Cinderella Man
| Cinderella Man | |
|---|---|
| File:Cinderella man poster.jpg | |
| Directed by | Ron Howard William M. Connor (1st Ass't) |
| Written by | Cliff Hollingsworth (story) Akiva Goldsman & Cliff Hollingsworth (screenplay) |
| Produced by | Todd Hallowell (Exec. Prod.) |
| Starring | Russell Crowe Renée Zellweger |
| Cinematography | Salvatore Totino |
| Edited by | Daniel P. Hanley Mike Hill |
| Music by | Thomas Newman |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates | June 3, 2005 |
Running time | 144 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US $88 Million |
Cinderella Man is a 2005 American drama film titled after the nickname and inspired by the real life story of former Heavyweight boxing champion, James J. Braddock. The film was produced by Ron Howard, Penny Marshall, Brian Grazer.
Primary cast:
- Russell Crowe - Jim Braddock
- Renée Zellweger - Mae Braddock
- Connor Price - Jay Braddock
- Craig Bierko – Max Baer
- Paddy Considine - Mike Wilson
- Paul Giamatti - Joe Gould
Plot synopsis
A tough Irish kid from the streets, Braddock was a once-promising light heavyweight boxer forced to give up on boxing after losing a number of fights. As the United States enters the Great Depression, Braddock worked at a variety of menial jobs to support his family, but still dreams of somehow returning to boxing and making it big. Thanks to a last minute cancellation by another boxer, Braddock gets a second chance to fight but is put up against the number two ranked fighter in the world by the promoters who see Braddock as nothing more than a punching bag. Braddock stuns the boxing experts and fans with a third round knockout of his formidable opponent. Fighting with permanent injuries to his hands, Braddock continues to win and before long he comes to represent the hopes and aspirations of the American public coping with Depression. Dubbed the "Cinderella Man," in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, he would eventually defeat the invincible Max Baer to become the heavyweight champion of the world.
Connection to A Beautiful Mind
Many observers will immediately notice a striking resemblance to the 2001 movie A Beautiful Mind. This is no coincidence; the two movies share many key personnel, including the lead actor, director, executive producer, two producers, screenplay writer, film editors, casting directors, production designer, foley editor, and visual effects executive producer. Both films are biographical, historical dramas following the career of a single person during the middle of the 20th century, and are set in the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Both were produced by Imagine Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. Both films had visual effects supplied by Digital Domain. Both films are rated PG-13.
Reaction
Although the movie received very good reviews from most critics (many described it as "Oscar-worthy") and audiences, it fared relatively poorly at the box office during its first several weeks. During its North American theatrical run, the movie (which cost $88 million) had earned only approximately $60 million. (Movies released the U.S. and Canada are generally considered failures if their domestic release does not recover their cost of production, as international releases will then be gravy.) There are several theories as to why ticket sales were so low:
- Timing
- The film was released in summer, the season of the "blockbuster". Would-be Oscar nominees are usually released from autumn onwards, culminating around the Christmas holidays. It is likely that the movie would’ve been more successful if its North American release had been during that period, or at least recover its budget. However, as of July 2005, it was expected that the movie’s worldwide theatrical releases would begin in September, at the onset of the Oscar race, so it is expected that the movie will be a success outside the U.S. and Canada and turn a profit for its owners.
- Crowe’s eruption
- During the morning of 6 June 2005, Russell Crowe, the lead actor of Cinderella Man, threw a telephone at a clerk at the Mercer Hotel in New York during a dispute. The attack left the hotel employee injured and dealt a blow to both Crowe's and Cinderella Man’s public image, thanks to negative publicity by the entertainment media and the hotel employees' union.
- Depiction of Max Baer
- Max Baer is portrayed as a complete villain who behaves inappropriately outside the ring and viciously inside (to the point of killing two opponents in the ring). Boxing historians and Baer's relatives have disputed the film's version and have also contributed to the negative publicity. Baer's demeanor, both within and outside the ring, was reportedly much less brutal than was portrayed. According to film critic Roger Ebert, Baer's relatives and boxing historians have criticized the film's depiction of him, arguing that he killed only one man in the ring, Frankie Campbell, not two, and was considered to be a gentleman by the man who defeated him for the title, Louis. Others assert that Baer was kind, charismatic, loved and respected, pointing out the emotional pain that Baer endured the rest of his life following Campbell's death, and the fact that he gave purses from his bouts to Campbell's family.
Source: Roger Ebert's June 26, 2005 Answer Man feature from his official website
Source: The New York Daily News, June 14, 2005; p34.
As the box-office continued to disappoint, Universal began a series of increasingly desperate marketing measures to get audiences into theatres, culminating with a deal with AMC Theatres, wherein a viewer could get his or her money back if he or she didn't like the film.
Other Information
Recently, the film gave sponsorship to Australian Rugby League (NRL) club the South Sydney Rabbitohs. It is the first Hollywood film ever to do so. Russell Crowe, the lead actor in the film, is said to be a fan of the club.