Southpaw (10/27/2015)

Rated R for language throughout, and some violence.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker and 50 Cent

Directed by Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer, Olympus Has Fallen and Training Day)

I’m not a fan of boxing, but I love a good boxing movie.

From acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua and starring Academy Award® nominated Jake Gyllenhaal comes a story of tragedy, loss and the painful road to redemption… Billy “The Great” Hope (Gyllenhaal) is the reigning Junior Middleweight Champion whose unorthodox stance, the so-called “Southpaw,” consists of an ineloquent, though brutal, display of offensive fighting…one fueled by his own feelings of inadequacy and a desperate need for love, money and fame. With a beautiful family, home and financial security, Billy is on top both in and out of the ring until a tragic accident leaves his wife dead and sends him into a downward spiral. His days become an endless haze of alcohol and prescription drugs which lead to his daughter being taken by Child Services and his home being repossessed by the bank. Billy’s fate is all but sealed until a washed up former boxer named Tick agrees to take the bereaved pugilist under his wing so long as he agrees to his strict ethos. Relentless and utterly committed to a fighter that thinks as much as he throws punches, Tick rebuilds Billy into a new man: one that is agile, fearsome and uncompromising in the ring while thoughtful, loving and disciplined outside of it. Now, as he works to regain custody of his daughter and mounts a professional comeback, Billy must face his demons head-on as he learns that, sometimes, your greatest opponent can be yourself.

There are the classic boxing films like Raging Bull and Rocky (Rocky 3 is my personal favorite) and modern “classics” likes Warrior, Cinderella Man and Million Dollar Baby. All of these films have the same ingredients… an underdog, an underlying storyline to tug at your heartstrings, epic fights scenes and of course a training montage or two. Southpaw fits this mold perfectly.

So let’s talk about those ingredients. Jake Gyllenhaal as the “underdog” who has it all and has it all taken away is amazing. Besides the physical shape Gyllenhaal is in, he plays the role perfectly. The rest of the cast, including Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker and 50 Cent, is just as strong.

The fight scenes and the training montages are really intense…and the aftermath of Gyllenhaal’s face is tough to look at.

And while the boxing aspects of the film are solid, it’s the storyline that tugs at your heartstrings and really packs a punch. As a father, watching him struggle with the loss of his wife and daughter was gut wrenching. I also knew that with Antoine Fuqua directing and Kurt Sutter writing, this was going to be a rough ride…and it was.

This is a gritty and raw film about the less than perfect life of one boxer. It may not be a hit with everyone, but I thought it was “Theater Worthy.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There is no nudity, but there is one scene where a couple is in bed and sex is implied.

The majority of the violence is during the boxing scenes, but there are scenes of other violence throughout also.

There are over 50 F-words as well as other profanities and some small racial slurs.

CONVERSATION STARTER

1. How would you describe Billy Hope?


2. What do you think is his biggest character flaw?

Read Proverbs 14:29

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.


3. When did Billy’s temper get him into trouble?

Ephesians 4:31

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.


4. What can you do this week to keep your temper in check?