This story is about dealing with life. It has little to do with wrestling. The sport is just the glue that ties the story together. It's a simple story: there is a loss, no one really deals with loss and it breaks a family apart, there is long term misunderstanding, and a sport brings the remaining family together again.
It's the kind of story that ends up on Lifetime, Oxygen, WE, or Hallmark channel any day of the week. However, it included wrestling and that limits it in the eyes of the public. The WWE Entertainment people were willing to take a risk and put it in the cinema. The previous amateur wrestling film was "Reversal" and it had to fight to get into the cinema without big backing.
Without telling too much, younger brother Cal (Devon Graye) somehow decides to become a wrestler, following his older brother and father in the sport. He's in high school and he's thin. He's going to take on wrestlers who have been in the sport since they were four years old without training and what seems to be no interest in sports. That's possible, isn't it? I've photographed and known more amateur wrestling teams than most people in the U.S.A. have ever seen and I know that it happens, but it's not something that happens often and it doesn't end in success.
The 135 pound slot has one wrestler and he's injured, so Cal has to step up. He loses, a lot, but with help from his older brother Mike and Mike's friend, he starts to win. He asks early about "reverse cradle", an advanced, risky wrestling move to finish a match and he employs it at the final match without success. Had he been an advanced wrestler, I could have believed it. If he had been heavier, I might have believed it. Why beanpole Cal wasn't flat on the mat doesn't matter because this is a human interest story, not a wrestling story.
The characters were reasonably well played. Patricia Clarkson is generally believable as the mother, Sharon Chetley, though I find it difficult to believe she would call her son "Studly-do-right". John Cena comes across much better than I expected. I know how tough some people can be on the outside and he just showed that little glimmer of being fragile. Madeleine Martin, the girl(friend) next door was so annoying that I hope that the part was written that way. Danny Glover was good as an inspirational figure and voice of wisdom.
For the masses, it's an odd introduction to amateur wrestling and for the wrestling community, it's a story that doesn't ring true. It's not a bad film but it skips around reality and doesn't really get to fantasy, either. If you're really interested in amateur wrestling, watch "Reversal" or even "Vision Quest".
It's the kind of story that ends up on Lifetime, Oxygen, WE, or Hallmark channel any day of the week. However, it included wrestling and that limits it in the eyes of the public. The WWE Entertainment people were willing to take a risk and put it in the cinema. The previous amateur wrestling film was "Reversal" and it had to fight to get into the cinema without big backing.
Without telling too much, younger brother Cal (Devon Graye) somehow decides to become a wrestler, following his older brother and father in the sport. He's in high school and he's thin. He's going to take on wrestlers who have been in the sport since they were four years old without training and what seems to be no interest in sports. That's possible, isn't it? I've photographed and known more amateur wrestling teams than most people in the U.S.A. have ever seen and I know that it happens, but it's not something that happens often and it doesn't end in success.
The 135 pound slot has one wrestler and he's injured, so Cal has to step up. He loses, a lot, but with help from his older brother Mike and Mike's friend, he starts to win. He asks early about "reverse cradle", an advanced, risky wrestling move to finish a match and he employs it at the final match without success. Had he been an advanced wrestler, I could have believed it. If he had been heavier, I might have believed it. Why beanpole Cal wasn't flat on the mat doesn't matter because this is a human interest story, not a wrestling story.
The characters were reasonably well played. Patricia Clarkson is generally believable as the mother, Sharon Chetley, though I find it difficult to believe she would call her son "Studly-do-right". John Cena comes across much better than I expected. I know how tough some people can be on the outside and he just showed that little glimmer of being fragile. Madeleine Martin, the girl(friend) next door was so annoying that I hope that the part was written that way. Danny Glover was good as an inspirational figure and voice of wisdom.
For the masses, it's an odd introduction to amateur wrestling and for the wrestling community, it's a story that doesn't ring true. It's not a bad film but it skips around reality and doesn't really get to fantasy, either. If you're really interested in amateur wrestling, watch "Reversal" or even "Vision Quest".