February 1, 2011: The Fighter
How do you know when or whether someone has recovered and is ready to be trusted again? With some people, there’s a question of whether they can or will ever again be worth taking a chance on. The Fighter, based on a true-life story, illustrates how families wrestle with that painful dilemma all the time.
Dicky is a former boxer who nearly had a shot at the title, but missed because he didn’t quite have what it takes. His younger brother Micky is now close to getting his shot, but his family and particularly Dicky may screw it up. When it comes to family, even in the face of obvious evidence that they aren’t looking out for you, it’s really hard to decide not to stick with them. After a disastrous Las Vegas fight which they should have turned down because of a substitute opponent, Micky is facing his options and having a hard time deciding what to do. He eventually goes out on his own, and at the same time Dicky’s drug use catches up with him and he spends some time in jail. When Dicky gets out the circumstances are different but it’s hard for them both to adjust, especially when this goes against everything they’ve known for decades. Dicky is an unmatched instinctive fighter, and Micky needs him in his corner in order to succeed, but Dicky has blown so many chances with so many people that they can’t accept him for who he now is.
The Fighter doesn’t deviate far from the typical formula of a sports underdog who triumphs over adversity, which is exactly what I expected, but still, it was better than average. Amy Adams as Micky’s on-again, off-again girlfriend is mostly wasted, despite her Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress. Melissa Leo as the boys’ mother did deservedly win that award, as she completely inhabited the character of the domineering mother who can’t comprehend that one of her children would go against her. Christian Bale also won the Supporting Actor Oscar, with his energetic performance as the hyperactive but brilliant Dicky. The Fighter is a quality film, not one I feel any great attachment to, but absolutely worthy of its high consideration during this recent awards season.
Standard story based on real people.
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