Barnes & Noble

Despite exemplary reviews and more-than-ample media coverage, this Depression-era drama failed to achieve the box-office success predicted for it -- an inexplicable circumstance, because Cinderella Man stands head and shoulders above most of 2005's films. It’s the inspiring story of New Jersey-born boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe in yet another Oscar-worthy performance), a once promising heavyweight reduced to working as a dockhand after a broken hand takes him out of contention for the title. Down but never out, Braddock and his loyal wife, Mae (Renée Zellweger), manage to keep their family intact. With help from his manager (Paul Giamatti), Braddock eventually gets back in the ring -- and starts winning. His unlikely ascent captures the attention of the newspapers and the fans, and it soon becomes apparent that this family man is headed for a title match with reigning champ Max Baer (Craig Bierko), a formidable fighter whose punching power has already caused the death of one opponent. Braddock’s rags-to-riches story teems with the kind of incidents that would appear to be the invention of studio screenwriters, but in this case they actually happened. When Braddock began winning again, for example, he did repay government welfare funds he had earlier accepted. However, there’s at least one unfortunate deviation from reality: director Ron Howard and writer Cliff Hollingsworth's portrayal of Baer as a bloodthirsty brute. Baer’s heirs justifiably protested the demonization; but it works to the film’s advantage, enhancing the suspense surrounding the Big Fight, which is one of the most technically convincing and emotionally satisfying bouts ever committed to celluloid. Boasting exemplary work from all involved, Cinderella Man is Hollywood entertainment in the best possible sense of the term. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

The true story of an athlete who achieved his greatest success against the most daunting odds of his life is brought to the screen in this historical drama. In the 1920s, James Braddock (Russell Crowe) from Bergen, NJ, was a promising contender in professional boxing; he had strength, spirit, and tenacity, but the combination of a serious hand injury and a 1929 defeat in a bout with light heavyweight champ Tommy Loughran sent his career into a serious tailspin. As Braddock's career in the ring dried up, the Great Depression put a stake through the heart of America's economy, and Braddock found himself working at the New York docks for pitiful wages as he tried to support his wife, Mae (Renée Zellweger), and three children. Desperate for money, Braddock turned to his former trainer and manager Joe Gould (Paul Giamatti), who was unexpectedly able to scare up a bout for him, battling John Griffin at Madison Square Garden. While conventional wisdom had it that Braddock was too old, out of shape, and out of practice to have any chance of winning, he defeated Griffin, and continued beating his opponents with a powerful left hook that had been intensified by years of punishing dock work. In a nation desperate for good news, Braddock's surprising comeback became a tonic to struggling workers and unemployed people, and all eyes were on Braddock when in 1935 he took on powerful heavyweight champion Max Baer (Craig Bierko) in what was both literally and figuratively the fight of his life. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 025192870729
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Region Code: 1
• Time: 2:25:00
• Sales Rank: 12,503

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Ron Howard Spotlight Collection
• Champions Collection

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