Resurrecting the Champ (2007)

Up-and-coming sports reporter rescues a homeless man ("Champ") only to discover that he is, in fact, a boxing legend believed to have passed away. What begins as an opportunity to resurrect Champ's story and escape the shadow of his father's success becomes a personal journey as the ambitious reporter reexamines his own life and his relationship with his family.

Director:

Rod Lurie

Writers:

Michael Bortman (screenplay), Allison Burnett (screenplay),

Stars:

Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Hartnett, Kathryn Morris

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Champ
Josh Hartnett	...	Erik Kernan Jr.
Kathryn Morris	...	Joyce Kernan
Dakota Goyo	...	Teddy Kernan
Alan Alda	...	Ralph Metz
Rachel Nichols	...	Polly
Teri Hatcher	...	Andrea Flak
Kristen Shaw	...	Perlmutter
Nick Sandow	...	Marciano
David Paymer	...	Whitley
Harry Lennix	...	Bob Satterfield Jr.
Peter Coyote	...	Ike Epstein
Ryan McDonald	...	Kenny
Chris Ippolito	...	Jaws
Jameson Trenholm	...	Runt

Storyline

A young journalist comes to the aid of a homeless man who claims he is a former heavy weight title contender. Seeing a chance to redeem his struggling career, the writer's story of the champ's life raises questions about the past that will threaten all he holds dear.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | homeless man | boxing | writer | heart attack | 

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Taglines:

Based on a true story, that was based on a lie.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Focus Filmes [Brazil] Yari Film Group Releasing [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 August 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

El ultimo asalto

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,659,756 (USA) (24 August 2007)

Gross:

$3,169,424 (USA) (21 September 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Phoenix Pictures, Alberta Film Entertainment, Battleplan Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The story was inspired by the article "Resurrecting the Champ" by J.R. Moehringer which appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine in 1997; although the article indeed purportedly focused on Bob Satterfield, there are various other differences with the true story. Moehringer had no children, and his father was not well-known though he did abandon his family when the writer was an infant.

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Goofs

When Erik leaves Champ at the house they were conversing in front of, Champ is shown standing on the curb as he contemplates knocking on the door of the house. Then, as Erik is driving away, he looks into his rear-view mirror, and Champ is instantly shown standing in the middle of the street instead of on the curb.

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Quotes

Champ: There's a code of honor, you know.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood's Top Ten: Best Fights (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Land of Quiet Poems"
Written by Rod Lurie, Julianna Raye
Performed by Christopher Stills (as Chris Stills)

User Reviews

Great movie, good morals

I saw this film at the premier at Sundance. I went into the film expecting to see another typical action packed boxing movie. However, I was greatly impressed with the film, it was a lot better than I had expected. The performances by all the actors were solid. I was especially impressed with Dakota Goyo, who played Teddy, and apparently so was Josh, who commented on how easy it was for him to play his own role because of the level of talent Dakota has. Also, all three female characters played solid roles, which enhanced the depth of Josh Hartnett's character. This movie was able to provide a great story without the usual trash that's seen in many of the films we see today. This movie emphasized the importance of values and honesty which I think everyone needs to be reminded of.