Go see the film The Fighter and why I liked it

Hey Girls,

I suggest going to see the movie The Fighter. I saw it tonight I loved it.

You can read all about it here, but let me also tell you why I liked it. Three things comes to mind.

As a welterweight from the wrong side of the tracks, Irish-American Dicky Eklund is the pride of working class Lowell, Massachusetts. Living in his shadow is his younger half-brother and sparring partner 'Irish' Micky Ward.


Well, it's hard to cram a lot of information and storytelling into a movie and the film was real well done, well edited and shot really well. And you can read more in detail from the above link, the story is about an underdog boxer Micky and his previously successful but now downtrodden boxer older brother Dicky who is considered "the pride of the working class Lowell." But really, it is about a family. A family that wouldn't give up on eachother, through the setbacks, the mistakes, frustration and even moments of betrayal, they had a love that's very obvious in the film.

A part of the film that touched me was when Dicky is missing from the gym, he is suppose to be training his brother Micky, but Dicky is off hanging around these people who influence him to do the wrong thing (do drugs), and when his mother goes to find him she is very upset. In the car Dicky starts singing a song to his mother, who joins in. It was shown in the way Dicky sang it that his mother had forgiven him many times before for his mistakes and always would love him. The song was called "I started a Joke" which is a  Bee Gees song, and The Wallflowers have also sung it.
I started a joke. Which started the whole world crying.

But I didn't see that the joke was on me.
Oh, no, I started to cry. Which started the whole world laughing.
Oh, if I'd only seen that the joke was on me.
I looked at the skies. Running my hands over my eyes.
And I fell out of bed. Hurting my head from things that I said.
Till I finally died. Which started the whole world living.
Oh, if I'd only seen that the joke was on me.

I thought that was a special moment in the film.

The film also made me think about these three things:
One, People who go through really tough times and do even damaging things to themselves and face addictions are still people, and although it takes "will" and a certain attitude and strength to overcome addiction, but if you allow those who have been broken the chance to do what they do best, and use their skills, they can make a difference, change people's lives, inspire people in amazing ways.
Two, When Dicky was giving a pep talk to Micky and was telling him he would do the things he never got to do, this struck me. I think it is a beautiful thing when someone else's success can inspire and uplift another person. I think it is special when you can inspire others to be the best they can be, even if it means you won't be the best anymore.
Three, The cast did an impressive job. Mark Wahlberg as Micky is a great actor, I even said outloud in a whisper to my man "he is really good!" I saw his character as dealing with a lot of emotions at once: caring for his family, his brother and girlfriend, and success which all bump heads, he is self-discoverying, trying-to-do-the-right-thing, and he is aiming high to win, and he played the role so well, (and he put his heart and soul into seeing that the film got made as a producer) plus he took those punches really well! 
Melissa Leo as the Mother to both fighters, plus 7 other children was in way the real heart of the film.
Amy Adams with her swearing and affectionate and concerned character in Charlene (I liked it when she said, did you head body-head-body?) will make you laugh and feel the struggles of facing the family of the man you love sometimes, no matter how perfect or imperfect they are.
Christian Bale as Dicky really did an amazing job, I was really blown away. Without knowing much about Dicky before I saw the film, I already could tell that Christian Bale had the character down so well, and what a character! Christian did such a great job making it humanistic, raw, real, really memorable, it breaks your heart in a way that you smile about afterward for hours (the speech at the end while Micky is in the ring just about made choke up, forehead to forehead). Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale make sure you will never forget Dicky and Micky, even if you don't totally love boxing, the spirit of the characters will stay with you.

I am glad this film was made.

There is nothing better than a film about underdogs and hustling and beating the odds, go see this film!
As someone who knows the underdog life very well, movies and books about people who strive and strive on even when times are tough really stay with me. When you are out there trying to do what you want to do you can find reason for what you do, and also a spirit, from these types of films and books to keep going,

~Isobella