transparency in other facets of his life.
Paul Giamatti and Renee Zellwegger also give impressive performances. Director Ron Howard deserves mention. The production design and effective use of lighting capture very well not only the physical milieu of the Depression Era but also its despair.
Despite some strong language and boxing violence, Cinderella Man is an inspiring story
that delivers its message without ambiguity.
It puts a premium on love, especially love between husband and wife and love of parents for their children. In Jim Braddock's book, he fights not so much for glory of self as for the well being of his family. In good times and bad, he retains his equanimity, his even temper and his love for family. He shows his wife much understanding just as his wife remains ever so loyal and loving in the worsening family crisis. Parents can see how firmly but gently Jim rebukes his son when he steals a sausage. He demonstrates the value of honesty to his children by looking for an honest way to support them. Though he has his own troubles, there is compassion left in his heart for others as he donated part of his winnings to an emergency center. Jim's story is a story of courage, hope and faith. Despite all dire predictions he does not waver in his quest for a better life for his family. Faith stands out in the moviefaith in each one and in God. The many people in church praying for Jim on the day of the fight show their faith in God's intervention in human affairs.
While the movie has many positive values, it also raises some serious questions about the
handling of sports professionals like boxers. Is it just that the boxer who risks his life and suffers all the physical pain gets little money and often remains
miserably poor, while the organizers who have less to lose get more of the benefits and become wealth?
Is the killing of a contender in the ring allowed? Sports are supposed to be entertainment, but when death in involved, doesn't it become "legalized murder"? Are safeguards and rules enough to prevent this from happening? Perhaps, there is a need to have a closer look at the existing structures and practices in sports (not only in boxing) so as to accord our sports professionals justice as well as the incentive to do better in a cleaner, kindlier world.
(Date Reviewed: 16 September 2005)
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