Fighter

Theatrical Release Date: 2010 12 10 (USA - Limited) / 2010 12 17 (USA - Expanding)

UPC: 097361166643

Studio: Paramount

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Profanity, Sexual Situations, Drug Content]

Summary: Mark Wahlberg stars in Paramount Pictures' inspirational docudrama exploring the remarkable rise of Massachusetts-born, junior welterweight title winner "Irish" Micky Ward. A determined pugilist whose career in the ring was shepherded by his loyal half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale) -- a hard-living boxer-turned-trainer whose own career in the ring was nearly sent down for the count due to drugs and crime -- perennial underdog Irish Micky rebounded from a disheartening series of defeats to win both the WBU Intercontinental Lightweight title and the WBU Light Welterweight title thanks to a fierce combination of determination and hard work. David O. Russell directs from a script by 8 Mile's Scott Silver and Paul Attanasio (The Bourne Ultimatum). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Supporting Actress – Screen Actors Guild Best Supporting Actor – Screen Actors Guild Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Supporting Actor – National Board of Review Best Ensemble – Screen Actors Guild Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Moti – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Director – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Supporting Actress – New York Film Critics Circle Best Ensemble – Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble – Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble – Screen Actors Guild Best Supporting Actor – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Original Screenplay – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Supporting Actress – Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble – Screen Actors Guild Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Screenplay – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Original Screenplay – Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay – Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay – Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay – Writers Guild of America Best Supporting Actress (Runner-up) – National Society of Film Critics Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Supporting Actor (Runner-up) – National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress (Runner-up) – National Society of Film Critics Best British Actor – London Film Critics Association Best Art Direction in a Contemporary Film – Art Directors Guild Best Supporting Actor – Austin Film Critics Top Ten Film – Austin Film Critics Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Moti – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Supporting Actress – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Original Screenplay – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Supporting Actress – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Supporting Actress – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Supporting Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Fighter

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 03/15/2011

Audio: DHMA null, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 115 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Fighter
1. Scene 1 [7:10]
2. Scene 2 [9:22]
3. Scene 3 [5:57]
4. Scene 4 [6:02]
5. Scene 5 [7:45]
6. Scene 6 [6:55]
7. Scene 7 [8:37]
8. Scene 8 [8:52]
9. Scene 9 [6:19]
10. Scene 10 [5:55]
11. Scene 11 [7:38]
12. Scene 12 [4:20]
13. Scene 13 [8:49]
14. Scene 14 [6:19]
15. Scene 15 [10:04]
16. Scene 16 [5:19]

Jason Buchanan

Everyone loves a good underdog story; they've been a staple of cinema since the very beginning. The perpetual struggle to overcome adversity and strive for greatness is something that we can all relate to, and when told with heart and talent, these tales can offer unusually perceptive insight into the human condition. The world of sports in particular is rife with inspirational stories about athletes who have beaten the odds to become legends. The physical and mental drive needed to succeed on the gridiron, on the court, or in the ring have long provided fodder for ambitious screenwriters, actors, and filmmakers seeking to gain a better understanding of what really drives us to get back up and keep on swinging when it looks for all the world like we've gone down for the count. Inspired by the remarkable true-life story of "Irish" Micky Ward and his unpredictable brother, Dicky Eklund -- a former welterweight whose career was KO'd by crack -- director David O. Russell's intimate sports drama The Fighter succeeds in engaging the viewer on a number of levels thanks to a nuanced screenplay from scribes Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson, and some impressive performances by an immensely talented cast. On July 18, 1978, Lowell, Massachusetts boxer Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) cemented his status as "The Pride of Lowell" by knocking down boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard. But while Sugar Ray fell to the canvas that day, volatile Dicky was about to fall even further. Just seven years after that fateful fight, Dicky was too wasted to lace up a pair of gloves -- a tragic victim of the crack epidemic. However, his younger brother, Micky (Mark Wahlberg), still had plenty of fight, as well as the self-discipline needed to succeed where his older sibling had failed. Under Dicky's training, Micky made an impressive debut as an amateur boxer in the early '80s, thanks in no small part to his devastating left hook. Still, he was frequently looked down upon by fans, trainers, and other professional boxers as a "stepping stone" fighter -- a professional loser whose only purpose as a pugilist was to prop up boxers who were destined for bigger and better bouts. In the aftermath of a last-minute lineup change that resulted in Micky suffering a brutal defeat, the dejected boxer gradually began to realize that in order to reach his full potential he would need to begin training with true professionals. Not only would that decision strain his relationship with his mother, Alice (Melissa Leo), who had always served as his manager, but also his brother Dicky, who would later become the subject of an HBO documentary about crack addiction, in addition to receiving a stiff prison sentence for a host of criminal infractions. Nonetheless, with the support of his father, George (Jack McGee); his girlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams); and a new business-savvy manager, Micky would soon be on his way to making boxing history with his legendary trilogy of fights against Canadian boxer Arturo Gatti. Of course, boxing isn't the only sport with a rich history on the silver screen, but with talented actors like Anthony Quinn, Jack Palance, Burt Lancaster, and Robert De Niro having all stepped into the ring at various points in their film careers, it may be the one that consistently draws the biggest talent. Frequently hailed as one of the most gifted actors of his generation, Bale's magnetic performance as motor-mouthed crack-addict Dicky is so compelling that although initial assumptions may lead us to believe "The Fighter" of the film is Micky, it could, in fact, just as well be his less distinguished sibling. The three screenwriters skillfully tell both characters' stories without shortchanging either one. But while Bale sinks his teeth into the meatier role, it's his interaction with Wahlberg that gives the film true heart. The complex balance of sibling rivalry and support is present from the very opening shot, and both actors walk the line between those two extremes with confidence and charisma. And the talent extends to the supporting cast: Leo is captivating as the mother who obviously loves both of her sons, yet always seems to gravitate toward the troubled one (a suppressed character trait that boils to the surface in a brilliantly written scene that finds a recently paroled Dicky returning to the gym), and Adams is perfect as the love interest who is bold enough to call out the controlling matriarch and her loyal army of daughters when they threaten to drag Micky down, even if she isn't quite certain how much of their dysfunction she can handle. Behind the camera, Russell always keeps our attention focused in the right place, giving his actors plenty of room to fully inhabit their characters while enhancing all of the major components that make the screenplay such a compelling piece of writing. His directorial choices once again display his flair for breaking with convention (some comic relief involving Dicky and his sisters may play as a little too broad for some, and the choice to focus on Micky during a crucial pep talk from Dicky in the final fight is at first confounding until we realize where the scene is going), but they're always made with the characters and story in mind, and help distinguish The Fighter from the glut of other similarly themed films. Russell's decision to shoot the boxing matches in the television style adds a sense of urgency to the bouts that keeps us involved even if we already know the outcome, and makes the film equally compelling for boxing fans and newcomers alike. Stories like the one portrayed in The Fighter help us to realize that, although at times we may feel like all hope is lost, the outcome of a life is never written in stone. For that reason, the film earns a well-deserved spot in the pantheon of inspirational sports underdog films. But while these particular factors ensure that The Fighter works wonderfully within the boundaries of its own particular dramatic subgenre, it's the richly textured performances, thoughtfully balanced screenplay, and assured direction that distinguish it as an all-around great film. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: David O. Russell  Director 
Mark Wahlberg  Producer 
Scott Silver  Screenwriter 
Michael Brook  Composer (Music Score) 
David Hoberman  Producer 
Dorothy Aufiero  Producer 
Paul Tamasy  Executive Producer 
Paul Tamasy  Producer 
Paul Tamasy  Screenwriter 
Darren Aronofsky  Executive Producer 
Tucker Tooley  Executive Producer 
Todd Lieberman  Producer 
Ryan Kavanaugh  Producer 
Keith Dorrington  Executive Producer 
Leslie Varrelman  Executive Producer 
Eric Johnson  Executive Producer 
Eric Johnson  Screenwriter 
Mark Wahlberg  Actor 
Christian Bale  Actor 
Amy Adams  Actor 
Melissa Leo  Actor 
Jack McGee  Actor 
Mickey O'Keefe  Actor 
Melissa McMeekin  Actor 
Bianca Hunter  Actor 
Erica McDermott  Actor 
Jill Quigg  Actor 
Dendrie Allyn Taylor  Actor 
Kate O'Brien  Actor 
Jenna Lamia  Actor 
Frank Renzulli  Actor 
Paul Campbell  Actor 
Caitlin Dwyer  Actor 
Chanty Sok  Actor 
Ted Arcidi  Actor 
Ross Bickell  Actor 
Sean Malone  Actor 
Jose Antonio Rivera  Actor 
Richard Farrell  Actor 
Matthew Muzio  Actor 
Steven Barkheimer  Actor 
Art Ramalho  Actor 
Sugar Ray Leonard  Actor 
Jackson Nicoll  Actor 
Alison Folland  Actor 
Sean Doherty  Actor 
Sue Costello  Actor 
Thomas Benton  Actor 
Ray Greenhalge  Actor 
Tino Kimly  Actor 
Epifanio Melendez  Actor 
Jeremiah Kissel  Actor 
Sean Eklund  Actor 
Roeun Chea  Actor 
Brian Nguyen  Actor 
Rikki Kleiman  Actor 
Michael Dell'orto  Actor 
Paul Locke  Actor 
Kim Carrell  Actor 
Colin Hammell  Actor 
Dale Place  Actor 
Eddie Lee Anderson  Actor 
Joseph Lupino  Actor 
Bonnie Aarons  Actor 
Walter Driscoll  Actor 
Matt Russell  Actor 
A. Joseph Denucci  Actor 
Richard A. Eklund  Actor 
George Michael Ward  Actor 
Richard Eklund, Jr.  Actor 
Jack Greenhalge  Actor 
Kevin Paige  Actor 
David A. Ramalho, Sr.  Actor 
Ziad Akl  Actor 
Simon Hamlin  Actor 
Gerald Greenhalge  Actor 
Matthew Russell  Actor 
Tommy Eklund  Actor 
Rita Mercier  Actor 
Deborah Bolanger  Actor 
Kerry Moore  Actor 
Philip D. Herbert  Actor 
Raul Vera  Actor 
Jack Lally  Actor 
Carlos L. Smith  Actor 
Jerrell Lee  Actor 
Hugh K. Long  Actor 
Catherine Lynn Stone  Actor 
Eric Weinstein  Actor 
Bo Cleary  Actor 
Anthony Molinari  Actor 
Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham  Actor 
Miguel Espino  Actor 
Anthony 'Ace' Thomas  Actor 
Brian Christensen  Actor 
Jen Weissenberg  Actor 

Country: USA