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The Fighter

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The Fighter
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid O. Russell
Screenplay byScott Silver
Paul Tamasy
Eric Johnson
Story byKeith Dorrington
Paul Tamasy
Eric Johnson
Produced byDavid Hoberman
Todd Lieberman
Ryan Kavanaugh
Mark Wahlberg
Dorothy Aufiero
Paul Tamasy
StarringMark Wahlberg
Christian Bale
Amy Adams
Melissa Leo
CinematographyHoyte van Hoytema
Edited byPamela Martin
Music byMichael Brook
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • December 10, 2010 (2010-12-10)
CountryTemplate:Film US
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million[1]
Box office$12,602,144

The Fighter is a 2010 biographical sports film directed by David O. Russell, and starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. The film centers on the life of professional boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and his older half-brother Dicky Eklund (Bale). Amy Adams co-stars as a love interest of Ward. The Fighter is Russell and Wahlberg's third film collaboration, following Three Kings and i ♥ huckabees.

The film was released in select North American theaters on December 10, 2010 (limited) and is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2011.[2]

Plot

As a welterweight from the wrong side of the tracks, Irish-American Dicky Eklund is the pride of working class Lowell, Massachusetts. Living in his shadow is his half-brother and sparring partner Micky Ward. After fighting Sugar Ray Leonard, Eklund plunges into a nightmare of crack addiction, violence and prison. His family's hopes are crushed in the wake of Dicky's decline. Like a real life Rocky, Micky fights on his own terms and pulls his family out of despair with his meteoric rise in the ring. Freshly paroled Dicky finds redemption training his little brother, now known as "Irish" Micky Ward, for his Welterweight Championship bout with Shea Neary.

Cast

  • Mark Wahlberg as "Irish" Micky Ward: Wahlberg elected to star in the film due to his friendship with Ward, based on their separate inner-city working class Massachusetts upbringings[3] of being in families of nine kids. Wahlberg also was a huge fan of Ward's, calling him a "local sports hero."[4] The actor was also attracted to the film's central theme, of having an ordinary person in "an against-all-odds story," which he previously explored in Invincible.[5] To mimic Ward's habits and mannerisms, Wahlberg had him "on set, watching me every single day."[6] During pre-production, the Ward brothers temporarily moved into Wahlberg's home.[1] To add to the film's realistic nature, Wahlberg refused a stunt double and took real punches during the fight scenes,[5] which resulted in him nearly getting his nose broken a couple of times.[4] Wahlberg underwent a strict bodybuilding exercise regimen, dedicating over four years of training to obtain the muscular physique to convincingly play Ward. "The last six movies I did I was also secretly preparing for The Fighter at the same time," the actor continued, "so I would leave three hours early for work and go to the gym and spend three hours there. I would bring the trainers with me on every movie that I did."[7] His uncertainty over the film's development was overruled by his persistence to get the film made. "There were certainly times where I would wake up at 4:30 in the morning, you know, my trainer would ring the bell, and, 'Oh God,' I'm like, 'I better get this movie made.' You know, 'Kill somebody if I don't get this movie made.'"[4] Wahlberg hired Freddie Roach as his boxing trainer, helping the actor model Ward's specific fighting style.[5] The last two years of Wahlberg's training resulted in the construction of a "dream gym" in his house for daily use, with a personal boxing ring.[8] He received additional boxing preparation from Manny Pacquiao.[9]
  • Christian Bale as Dick "Dicky" Eklund: After both Brad Pitt and Matt Damon dropped out due to scheduling conflicts,[3] Wahlberg suggested Bale for the role after meeting the actor at a preschool their young daughters both attended.[10] Given Eklund's drug addiction, Bale had to lose weight, which he found easy as he previously went through the task of losing sixty-three pounds in 2003 for The Machinist.[11] Bale researched the part by taking notes on Eklund's mannerisms and recording conversations[10] for the character's distinct Boston accent.[1] Director David O. Russell believed Bale's task involved far more than mimicry. "Dicky has a whole rhythm to him, a music. Christian had to understand how his mind works." Russell and Eklund were both impressed by Bale's dedication to staying in character throughout filming. "High On Crack Street" is a documentary made by DCTV that depicts Dicky Eklund's life in the 1990's.[10]
  • Amy Adams as Charlene Fleming: Russell said of the actress, "There are very few things that a director can have at his disposal better than an actress who's dying to break type and is extremely motivated to break type. Amy was extremely motivated to play a sexy bitch and that's who the character of Charlene is. ... She said, 'As long as it happens between action and cut, I'll do anything." And I said, "That's my kind of actress.' I loved that she had that attitude."[12]
  • Melissa Leo as Alice Eklund
  • Jack McGee as George Ward
  • Frank Renzulli as Sal LoNano
  • Mickey O'Keefe as himself: O'Keefe, Micky Ward's former trainer, plays himself in the film. He was also a boxer in his younger years before training Ward. Having trained Ward for the comeback of his boxing career, Wahlberg insisted O'Keefe play the part to capture the realness and intensity of someone who knew fighting and who knew Micky and Dicky. O'Keefe, who never acted, was hesitant at first, but Wahlberg told him he could do it because as a police officer, he has to act and think fast on his feet. O'Keefe was also chosen for his "Movie Star" good looks, his patience in dealing with people, and his aversion to using profanity. [13] He is still an active Lowell police officer today.
  • Chanty Sok as Karen, Dicky's crackhead girlfriend
  • Erica McDermott as Cindy "Tar" Eklund
  • Melissa McMeekin as "Little" Alice Eklund
  • Bianca Hunter as Cathy "Pork" Eklund
  • Dendrie Taylor as Gail "Red Dog" Eklund Carney
  • Kate O'Brien as Phyllis "Beaver" Eklund: One of Ward's foul-mouthed sisters. She is talk show host Conan O'Brien's sister. The Fighter marks O'Brien's film acting debut. [1]
  • Jenna Lamia as Sherri Ward
  • Imdad Miah as Terry Mason
  • Jill Quigg as Donna Eklund
  • Caitlin Dwyer as Kasie Ward, Micky's daughter
  • Anders Meader as Fight security
  • Joshua Dugay as Young Dicky Eklund
  • Bruce Sullivan as Visiting room Prison Guard

Sugar Ray Leonard makes a cameo appearance as a commentator in the Ward/Mungin match and when Dickie encounters him in the hall afterwards.

Production

Scout Productions acquired the life rights of boxer Micky Ward and his brother, Dick Eklund in July 2003. Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy were also hired to write the screenplay,[14] which was rewritten by Lewis Collick.[15] Mark Wahlberg joined the production in early 2005,[8] with the intention of doing Ward's life story "justice. We don't want to do any over-the-top, unrealistic fight scenes."[16] Paramount Pictures, the United States distributor of the film, hired Paul 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,[15] Wahlberg had Martin Scorsese read the screenplay, hoping he would direct. Scorsese turned down the offer, finding the Massachusetts-setting redundant after having finished The Departed.[17] The actor cited Scorsese's Raging Bull as an influence for The Fighter,[18] but Scorsese was not interested in directing another boxing film.[17] Darren Aronofsky was hired to direct in March 2007,[19] with Scott Silver rewriting the script in September 2007.[20]

"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 talk Raging Bull and Rocky 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[3]

Production proceeded with filming set to begin October 2008[6] and Christian Bale replacing Brad Pitt.[1] By then Aronofsky had dropped out to work on MGM's aborted RoboCop remake,[21] followed by Black Swan.[22] Wahlberg and Bale chose David O. Russell as Aronofsky's replacement, believing he had the capability of adding humor out of tragedy in "the most disturbing of situations" for storyline. Wahlberg had also starred in Russell's Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees.[1] Aronofsky was given an executive producer credit for his contributions on The Fighter, and was enthusiastic to have Russell as the director.[22] In April 2009, Relativity Media stepped up to entirely finance the film,[23] selling the international distribution rights to The Weinstein Company a month later.[24] The Fighter began principal photography on July 13, 2009, filmed on an $11 million budget in a 33-day shooting schedule.[1]

The movie was filmed on location in Ward's hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts. Its boxing matches were shot at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, and gym scenes at Arthur Ramalho's West End Gym, one of the real-life facilities where Ward had trained.[12][25] 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. and Jim Lampley." Russell used "[t]he actual cameras from that era. [They were] a sort of Beta [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"[12] to replicate them shot-for-shot.[3][8]

Release

To promote the film, Wahlberg appeared on the cover of Men's Health magazine,[8] and Bale on Esquire,[11] in November 2010. An advanced charity premiere took place in Lowell, Massachusetts, the setting of The Fighter, on December 9, a day before the films scheduled national release.[26]

Reception

Critical response

The Fighter has received critical acclaim. Critics have praised the performances of Wahlberg, Bale, Adams and Leo. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 89% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 141 reviews, with an average score of 7.8/10. The critical consensus is: "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." [27]

Sports Illustrated dubbed the film the best sports movie of the decade and "one of the best since Martin Scorsese backlit Robert De Niro's Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull."[28]

Box office

In an attempt to avoid competition from The Tourist, Paramount changed the film's December 10 opening to a limited release, moving the wide release to December 17, 2010.[29]

Accolades

Christian Bale won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor.[30]

The film was nominated for six Golden 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. [31]. The film was nominated for four SAG awards, Best Supporting Actor for Bale, Best Supporting Actress for Adams and Leo, and Best Ensemble. The film received three Chicago Film Critics award nominations, Best Supporting Actor for Christian Bale, and Best Supporting Actress nominations for Amy Adams and Melissa Leo.

Awards
Ceremony Award Category Name Outcome
Hollywood Foreign Press[32]
Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama Pending
Best Actor Drama Mark Wahlberg Pending
Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Pending
Melissa Leo Pending
Best Supporting Actor Christian Bale Pending
Best Director David O. Russell Pending

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Gorov, Lynda (2010-12-05). "Mark & Micky". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  2. ^ "The Fighter Will Now Strike A Blow On December 10". The Film Stage. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d Murray, Rebecca (2007-10-04). "Mark Wahlberg Discusses We Own the Night". About.com. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  4. ^ a b c Kimberly Nordyke (2010-11-23). "Mark Wahlberg on Why Making 'The Fighter' Became an Obsession". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  5. ^ a b c Staff (2010-12-04). "In Sports, Wahlberg Finds Stories That Inspire". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  6. ^ a b Adler, Shawn (2008-06-2008). "Mark Wahlberg Reveals 'The Fighter' Will Take The Ring This Fall". MTV News. Retrieved 2010-12-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Weintraub, Steve (2010-08-04). "Mark Wahlberg Exclusive Interview: The Other Guys; Also Talks Celtics and Future Projects like The Fighter, The Brazilian Job, More". Collider.com. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  8. ^ a b c d Zimmerman, Mike (2010-09-15). "The Mark Wahlberg Workout: Wahlberg's Theory of Evolution". Men's Health. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  9. ^ Susan R. Nepales (2010-12053). "Wahlberg treasures friendship with Pacquiao". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2010-12-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b c Lim, Dennis (2010-12-03). "Letting His Role Do the Talking". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  11. ^ a b Richardson, John H. (2010-11-15). "Christian Bale May Kill Someone Yet". Esquire. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  12. ^ a b c Lovece, Frank. "Winning Combination: Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell Champion 'The Fighter'", Film Journal International, December 3, 2010
  13. ^ http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_16825125
  14. ^ Staff (2003-07-31). "Scout Wins Boxing Tale". Variety. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  15. ^ a b Fleming, Michael (2007-02-13). "Wahlberg, Damon step into ring". Variety. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  16. ^ Jacks, Brian (2007-07-09). "Wahlberg Ready To Rumble For Aronofsky's 'Fighter'". MTV News. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  17. ^ a b "Stax" (pseudonym) (2007-02-22). "Wahlberg Talks The Fighter". IGN. Retrieved =2010-12-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  18. ^ Jacks, Brian (2007-07-09). "Wahlberg Ready To Rumble For Aronofsky's 'Fighter'". MTV News. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  19. ^ Fleming, Michael, and Pamela McClintock (2007-03-26). "Aronofsky in talks to direct 'Fighter'". Variety. Retrieved 2010-12-04.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ Fleming, Michael, and Tatiana Siegel (2007-09-20). "Brad Pitt laces up for 'Fighter'". Variety. Retrieved 2010-12-04.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ Pedersen, Nicole. "It's Official! Darren Aronofsky Will Build A Better ROBOCOP", Collider.com, July 25, 2008
  22. ^ a b Taylor, Drew (2010-12-02). "Exclusive: Darren Aronofsky Talks Natalie Portman's "Terrors & Metamorphosis" In 'Black Swan'". indieWire. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  23. ^ Fleming, Michael,, and Tatiana Siegel (2009-04-20). "Bale in ring with Wahlberg for 'Fighter'". Vareity. Retrieved 2010-12-04.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ Swart, Sharon (2009-05-20). "TWC steps in ring with 'Fighter'". Variety. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  25. ^ Sackowitz, Karen. "Blood, Sweat, Cheers: Lowell gym helps youths learn boxing, confidence, and it stars in a new movie", The Boston Globe, June 10, 2010. WebCitation archive.
  26. ^ George Kimball (2010-12-05). "'Fighter' more fiction than fact". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  27. ^ "The Fighter Movie Reviews, Pictures". Flixster. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  28. ^ Pablo S. Torre. "And New Champion ..." Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
  29. ^ McClintock, Pamela, and Andrew Stewart (2010-09-15). "Paramount adjusts 'Fighter' schedule". Variety. Retrieved 2010-12-04.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ "Awards for 2010". National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  31. ^ http://www.goldenglobes.org/blog/2010/12/the-68th-annual-golden-globe-awards-nominations/
  32. ^ http://www.goldenglobes.org/blog/2010/12/the-68th-annual-golden-globe-awards-nominations/
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