MOVIE - The Fighter

Wow - Great accents - Great acting - Lowell, Mass!
Released 12-17-10
R (1:54)
3-6-11 (a gorgeous Sunday evening) at El con with Sheila & Terri
RT: 90 cag: 95
Director: David O. Russell
Amy Adams, Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale

Both Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won Academy Awards for supporting actor & actress in this riveting true story about two brothers from Lowell, Massachusetts in the 1980's. They were wonderful, but so was Amy Adams. Wow.

Micky Ward (Wahlberg) has always adored his older brother Dicky Eklund (Bale) who, for a short time, was "the pride of Lowell" after he beat Sugar Ray Leonard in a fight. Now, years later, Dicky is a crack addict and Micky is trying to work his way up the ladder as a fighter. However, he's not getting very far. Then he meets Charlene (Adams), a brassy bartender who helps him see that it's time he stop bailing his brother out and lying for him one more time. His world is centered around his outrageous mother, his seven grown sisters, and the young daughter whose mother is doing everything she can to poison their relationship.

Then Dicky goes to prison and cleans up while Micky is guided by a new trainer and manager....and begins to go places. And, oh how the family hates Charlene!

As the credits begin, the real-life Micky and Dicky are seen chatting about the film. I'd love to see more of them....

Totally entertaining. It's much more a story of family than a story about boxing. There are only a few fighting scenes, and those were quite acceptable to me - a person who seriously dislikes boxing.