a guy and a bee

generally on friday’s that i have off from work, i try to make it to an early/mid-afternoon showing at the theater. this past friday, i went and caught “The Fighter” with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale.  the story is based on the true story of Micky Ward and Dick Ekland. Ekland was a famous fighter for knocking out Sugar Ray Leonard, whereas, his little brother, Ward, is working to make his way to the top of the boxing world and will eventually go on to be a boxing champion. the movie has received many nominations for the Golden Globes and will do the same for the Oscars. both Wahlberg and Bale are outstanding in their roles, but in my opinion, Bale really shines and stands out as playing the crack addicted Ekland, who has everyone in his family believing HBO is making a documentary about his comeback. at times, he even believes it himself and is later disappointed when the shows airs on TV. the way Bale acts and moves in the movie, you can see he really got into his role as Ekland. Wahlberg, who plays the leading role of Ward, also shines as the hopeful boxer, who struggles in life with the realities of dealing with his brother and his family, who pushes him into a fight because his mother needs the money, while trying to make something of himself.

the ensemble casts also includes Amy Adams, who portrays Wahlberg’s bar-tending girlfriend, Charlene, really rounds out the hopeful side that Wahlberg shows as his character tries to break out from his family and the small town of Lowell, MA. Mickey O’Keefe, Jack McGee, and Melissa Leo help round out the cast and are the 3 other pivotal characters in the movie. The last main character of the movie is the sleepy town of Lowell, Massachusetts. this small town that has nothing more than Ward and Ekland to hang their hat on shows why the brothers are the way they are as well as their family in general. it shows where people were in the the late ’80s and ’90s, how they got stuck there in many parts of America, and how drugs affected even the small towns across the country.

the movie is nominated for several awards and definitely deserves it. it stands out a fantastic portrayal of a true story and is way more than just another sports or boxing movie. i would give a 3.5 out of 4 stars. go find out for yourself why Micky Ward and Dick Ekland are the “Pride of Lowell.”