| The Fighter | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | David O. Russell |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Hoyte van Hoytema |
| Edited by | Pamela Martin |
| Music by | Michael Brook |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by |
|
Release dates |
|
Running time | 116 minutes[1][2][3] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $11-25 million[4][5][6][7] |
| Box office | $129 million[7] |
The Fighter is a 2010 Americanbiographicalsports drama film directed byDavid O. Russell, and starsMark Wahlberg (who also produced),Christian Bale,Amy Adams, andMelissa Leo. The film centers on the lives of professionalboxerMicky Ward (Wahlberg) and his older half-brother and former boxerDicky Eklund (Bale). The film was inspired by the 1995 documentary featuring the Eklund-Ward family titledHigh on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell.[8]
The Fighter was theatrically released in the United States on December 17, 2010, byParamount Pictures, and internationally byThe Weinstein Company. The film grossed $129 million worldwide on a budget of $11–25 million and received positive reviews, with critics praising the cast performances; many commented that Bale's physical transformation, accent, and mannerisms made for one of the greatest performances of that year.
The Fighter earned Bale and Leo awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress at various ceremonies including theAcademy Awards, theCritics' Choice Awards, theGolden Globe Awards and theScreen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations at theBritish Academy Film Awards.
Micky Ward is an Americanwelterweight boxer fromLowell, Massachusetts. Managed by his mother Alice, Micky is trained by his older half-brotherDicky Eklund, a former boxer whose peak of success was going the distance withSugar Ray Leonard in 1978. Addicted tocrack cocaine, Dicky is being filmed for anHBO documentary he believes will be about his "comeback".
On the night of anundercard fight inAtlantic City, Micky's scheduled opponent is ill, and substitute Mike Mungin is a full twenty pounds heavier, almost threeweight classes above Micky. His mother and brother assure him that Mungin is out of shape, but they arrive at the fight to find he is in top condition, soundly defeating Micky. Retreating from the world, Micky strikes up a relationship with bartender Charlene Fleming.
After several weeks, Alice arranges another fight for Micky, who is considering an offer to be paid to train inLas Vegas. He is supported by Charlene and his father George, angering Alice and his seven sisters, but Dicky says he will match the offer to keep Micky with the family. Desperate for money, Dicky has his girlfriend act as a prostitute and robs her clients byimpersonating a police officer, but is interrupted by the actual police. He is chased down and beaten, and an officer brutally breaks Micky's hand when he tries to intervene. Both brothers are arrested and Dicky is sentenced to prison, while Micky is released and washes his hands of Dicky.
HBO airs the documentary, which the incarcerated Dicky and his family are horrified to see is calledCrack in America, depicting how Dicky's life and career have been ruined by his addiction. Dicky commits to bettering himself in prison, while Micky resumes training as his hand heals. George finds a new manager, Sal Lanano, and persuades Micky to return to boxing without the involvement of Alice or Dicky. Alice and her daughters confront Charlene and Micky, who agrees with Charlene that his mother and brother have done more damage to his career than good.
Micky regains his confidence in a string of minor bouts, and is offered a major fight against an undefeated up-and-comer. He visits his brother in prison, and Dicky advises him how best to work his opponent, but Micky accuses him of selfishly trying to relive his own failed career. Micky is nearly overwhelmed during the match, but follows his brother's advice and triumphs, unexpectedly earning a shot at the title.
Released from prison and eight months sober, Dicky returns home to his family and young son, but Micky has promised his team not to involve his brother. A family argument ensues and Micky chastises both sides, before Charlene and his trusted trainer Mickey O'Keefe leave in disgust. Alice urges Micky to spar with Dicky, but Micky angrily knocks him down and chides his mother for having always favored Dicky. Returning to his crack house, Dicky cuts ties with his former friends and seeks out Charlene, telling her that Micky needs both of them.
The team reconciles and arrives inLondon for the title fight against welterweight championShea Neary. With Dicky's guidance and his family watching, Micky scores another upset victory and wins the welterweight title. Dicky credits his brother as the creator of his own success, and an epilogue reveals that Micky retired after a remarkable career and married Charlene, while Dicky remains a local legend.
Scout Productions acquired thelife rights of boxerMicky Ward and his brother,Dick Eklund, in July 2003. Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy were also hired to write the screenplay,[22] which was rewritten byLewis Colick.[23] In an interview with producerTodd Lieberman, he revealed that rapperEminem fresh off the success of8 Mile (2002) was originally the first choice for the role of Micky Ward, however Eminem turned the offer down.[24]Matt Damon was also considered for the role of Micky Ward.[25]Mark Wahlberg joined the production in early 2005,[14] with the intention of doing Ward's life story "justice. We don't want to do any over-the-top, unrealistic fight scenes."[26]The Fighter had been a longtime passion project for Wahlberg, who was a fan of Ward's since his youth growing up in Boston.[10][27]Paramount Pictures, the United States distributor of the film, hiredPaul Attanasio to rewrite Collick's draft in February 2007 in an attempt to emphasize the themes of brotherhood and redemption. Hoping to start production in Massachusetts in June 2007,[23] Wahlberg hadMartin Scorsese read the screenplay, hoping he would direct. Scorsese turned down the offer, finding the Massachusetts-setting redundant after having finishedThe Departed (2006).[28] The actor cited Scorsese'sRaging Bull (1980) as an influence forThe Fighter,[26] but Scorsese was not interested in directing another boxing film.[28]Darren Aronofsky was hired to direct in March 2007,[29] withScott Silver rewriting the script in September 2007.[30] Attanasio was brought back in as ascript doctor film prior to shooting.[31]
"I’ve seen every boxing movie ever made. I’m also a huge fight fan. I fought a little bit when I was younger. Nobody in my opinion, and some of the greatest movies ever made – you talkRaging Bull andRocky I saw 30 times – but the fighting just wasn't as realistic as what we hope to achieve and accomplish in this movie."
— Mark Wahlberg in an October 2007 interview[9]
Damon signed on to play Dick Eklund, but he later dropped out due to commitments to other projects and was replaced withBrad Pitt.[32] Production proceeded with filming set to begin October 2008[12] andChristian Bale replaced Brad Pitt.[4] By then Aronofsky had dropped out to work onMGM'sRoboCop (2014),[33] followed byBlack Swan (2010).[34] After Pitt and Aronofsky dropped out, Wahlberg signed on as a producer to switch the film as a big budget studio picture to an indie film.[35] At one point,Catherine Hardwicke expressed interest in directing, but was told by producers the film had to be directed by a man.[36] Wahlberg and Bale choseDavid O. Russell as Aronofsky's replacement. Wahlberg had also starred in Russell'sThree Kings (1999) andI Heart Huckabees (2004).[4] Aronofsky was given anexecutive producer credit for his contributions onThe Fighter, and was enthusiastic to have Russell as the director.[34] In April 2009,Relativity Media stepped up to entirely finance the film,[37] selling the international distribution rights tothe Weinstein Company (TWC) a month later.[38]The Fighter began principal photography on July 13, 2009, in a 33-dayshooting schedule.[4] The budget was reportedly $11 million, althoughBrad Grey from Paramount disputed that figure and other sources put the budget at $25 million.[4][39][7] The production used Massachusetts'film tax credits to cover parts of the film's cost.[40]
Principal photography took place on location in Ward's hometown ofLowell,Massachusetts. Its boxing matches were shot at theTsongas Center at UMass Lowell, and gym scenes at Arthur Ramalho's West End Gym, one of the real-life facilities where Ward had trained.[5][41] The boxing-match footage was created "in big, choreographed sections that were taken directly from [video of] Micky's actual fights", said Russell. "And we used the actual commentary from [HBO's]Larry Merchant,Roy Jones Jr., andJim Lampley." Russell used "[t]he actual cameras from that era. [They were] a sort ofBeta [video-format] camera that gave a very certain look, and we actually hired the director from HBO and his crew who had done those fights"[5] to replicate themshot-for-shot.[9][14]
To promote the film, Wahlberg appeared on the cover ofSports Illustrated andMen's Fitness, and Bale onEsquire,[17] in November 2010. An advanced charity premiere took place in Lowell, Massachusetts, the setting ofThe Fighter, on December 9, a day before the film's scheduled national release.[42]
The Fighter was released in aBlu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack and standard DVD in the United States on March 15, 2011.[43]
The Fighter grossed $93.6 million in United States and Canada and in other territories it collected $35.5 million, for a worldwide total of $129 million; the film made a profit over its $25 million budget.[7][5]
Review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes givesThe Fighter a rating of 91% based on reviews from 256 critics, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Led by a trio of captivating performances from Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, and Amy Adams,The Fighter is a solidly entertaining, albeit predictable, entry in the boxing drama genre."[44]Metacritic gives the film an average score of 79 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[45] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an A− grade.[46]
.jpg)
.jpg)
Sports Illustrated dubbed the film the best sports film of the decade, and "one of the best sinceMartin Scorsese backlitRobert De Niro'sJake LaMotta inRaging Bull".[47]Richard Corliss ofTime magazine named Christian Bale's performance one of the Top 10 Movie Performances of 2010, saying "In a little festival of tart, savory performances, notably from Melissa Leo as the boys' mother and Amy Adams as Micky's girlfriend, Bale shines the brightest, because he knows that no character, however depraved his status, is only amonster. He finds beauty in the beast".[48]
Several critics commented that underdeveloped characters, particularly those of Micky and Alice, was the main weakness of the film.[49][50][51]Roger Ebert praised the performances of Wahlberg, Bale, Leo, and Adams, but concluded, "Because we aren't deeply invested in Micky, we don't care as much as we should, and the film ends on a note that should be triumph but feels more like simple conclusion."[49]The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt expressed, "The most luminous personality in the film belongs to Adams' Charlene. She too is a woman who takes charge but she does it through strength of character and love. Her bad-girl days are behind her so she understands a thing or two about comebacks: They only work if you see no other option."[50]
Peter Debruge ofVariety wrote, "If 'The Fighter' feels like kind of a mess, lurching from one scene to the next as if the film itself has taken a few hits to the head, that's not entirely a bad thing. Since the story ends well before Micky's career-defining showdown withArturo Gatti, it's just as well that lunatic setpieces allow talents such as Leo — whose wickedly over-the-top turn disguises Alice's cartoonish two-dimensionality — to upstage anything Micky accomplishes in the ring."[51] Though Debruge opined the film is an entertaining one, he said "what’s missing are stakes and soul, with the director's attention split between working-class elegy and white-trash caricature, but missing the big picture."[51][52] In a mixed review, Eric Kohn ofIndieWire commented the film plays "as if Russell and screenwriters Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson couldn’t decide if they wanted to go the 'Rocky' route and emphasize the sport's brutal nature or play up the family's larger relationship issues".[53]
The film received sevenAcademy Award nominations, winning two withBest Supporting Actor for Bale andBest Supporting Actress for Leo, marking the first film to win both awards sinceHannah and Her Sisters in 1986.[54] The film was nominated for sixGolden Globe Awards: Best Picture (Drama), Best Actor (Drama) for Wahlberg, Best Supporting Actress for Leo and Adams, Best Supporting Actor for Bale, and a nomination for Best Director for Russell.[55] The film received three Chicago Film Critics award nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Bale, and Best Supporting Actress nominations for Adams and Leo. Bale won aSatellite Award, theCritics' Choice Award, the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, and the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor. Leo won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2011, Wahlberg was involved in developing asequel,The Fighter 2, which would focus on the legendary fight trilogy between Ward andArturo Gatti.[61] Russell was on board to write the film.[62][63] In 2013,Jerry Ferrara signed on to play Gatti.[64] In 2015, producerTodd Lieberman came out with a statement the sequel is far from over.[citation needed]
filmed on a tight $11 million budget and even tighter 33-day shooting schedule
the $11 million picture—which looks like it cost many millions more
Now on The Fighter, Paramount was developing it and then pulled out. Relativity comes in and cuts the budget by half.
