Date Night
Since I was such a bad husband on Tuesday night and played golf instead of taking Kristen our for her birthday, I thought I would surprise her by getting a babysitter and taking her out to a movie. (For another day… But did you realize that it costs me over $50 for a date these days? Wow!) I left the office around 6:00 pm last night and shortly there after we headed to our favorite movie theater, the AMC 30 in Sterling Heights.
More than a boxing movie
I didn’t know that we were going to a movie about boxing until we were in our seats. As we sat there through the 247 previews I leaned over and asked, “So what’s this movie all about anyway?” She said, “It’s the boxing one with Russell Crowe… It looks great.”
The story is of a washed up former contender who falls, just like everyone else, into the dark Great Depression. As the months and years fall away the one time great boxer gets hurt and eventually has to stop boxing altogether. With his sole source of income for his wife (Renée Zellweger) and 3 kids gone, he is just like everyone else…Tryingg to get by with no money.
It all bottoms out when they fall well behind on all of their bills, lose the kids, and a brother-in-law to a police skirmish. Broken, he goes back to the cigar filled room of Madison Square Gardens and begs for money. The one time prize fighter is reduced to begging.
But, since this is an American story of an Irishmen and not an Irish story of an Irishmen, luck turns for the family. He gets a fight by chance and the comeback begins.
Better than Rocky?
As I left the theater, misty eyed and ready to shadow box in the car on the way home, I wondered if this was the best boxing movie of all time. Better than When We Were Kings? I think so. Better than Raging Bull? Move over Martin, Ron Howard beat you. Better than even Rocky? I don’t know if this was better that Rocky…Butt it was miles apart from Rocky II, III, IV, and V. (Though I’ve always had a soft spot for Rocky IV! “I must break you.”)
PA’s recommendation
I think this is a movie worth seeing. It’s fairly clean, (only one cuss word, but plenty of using the Lord’s name in vain) no nudity or sex or anything homosexual…Prettyy rare to have a major movie with none of that. It’s got a fantastic story for both men and women. All in all I’d put this in “must see” category. It will leave you chearing.
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