Cinderella Man

[Centerfield]

I loved it. Russell Crowe was fantastic as Jim Braddock, a Depression Era underdog boxer. The movie focused a lot on his relationship with his family...and because a lot of it takes place in his dark, basement apartment, you really get an idea of what it must have been like raising kids during the Depression. There is a particularly touching scene where he gives his dinner to his daughter and then explains to her he is full because he dreamt he ate an enormous steak. It's a bit hokey, yes, but it's Ron Howard...and you expect that. Paul Giamatti is fantastic as his manager and Renee Zellweger is tolerable as his wife. (I find that whenever I see a movie with Renee Zellweger, I am constantly wishing she will get run over by a truck in the next scene. I don't know...maybe it's her voice, maybe it's because my wife made me sit through Chicago, maybe I am still upset with her for ruining Jerry Maguire...I'm not really sure. Anyway, I wasn't rooting for her to die in this movie and that is really saying something).

The fight scenes were ok...and though not wonderful, you never get the feeling that this is an actor and could never be a professional athlete (like when Tim Robbins throws like a girl in Bull Durham). I thought they focused a bit too much on the "this guy has killed two men in the ring" angle though it was probably necessary to set up the Hulk Hogan-like Burst-of-Strength-Following-What-Appears-to-be-a-Devastating-Blow Moment. The last fight scene is just a little bit too long, but it doesn't stop you from wanting to cheer out loud at the end of the movie.

4.5 Stars

[Vic Sage]

overly sentimental, but Crowe was great, and the film was engaging. I think they got screwed in the Oscar nominations because (1) it came out early (2) it was a relative flop, and (3) Russell was a very bad boy this year.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I liked it, although not as much as D-Dad did. I thought it was a story well told, although it was kind of one-dimensional. I did think the acting was excellent - I especially appreciate the fact that the child actors were cute but not overly cutsey. Paul Giamatti was fabulous, as always, and I think that the Academy will give them extra consideration for this supporting role to make up for the fact that they screwed him over last year for not giving him a Best Actor nomination for Sideways. It's a good film - definitely worth a rental.

[Guest cooby]

My son got this DVD for my husband for Christmas and we spent a quiet New Years Eve watching it.

Loved it, cannot find other words for it.

CF, I nearly gasped when I read what you said here

(I find that whenever I see a movie with Renee Zellweger, I am constantly wishing she will get run over by a truck in the next scene. I don't know...maybe it's her voice

because as the movie was getting started I thought to myself "I hope this broad gets hit by a bus or something", which I immediately was ashamed of, and was glad she didn't, as obviously the movie would not have been the same without her. But your right, the voice sucks, she sounds like Betty Boop and that is not good.

[Guest cooby]

There is a particularly touching scene where he gives his dinner to his daughter and then explains to her he is full because he dreamt he ate an enormous steak

btw, was that fried baloney?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Another of those suspiciously common eating scenes.

Seriously folks, you've given this (on average) 4.25 stars and I'm set to pull the trigger and rent it, but y'all better not be bonkers. Opey's got too much of my money as it is.

[Guest cooby]

Okay, I will. All a matter of taste, I guess Edgy.

Little Miss Sunshine sounds dumb to me, lol...

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

D-Dad loves Cinderella Man. I thought it was fine for one viewing, but I didn't love it.

cooby - trust me, rent Little Miss Sunshine. I think you'll really enjoy it.

[Guest cooby]

I'll tell you what--If you can promise me that I will understand every word the kid is saying, I will give it a shot. What I don't like about movies, commericials, TV shows, etc, starring kids is, you can't understand their squeaky voices sometimes. Just the way the tape catches it I guess.


For example, to go off topic a bit, do you know that Geico ad with Santa? What on earth does that little girl yell up the chimney at the end? I've been trying to figure it out for years.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I don't recall the Geico ad. But I thought that the actress who played Olive was understandable.

If not, you can always enable the subtitles on the DVD.

[Guest Edgy DC]

What I don't know about boxing can fill an encylopedia, but it seems to me that Max Baer, while a brute, was a terrible boxer who could never have won a championship with that jive-assed style.