The Fighter

I have to admit, at first I was uncertain about The Fighter because I’d already seen an abundance of boxing movies, and I wasn’t sure if there was anything that would make this one stand out from the rest. I’m so glad I was wrong.

This movie is easily on my list of top movies of the year. While, yes, it does focus a lot on boxing and aspects that audiences may have seen before, the personal story about “Irish” Micky Ward and his family is something that is unique, heartbreaking, and powerful all at the same time.

The story focuses on Micky’s quest to become a champion boxer. He is trained by his half-brother Dicky Eklund who was a boxer in his day but quit just before really making it big. Because of this, Dicky seems determined to live his dreams through his brother. Micky is also influenced by his mother who is his manager. It quickly becomes clear that this small-town guy from Lowell, Massachusetts will have more trouble overcoming his family than the obstacles that stand in the way of his boxing skills.

After he becomes troubled with the way that his family is treating him and how he never seems to win a fight, Micky starts to date Charlene who works at the local bar. She helps him see that he must pursue his dreams in the way that he wants instead of letting other people run his life.

The real power in the movie comes from its four major actors. Mark Wahlberg plays “Irish” Micky Ward, Amy Adams plays Charlene, Christian Bale plays Dicky, and Melissa Leo plays the mother of both Wahlberg and Bale.

Wahlberg supposedly spent years preparing for this role in order to make his portrayal as a boxer as authentic as possible, and it really shows. He effectively conveys the struggle his character faces as he tries to choose between making himself better or sticking by his family. His obvious pain at always being second best to his half-brother fuels much of the drama.

Amy Adams sheds her sweet character that we’ve seen in so many of her other movies like Enchanted and Julie and Julia and really embodies her character and makes us feel what it is like to be stuck in this small town without much hope of a future. Despite the setbacks that she’s had, Charlene is the major driving force behind Micky who helps him see how truly great he is, and it is she who helps him make the step into really becoming a champion.

Melissa Leo portrays her character with great skill because we not only hate her, but feel pity for her at the same time. She desperately tries to be a mother to her nine children while at the same time trying to advance herself, and when she finally realizes all her faults and the way that Micky feels exploited, it is then that we can feel for her.

Christian Bale is the actor who really steals the show. As Dicky Eklund, he is only a supporting character, but much of Micky’s story depends on the actions and faults of his big brother. This is a much thinner and worn down version of Christian Bale than most audiences are used to, and he really portrays the way that his character is feeling: burnt out and unable to attain the position of hero that he once held. A truly remarkable scene is when Bale’s character is in prison and realizes that a documentary that he thought was about his past as a boxer is actually about his drug addiction. The emotions and devastation that he demonstrates in this scene help to display what is going on in the town and the relationships between all of those tied to the boxing game.

The Fighter is a remarkable story that weaves desperation with triumph. After watching so many problems unfold, one cannot help but root for Micky Ward to come out victorious in the end.