The Fighter (I) (2010)

A look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s.

Director:

David O. Russell

Writers:

Scott Silver (screenplay), Paul Tamasy (screenplay),

Stars:

Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams

Won 2 Oscars. Another 42 wins & 55 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Wahlberg	...	Micky Ward
Christian Bale	...	Dicky Eklund
Amy Adams	...	Charlene Fleming
Melissa Leo	...	Alice Ward
Jack McGee	...	George Ward
Mickey O'Keefe	...	Mickey O'Keefe
Melissa McMeekin	...	'Little Alice' Eklund
Bianca Hunter	...	Cathy 'Pork' Eklund
Erica McDermott	...	Cindy 'Tar' Eklund
Jill Quigg	...	Donna Eklund Jaynes
Dendrie Taylor	...	Gail 'Red Dog' Eklund
Kate B. O'Brien	...	Phyllis 'Beaver' Eklund (as Kate O'Brien)
Jenna Lamia	...	Sherri Ward
Frank Renzulli	...	Sal Lanano
Paul Campbell	...	Gary 'Boo Boo' Giuffrida

Storyline

The Fighter is a drama about boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer on the verge of being KO'd by drugs and crime.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | boxer | lowell massachusetts | bartender | domineering mother | 

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Taglines:

Every dream deserves a fighting chance.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout, drug content, some violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fighter

Filming Locations:

Lexington, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£2,118,140 (UK) (4 February 2011)

Gross:

$93,571,803 (USA) (25 March 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Closest to the Hole Productions, Fighter, Mandeville Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christian Bale reportedly lost weight to achieve the very thin frame of Dicky Eklund by eating very little. He even went missing for hours at a time in preparation for his role.

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Goofs

During the Shea Neary/Micky Ward fight, the boxers were weighed in at "10 stones 6 pounds" each. 10 stones equal 140 pounds. That would make them both Welterweights. In reality, they fought at Junior Welterweight (limit of 140 pounds). At the actual weigh in 2000, Neary weighed in at 139 pounds and Ward at 140 pounds, the limit for Jr. Welterweights.

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Quotes

Dickie Eklund: Are you like me? Huh? Was this good enough to fight Sugar Ray? Never had to win, did I? You gotta do more in there. You gotta win a title. For you, for me, for Lowell. This is your time, all right? You take it. I had my time and I blew it. You don't have to. All right? You fuckin' get out there, and use all the shit that you've been through, all that fuckin' hell, all the shit we've gone through over the fuckin' years, and you put it in that ring right now. This is yours. This is fuckin' yours.

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Crazy Credits

The real Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund are shown during the end credits.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.101 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Sara Smile"
Written and Performed by Daryl Hall and John Oates
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Everyone involved in this film just made a fan of me

Such a fully satisfying film is a rarity. A story of family, struggle, and love told with great humor, intelligence and heart. I've already seen it twice and am telling everyone I meet to be sure to catch it. I was blown away by Amy Adams' touching performance in JUNE BUG and by the raw beauty of Melissa Leo's work in FROZEN RIVER, but have been slow to distinguish among the crop of young male stars and directors who deserve to be household names. Christian BALE, MARK WAHLBERG, and David O. RUSSELL are names now branded in my consciousness. This season I've been stunned by the creative forces at work in films including SOCIAL NETWORK and JACK GOES BOATING, but for its overall achievement, this amazing film based on the true story of two boxers from Lowell, Massachusetts earns a championship. It is much more than just a fight film or a biopic though it certainly sweeps us into the drama of the boxing ring and quivers with the diamond gleam of truth. Bale's finely etched creation of Dicky and Wahlberg's extraordinary dual turn as producer and star in the role of Dicky's brother Micky should place both men front and center for Oscar nominations along with Russell who shaped the film with a keen sensitivity. Russel's team of artists including cinematographer, costume and sound design were all spot on in their respective contributions. Tho Leo and her gaggle of daughters struck me at first as verging on caricature, I quickly saw that they perfectly captured the family culture while providing a delicious comic motif.