From all accounts, this is supposed to be a pretty accurate portrayal of Micky Ward, a very mediocre boxer whose primary claim to fame was a trio of bloody fights against Arturo Gatti in 2002 and 2003. As an avid boxing fanatic, I remember watching those classic duels. Despite the relative unimportance of the fights (none had any title implications), they were some of the most spectacular of the decade. Ward won the first and Gatti won the next two. “The Fighter” tells the story up until those fights, only recognizing them in the final credits sequence.
This film is more concerned with the middle third of Ward’s career, as he overcomes a poor slump in the early nineties and beats up some no-name bums on his way to an insignificant WBU belt — a lightly regarded governing body whose titles carry very little acclaim.
If I sound like I am being dismissive of Ward… I am.
The reason for my sarcastic tone is this very film. It tries desperately to make us care about this fighter. It makes great efforts to label him a champion. Not only that… It brings along his ultimately dysfunctional family for the ride — championing them in the process.
If a movie is going to be about a bunch of low-life scumbags, it is essential that it either forgoes judgment altogether or makes the correct judgment. To use a cinematic boxing example, remember how rough Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” was on its subject, Jake LaMotta. However, to request that an audience cheer for those types of people is one of the biggest mistakes a film can make. Personally, I do not appreciate being asked to root for a naive, emotionally weak man, his overbearing and moronic mother, his selfish junkie brother and his skanky toothless sisters.
The only person portrayed in the film with any sense of dignity or character is Micky’s girlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams). There are a few others on the periphery, but the roles are too small to matter.
Listen, I admired the performances — especially from Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg. I cannot fault them for the misguided material However, the screenplay, and ultimately the decisions by director David O. Russell, are to blame. “The Fighter” is about an athlete who never mattered. “The Fighter” is about his inability to separate himself from the trashy family who probably held him back. “The Fighter” is about a quintessentially worthless group of people… And I resent being asked to think of them as heroes.
There are better boxing stories to tell about better fighters and better people.
FINALLY!! A critic who mentions how insignificant Ward was. He never won jack-squat. This film is vastly overrated by some critics. It really gets everything wrong when it comes to making this type of film. The only amazing part of his career was the Gatti trilogy, and it isn’t even shown??????????? This is a forgettable story about a meaningless group of people.
It is strange who people cheer for in this day and age. Think about Kobe Bryant, Michael Jackson, Mike Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Tyson, etc. At a certain point, people should be held accountable for their actions and not given easy passes by the public. Fame and fortune seem to trump violent or disgusting behavior.
Thank you. While I never give in to the opinion of the masses, I can’t deny that it is reassuring not to be the only person that was underwhelmed by “The Fighter” (and I am a Boston man who loves boxing, no less).
It is rather odd that a film about such uninspired and uninspiring people can be so highly praised. I get the strong impression that it will not be a film that holds up over time.