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Cinderella Man (2005)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
3 June 2005 (USA) moreTagline:
One man's extraordinary fight to save the family he loved. morePlot:
The story of James Braddock, a supposedly washed up boxer who came back to become a champion and an inspiration in the 1930s. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 22 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(58 articles)
Angels and Demons Movie Poster from director Ron Howard (From toxicshock. 6 October 2008, 11:23 AM, PDT)
Brian Grazer to produce ‘Tehran’ (From screeninglog. 14 July 2008, 3:36 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
James J. Braddock: Gladiator of the Great Depression moreUS TV Schedule:
| Sat. Oct. 11 | 7:00 PM | CW |
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Russell Crowe | ... | Jim Braddock | |
| Renée Zellweger | ... | Mae Braddock | |
| Paul Giamatti | ... | Joe Gould | |
| Craig Bierko | ... | Max Baer | |
| Paddy Considine | ... | Mike Wilson | |
| Bruce McGill | ... | Jimmy Johnston | |
| David Huband | ... | Ford Bond | |
| Connor Price | ... | Jay Braddock | |
| Ariel Waller | ... | Rosemarie Braddock | |
| Patrick Louis | ... | Howard Braddock | |
| Rosemarie DeWitt | ... | Sara Wilson | |
| Linda Kash | ... | Lucille Gould | |
| Nicholas Campbell | ... | Sporty Lewis | |
| Gene Pyrz | ... | Jake | |
| Chuck Shamata | ... | Father Rorick |
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Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for intense boxing violence and some language.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
144 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreCertification:
Netherlands:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41365) | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Brazil:14 | Taiwan:PG-12 | Sweden:11 | Hong Kong:IIA | Belgium:KT | Venezuela:PG-13 | Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Hungary:14 | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:All | Ireland:15 | South Africa:10V | Denmark:11 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Germany:12 | Finland:K-11MOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Factual errors: Baer is shown wearing a robe with his name on the back. In reality, the robe that Baer wore to both of his title fits was a prop from the movie The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933). Baer played a character named "Steve Morgan", and that was the name on the back of the robe. moreSoundtrack:
Don't Be That Way moreFAQ
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"Cinderella Man" deserves to be placed alongside other great biographical films dealing with the lives and times of great boxers. Such films include "Raging Bull," "The Joe Louis Story," "Ali," "The Hurricane," and "Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story."
These films share in common not just a documentary-like approach to boxing or a superficial biopic. They also portray the human side of a modern gladiator and the culture that produced him. In the case of "Cinderella Man," we are given a detailed and heart-rending portrait of the Great Depression in American. The story of the gentleman pugilist James J. Braddock is the backdrop to the larger drama of Americans' struggle in the 1930s.
Russell Crowe provides a brilliant interpretation of Braddock, capturing the decency of a man whose career as a boxer would appear to have peaked at just the wrong time prior to the Crash of 1929. After that momentous event, Braddock's boxing went into decline just like the lives of millions of Americans. The scenes of Braddock and his family living in squalid conditions and with uncertainty about such basics as heat and electricity were carefully developed in the film. Renée Zellweger was outstanding as Mae, the caring but feisty wife of Braddock. Paul Giamatti was also excellent as Braddock's handler-manager, Joe Gould. Joe tries to keep up appearances by sporting fancy clothes. But in one revealing scene in the film when we see the interior of Joe's ostensibly swanky apartment, there is no fancy furniture other than a dowdy table and some flimsy deck chairs. Everyone is reeling from the Depression. In the depiction of the massive unemployment, the "Hoovervilles" of the homeless residing in Central Park, and the desperate need for Americans for an optimistic icon like Braddock to raise their spirits, the film truly captured the tragedy of the Great American Depression.
The film's director Ron Howard emphasized close-ups throughout the film with uneven results. In many of the boxing sequences, the close-ups and rapid editing made it difficult tell the fighters apart. The close-ups continued even into the domestic scenes and the outdoor sequences depicting Braddock working as a longshoreman. The film's dark cinematography conveyed the bleakness of the Depression years, but it worked against bringing out the buoyant spirit of Braddock himself and the optimism that he instilled in others. As a director, Howard's strength is not in film artistry or technique. As apparent in this and other films, his gift lies in narrative storytelling and the development of dramatic character.
Indeed, the characters and the story were the strong points of "Cinderella Man." Much credit should go to Cliff Hollingsworth for a screenplay that included thoughtful dialogue, humor, and multi-dimensional characters. Daniel Orlandi also merits praise for the brilliant costumes that helped to recreate the period of the early 1930s.
But the heart of this film experience is Russell Crowe's screen portrayal of Braddock. It was the colorful sportswriter and raconteur Damon Runyan who coined the nickname of "Cinderella Man" for Braddock. However, the real James J. Braddock was more than lucky. It was his strength of character in and out of the ring that captivated America. One of the most moving scenes of the film was a heated argument between Braddock and his wife Mae where Braddock insists that even in the most difficult of times, he would refuse to be separated from his children. As a boxer, he was fearless. But he demonstrated even more courage in fighting for family valuesa lesson from which we can learn a great deal today in reflecting on this sensitive film.