Reviewed by Andrew Wooding

Cinderella Man
Director: Ron Howard (2005)
Distributor: Buena Vista International UK Certificate: 12A

Spoiler notice: If you read on you may become aware of the outcome at the end of the film.

Hey! They’ve remade Gladiator! Instead of playing an honest, decent, family man who happens to be a Roman centurion, Russell Crowe plays an honest, decent, family man who happens to be a heavyweight boxer in depression-era New York in the 1930s. Instead of lots of scenes of sporting combat in a Roman arena, there are lots of scenes of sporting combat in the boxing ring at Madison Square Garden. And instead of the good, moral man standing up to the crooked Emperor, there is the good, moral man standing up to the crooked heavyweight boxing champion. Sound familiar?

I’m not complaining, though. This is a fantastic film, made all the better by the fact that I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. I don’t like sports films, and being a non-violent person I especially don’t like boxing. But this is so much more than a sports film, and special credit to must go to Russell Crowe who once again has turned in an outstanding performance as a fully-rounded, sympathetic character. At first I found the heavy New York accents a little distracting (from Russell Crowe, Bridget Jones herself, Renée Zellweger and Paul Giamatti, who all sounded like they were trying to impersonate Humphrey Bogart or Mafia bosses from classic early gangster movies), but once I settled into the movie, this didn’t bother me any more.

The nearly two-and-a-half hours’ running time flew by, and even though I don’t understand why boxing can even be considered a sport (let alone how a Christian can be involved in repeatedly bashing someone else’s head in for a paying crowd), I have to admit that I still got caught up in the emotion of the scenes and was rooting for Jim Braddock to win!

My only complaint is that, amidst all the scenes of praying and churchgoing, Jim Braddock’s manager always seemed to be blaspheming in whatever scene he was in. I know that real people often speak like this, but surely not all the time. It seemed a little gratuitous.

Watch for this one at the Oscars. It’s refreshing to see a film like this with old family values – where the good, Christian person wins out against all the odds. A film where the hero wants to be the champion, not for the fame, glory and money, but to feed his wife and children and to represent the common person. More films with role models like this, please!

THROUGH THE LENS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH 

Some key themes: David vs. Goliath; the “small” honest person standing up to the “large” corrupt leader or system

“While he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out. He shouted things against Israel as usual, and David heard him. When the Israelites saw Goliath, they were very much afraid and ran away. They said, ‘Look at this man! He keeps coming out to challenge Israel. The king will give much money to whoever kills him. He will also let whoever kills him marry his daughter. And his father's family will not have to pay taxes in Israel.’ David asked the men who stood near him, ‘What will be done to reward the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the shame from Israel? Who does this uncircumcised Philistine think he is? Does he think he can speak against the armies of the living God?’ The Israelites told David what would be done for the man who would kill Goliath” (1 Samuel 17 v 23-27).

The final half-hour of this film shows the championship fight between Jimmy Braddock (Russell Crowe) and the reigning heavyweight champion, Max Baer (played by Craig Bierko). It’s a real nail-biter, and I’m surprised I didn’t stand up in the cinema, shouting for Jimmy and spilling my popcorn on the people in front. All the way through, I couldn’t help thinking of the story of David and Goliath in the Old Testament part of the Bible.

David, a God-fearing young shepherd (later to become the king of Israel and writer of psalms), was appalled at the blasphemies and taunts from the cocky Philistine chamption, Goliath. Guess who won? David, of course! Similarly, in Cinderella Man, Jimmy Braddock (who represents the hard-working family man who cares for his children) comes up against the womanising, bullying Max Baer, who intimidates his opponents and even killed two people in the ring. The odds seem to be against him, but Jimmy Braddock is the people’s champion and it is thoughts of his wife and children that keep him going during the fight, even when he has been knocked down.

David vs. Goliath. Jimmy Braddock vs. Max Baer. This seems to be an archetypal story that has been repeated so many times down the centuries. Can you think of any other books, films or TV programmes that tell a similar story? The small man standing up against the system, and winning. The office worker standing up against the bullying boss. Jesus vs. the devil?

Take heart: this film, and the David and Goliath story in the Bible, seem to be saying that even though evil at times seems to be winning, seems to have all the glamour, money and power – good will always win out in the end, and the honest, decent, hard-working people can and will make a difference. Isn’t that one of the main messages running throughout the Bible, right to the end of the book of Revelation?

Does that inspire you? What part can you play in the ongoing heavenly battle where we already know who’s going to win?

Discussion questions....

· Pretend I don’t like boxing (which isn’t difficult) – the primitiveness of people bashing each others’ heads in for money, and the fact that people still pay to watch blood being spilt. Now try and defend it to me! (For what it’s worth, I have less of a problem with wrestling, which seems less about fighting and more about putting on a choreographed show for entertainment.)

· Who is your Goliath? As a Christian, what enemies have you stood up to – be they real people, organisations, or personal issues? Do you have any stories you can share?

· Here’s an ethical question – Would you ever steal to feed your family? Would the God you believe in ever allow you to be in that difficult position?

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