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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
(executive producer)
Darren Aronofsky
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)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryTemplate:Film US
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million[1]
Box office$105,362,924[2]

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

The film was released in select North American theaters on December 17, 2010 and was released in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2011.[3] It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, winning the awards for Best Supporting Actor (Bale) and Best Supporting Actress (Melissa Leo). The Fighter also became the first film to win both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards, since Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986.[citation needed]

Plot

Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is an Irish-American welterweight boxer from a working class family in Lowell, Massachusetts. Managed by his mother, Alice Ward (Leo), and trained by his older half-brother, Dicky Eklund (Bale), Micky has not had a particularly successful career: He's become a "stepping stone" for other boxers to defeat on their way up. Complicating matters, Dicky, a former boxer whose peak of success was knocking Sugar Ray Leonard down in an HBO televised match, has fallen apart since his early success, becoming addicted to crack cocaine.

On the night of an undercard fight in Atlantic City, Micky's scheduled opponent is ill, and a substitute is found who is 18 pounds heavier than Micky. Despite Micky's reservations, his mother and brother agree to the terms so that they can all get the purse. Micky is soundly defeated by the much heavier fighter in an obvious mismatch. Frustrated with his career and embarrassed by his defeat, Micky tries to retreat from the world and forms a relationship with Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams), a former college athlete who dropped out and became a bartender.

After several weeks, Alice arranges another fight for Micky, who, concerned it will be turn out the same as before, shows serious hesitation. His mother and seven sisters blame Charlene for his lack of motivation. Micky mentions that he's received an offer to be paid to train in Las Vegas, but Dicky says he will match the offer so he can keep training and working with his family. Dicky then tries to get money by posing his girlfriend as a prostitute and then, once she picks up a client, impersonating a police officer to steal the client's car. This is quickly foiled by the actual police and Dicky is arrested after a chase and a fight with them. Micky intervenes to try to stop the police from beating his brother, but he is also beaten and a police officer breaks his hand before arresting him. At trial, Micky is released but Dicky is sent to jail. Micky denounces Dicky for the trouble he caused.

On the night of the HBO documentary, Dicky's family, and Dicky himself in prison, are horrified to see it is High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell, a documentary about how crack addiction ruined Dicky's career and life. Devastated, Dicky begins training and trying to get his life together in prison. Micky is lured back into boxing by his father, who like many believes Alice and his stepson Dicky are bad influences. Gathering the other members of his training team and finding a new manager, Sal LoNano, they convince Micky to return to boxing with the explicit understanding that his mother and brother will no longer be involved. They place Micky in minor fights to help him regain his confidence. He is then offered another major fight against an undefeated up-and-coming boxer. During a prison visit, Dicky advises Micky on how best to work his opponent, but Micky feels his brother is being selfish and trying to restart his own failed career. During the actual match, Micky is nearly overwhelmed at the beginning but, remembering his brother's advice, alters his strategy and is eventually triumphant; he earns the title shot for which his opponent was being groomed.

Upon his release from prison, Dicky and his mother go to see Micky train. Assuming things are as they were, Dicky prepares to spar with his brother, but Micky informs him that he's no longer allowed per Micky's agreement with his current team. In the ensuing argument, in which Micky chastises both factions of his family, Charlene and his trainer leave in disgust. Dicky storms off, presumably to get high again, and Micky's mother chides Micky, only to be sobered when he tells her she's never been as good to him as she was to Dicky. Dicky returns to his crack house, where he says goodbye to his friends and heads to Charlene's apartment. He tells Charlene that Micky needs both of them and they need to work together. After bringing back everyone, the group goes to London for the title fight. Micky scores another upset victory and the welterweight title. The film jumps a few years ahead, with Dicky, as talkative as ever, crediting his brother as being the creator of his own success rather than taking co-credit as he had in his younger years.

Cast

  • Mark Wahlberg as 'Irish' Micky Ward: Wahlberg elected to star in the film due to his friendship with Ward, based on their similar inner-city working class Massachusetts upbringings[4] of being in families of nine kids. Wahlberg also was a huge fan of Ward's, calling him a "local sports hero."[5] 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.[6] To mimic Ward's habits and mannerisms, Wahlberg had him "on set, watching me every single day."[7] During pre-production, the Ward brothers temporarily moved into Wahlberg's home.[8] To add to the film's realistic nature, Wahlberg refused a stunt double and took real punches during the fight scenes,[6] which resulted in him nearly getting his nose broken a couple of times.[5] 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."[9] 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.'"[5] Wahlberg hired Freddie Roach as his boxing trainer, helping the actor model Ward's specific fighting style.[6] 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.[10] He received additional boxing preparation from Manny Pacquiao.[11]
  • Christian Bale as Dick "Dicky" Eklund: After both Brad Pitt and Matt Damon dropped out due to scheduling conflicts,[4] Wahlberg suggested Bale for the role after meeting the actor at a preschool their young daughters both attended.[12] 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.[13] Bale researched the part by taking notes on Eklund's mannerisms and recording conversations[12] for the character's distinct Boston accent.[8] 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.[12]
  • 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."[1]
  • Melissa Leo as Alice Ward, mother to both fighters and seven additional siblings, all sisters.
  • Jack McGee as George Ward, Micky's father.
  • Frank Renzulli as Sal LoNano
  • Mickey O'Keefe as himself: Lowell, Massachusettes, police sergeant O'Keefe was Ward's real-life trainer. O'Keefe, who had 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.[14]
  • Chanty Sok as Karen, Dicky's crackhead girlfriend: She is a real-life Lowell, Massachusetts resident.[14]
  • Erica McDermott as Micky's sister Cindy "Tar" Eklund
  • Melissa McMeekin as Micky's sister "Little" Alice Eklund
  • Bianca Hunter as Micky's sister Cathy "Pork" Eklund
  • Dendrie Taylor as Micky's sister Gail "Red Dog" Eklund Carney
  • Kate O'Brien as Micky's sister Phyllis "Beaver" Eklund
  • Jenna Lamia as Micky's sister Sherri Ward
  • Jill Quigg as Micky's sister Donna Eklund
  • Imdad Miah as Terry Mason
  • Caitlin Dwyer as Kasie Ward, Micky's daughter
  • Joshua Dugay as Young Dicky Eklund
  • David Walker as Referee
  • Sugar Ray Leonard plays himself, making a cameo appearance as a guest commentator at the Ward/Mungin match.

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,[15] which was rewritten by Lewis Colick.[16] Mark Wahlberg joined the production in early 2005,[10] with the intention of doing Ward's life story "justice. We don't want to do any over-the-top, unrealistic fight scenes."[17] 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,[16] 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.[18] The actor cited Scorsese's Raging Bull as an influence for The Fighter,[17] but Scorsese was not interested in directing another boxing film.[18] 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[4]

Production proceeded with filming set to begin October 2008[7] and Christian Bale replacing Brad Pitt.[8] By then Aronofsky had dropped out to work on MGM's currently aborted RoboCop remake,[21] followed by Black Swan.[22] Wahlberg and Bale chose David O. Russell as Aronofsky's replacement. Wahlberg had also starred in Russell's Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees.[8] 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, on an $11 million budget in a 33-day shooting schedule.[8]

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.[1][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"[1] to replicate them shot-for-shot.[4][10]

Kate O'Brien, who plays "Beaver" Eklund, one of Ward's foul-mouthed sisters, is talk show host Conan O'Brien's sister. The Fighter marks O'Brien's film acting debut.[8]

Release

To promote the film, Wahlberg appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Men's Fitness, and Bale on Esquire,[13] in November 2010. An advanced charity premiere took place in Lowell, Massachusetts, the setting of The Fighter, on December 9, a day before the film's 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 90% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 174 reviews, with an average score of 7.9/10. 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] Metacritic gave the film an average score of 79/100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28]

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.".[29]

Accolades

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.[30] 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. Christian Bale won a Satellite Award, the Critics' Choice Award, and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. Melissa Leo won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Christian Bale won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor The film received 7 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture along with 3 acting nominations for Bale, Adams and Leo.[31]


Awards
Ceremony Category Name Outcome
Academy Awards[32]
Best Picture Nominated
Best Director David O. Russell Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Christian Bale Won
Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Nominated
Melissa Leo Won
Best Original Screenplay Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson & Keith Dorrington Nominated
Best Film Editing Pamela Martin Nominated
BAFTA Awards[33]
Best Supporting Actor Christian Bale Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson & Keith Dorrington Nominated
Broadcast Film Critics[34]
Best Picture Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Christian Bale Won
Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Nominated
Melissa Leo Won
Best Acting Ensemble Won
Best Original Screenplay Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson & Keith Dorrington Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards
Best Director David O. Russell Nominated
Golden Globe Awards[30]
Best Picture - Drama Nominated
Best Director David O. Russell Nominated
Best Actor Drama Mark Wahlberg Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Christian Bale Won
Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Nominated
Melissa Leo Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards[35]
Best Acting Ensemble Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Christian Bale Won
Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Nominated
Melissa Leo Won

References

  1. ^ a b c d Lovece, Frank. "Winning Combination: Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell Champion 'The Fighter'", Film Journal International, December 3, 2010
  2. ^ "The Fighter(2010)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  3. ^ "The Fighter Will Now Strike A Blow On December 10". The Film Stage. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Murray, Rebecca (2007-10-04). "Mark Wahlberg Discusses We Own the Night". About.com. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c Staff (2010-12-04). "In Sports, Wahlberg Finds Stories That Inspire". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  7. ^ 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)
  8. ^ a b c d e f Gorov, Lynda (2010-12-05). "Mark & Micky". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ a b c Zimmerman, Mike (2010-09-15). "The Mark Wahlberg Workout: Wahlberg's Theory of Evolution". Men's Health. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  11. ^ Susan R. Nepales (2010-12053). "Wahlberg treasures friendship with Pacquiao". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2010-12-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ a b c Lim, Dennis (2010-12-03). "Letting His Role Do the Talking". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  13. ^ a b Richardson, John H. (2010-11-15). "Christian Bale May Kill Someone Yet". Esquire. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  14. ^ a b Savard, Rita. "'The Fighter' Comes Home", Lowell Sun, December 10, 2010
  15. ^ Staff (2003-07-31). "Scout Wins Boxing Tale". Variety. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  16. ^ a b Fleming, Michael (2007-02-13). "Wahlberg, Damon step into ring". Variety. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  17. ^ a b Jacks, Brian (2007-07-09). "Wahlberg Ready To Rumble For Aronofsky's 'Fighter'". MTV News. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  18. ^ 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)
  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. ^ Kimball, George (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. ^ "The Fighter Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
  29. ^ Torre, Pablo S. "And New Champion ..." Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
  30. ^ a b Tuesday, December 14, 2010 (2010-12-14). "The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards NOMINATIONS | OFFICIAL WEBSITE of the HFPA and the GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS". Goldenglobes.org. Retrieved 2011-01-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ "Awards for 2010". National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  32. ^ Stephen Schaefer. "Surprises amid the 83rd Oscar nominations". Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  33. ^ "'The King's Speech' leads BAFTA Film Awards with 14 nominations".
  34. ^ "Critics' Choice Awards". Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  35. ^ "The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Retrieved 18 January 2011.
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