Title: RESURRECTING the champ
Written by: Rob Lurie (The Contender, The Last Castle, The Nazi)
Based on a true story
Submitted by: Syndicate Films
Read by: Chen-Yung Hsu, Little Magic
Genre: Drama
Location and Period: Orange County, California, Present Day
Recommendation: ** 3/4
Date: 2/8/06
Elements: Dir: Rod Lurie (The Contender, The Last Castle, The Nazi)
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Star Wars: Episodes, The Man)
TBC - Josh Hartnett (40 Days and 40 Nights, Wicker Park, Sin City)
Logline:
A reporter trying to revive his struggling career writes about a has-been homeless ex-pro boxer. The boxer gets a second chance at a little glory and he teaches the reporter that the only force more powerful than a boy wanting the admiration of his father, is the force of a father wanting the admiration of his son.
Brief:
A touching story about the experiences two men faced as sons and the experiences they try to pass on as fathers. The film does not revolve around violence and uses boxing only as a backdrop and a remembrance of faded glory. The stereotypical portrayal of the boozed up boxer was sad but the relationship he held with the reporter, which later reverberates between the reporter and his son, was heart warming and memorable. However, even though the dialogue was touching, the changes the characters undergo were lacking and needed to be more effective in order to earn a greater reaction from the audience.
Synopsis:
Back in the 1950’s, boxing as a sport defined America. The nimble and powerful punchers dancing around the ring represented elegance and pride. Now, boxing represents a brutish sport without class and despite the violence, bores ERIK KERNAN (35), a journalist for the Los Angeles Times. After a bout where ARGUELLO, a Latin boxer stands in arrogant, disrespectful triumph over his opponent, Erik sits in the empty arena chugging out his latest article concerning the win but without much care for it. CUT TO: At the rear of a supermarket, CHAMP (late sixties) an African American homeless man is caked in filth and grit and is digging through a dumpster in search of food. A sudden glare of light blinds him, and a car pulls up with three men, RUNT, JAWS and KENNY, (twenties) who have come just to pick a fight with him. First they force him to fight, then Runt and Jaws hold him while Kenny uses him as a punching bag. Erik happens to drive by at this time and sees the carnage. The three delinquents run once they see they’ve been spotted, leaving Champ a bloody mess on the ground. Erik offers Champ a hand but Champ tells Erik he’s fine, after all, he was BOB SATTERFIELD, a great pro boxer. Champ then goes to sleep on the floor.
In the morning, Erik is blown away when he finds out his boxing story was relegated to page 17 of the sports section. His editor, RALPH METZ (50s) tells Erik he’s a good writer but he has no love for the sport and his writing shows it. Erik, disheartened, angry and determined to do something about his situation informs his estranged wife JOYCE (mid-thirties) he wants to try to take a step up and write for the Sunday magazine section. However, the reaction he gets from BING WHITLEY (50’s) who runs that section is the same as his editor, RALPH METZ’s (50’s), Erik’s writing lacks heart. Furthermore, it’s overshadowed by his last name. Erik’s father, KERNAN SR. (deceased) was supposedly a great writer. Erik manages to turn the situation around to show Whitley that he does want to write stories with merit and personality, and while fumbling for a pitch, Champ pops into his head. Writing about the ex-champ’s life story will be Erik’s big chance.
Erik has dinner with his son TEDDY (8) and JOYCE and tells them about Champ. Teddy feels it will be a sad piece but Erik assures him the story will be hopeful. As Erik goes off in search of Champ, he listens to a cassette tape in his car playing his father’s radio sports report. Erik finally manages to find Champ but the old pro wants nothing to do with the papers. But when Erik tells Champ about the straits he’s in at his job, Champ can relate and agrees to help him out. During the interview, Champ relives the bout he had against ROCKY MARCIANO and invigorates Erik to the point where he’s actually excited about boxing again. Erik is having a great time with Champ and during the interview, tries to find out more about Champ’s past. The subject of fathers comes up where Champ painfully reveals a dark scar running down the inside of his arm, a remnant of when his father beat him. During another interview, Champ tells Erik about the fight that changed his life, the bout against EZZARD CHARLES which he deemed a piece of ‘humiliation’. After that, Champ left his family and moved to Sioux City where he worked as a stable hand. During that time, his boss got him back into boxing until he used up the fighter. After the last fight, the boss ripped off all of Champs money, which was how he ended up penniless.
Back at the newsroom, POLLY HILL (early 30s) a librarian at the paper manages to obtain footage of Champ fighting and unknown boxer for Erik. For the first time, Erik watches boxing, mesmerized and exhilarated. Erik goes to find Champ and shows him the bout. Enthralled and disbelieving, Champ watches the fight and drops to his knees. Champ points out the other fighter as a man named Tommy Harrison and is overcome with pride and appreciation. He tells Erik he hopes Teddy will do something incredible for him, just like Erik did for him that day. Champ tries to leave but Erik needs more for his story, how did Champ end up the way he is now? So Champ takes Erik to see the house where his wife lives and tells him about his son, Bob, Jr., who he loved more than anything but his love was not reciprocated. Not surprising since Champ left his family when Bob, Jr. was only six years old. Erik also cannot hide his revulsion but decides to play on Champ’s side.
Wanting to show Teddy a champion, Erik introduces his son to Champ at the city park. Champ engages Teddy in a great fight story but soon dips into a fatherly role where he treats Teddy as if he was his own. When he’s finally shaken from his reverie he just admonishes Teddy to respect his father and not run wild. CUT TO: A flashback of Champ’s house in 1978. That night Champ and his wife Betty are in the midst of a heated argument, both wrecked with anxiety, waiting for their son to come home. Finally, BOBBY (14) returns bruised and bloody from a fight. Champ reveals how he tried to set his son right but he wouldn’t listen. And with that he beseeches Teddy to not do the same.
The next day in the newsroom Polly hands Erik information about Bob Satterfield’s son. Elated, Erik attempts to call Satterfield Jr., however, after hearing the name Kernan, he is rudely hung up on. Erik sits in his apartment one night with his son, a huge poster of his father, Kernan Sr. hangs on the wall. Teddy asks his father why his dad never visits his grandfather’s grave. Erik painfully admits he admires his father, but has never forgiven him for abandoning him. However, it’s because of his father, that Erik wants to be a great one. At this time, Joyce is reading over Erik’s finished article about Satterfield and points out a very large flaw, there are not enough sources. This does not hinder the article as it becomes a huge hit and Erik’s career takes off. He is soon given an offer to be a commentator on HBO. It seems to be going beautifully until news arises that the man Erik interviewed was not the real Bob Satterfield. It turns out that Champ is really Harrison from the Harrison-Satterfield fight. Joyce confronts Erik to reveal the truth but he refuses. He suddenly becomes enraged when she asks him to think about his son and how his son will see him. She hit the nail on the head with that remark. Erik did not want to sully the hero image his son has of him but by lying to his son he was only betraying him. As angry tears form in his eyes, Erik tries to deny any wrong doing as a father.
During the coverage of his first fight on HBO, Erik’s son watches in pride and admiration and his father gives a special shout out to him. But Erik feels terrible afterwards, he feels he didn’t earn it. He returns to Joyce’s house and begs to move back in and become the proper father he should be and not make the same mistakes his father did. The first step, he knows he has to come clean with his editor. The next day, it’s too late because Satterfield Jr. has come out to sue Erik for writing that he was ashamed of his father. Erik, angry and resentful, seeks out the Champ and attempts to physically unload on him. What’s more, Erik reveals he thought of Champ as a father figure, and he is resentful of the fact that another father figure betrayed him. But Erik soon finds himself bloody and on the ground and Champ finds himself weeping in regret, over this mistake and all the mistakes of his past.
Champ finally tells Erik about his real past and who he really is. He reveals that his son found out who he really was and was so full of disappointment he left the family first by getting himself killed. Erik takes Champ back to his wife’s house and encourages him to go in, to face everything he was afraid of facing. Erik also reveals that his father betrayed him and because of that, he wanted to do his best so his son would never be disappointed in him. At the settlement conference with Satterfield, Jr., Erik offers to write an article not only in apology, but a story about being a father. Satterfield, Jr. is touched by this and agrees.
Before writing the article, Erik has to do something more important – make right with his son. It’s his turn to reveal his sins as a father to Teddy. His lying, his exaggerations, and his stories were all for the sake of making his son proud of him. Now it’s Teddy’s turn to forgive him. Now Erik can begin to write his article, which he puts his full heart in to. His voice over of his article interlaces with Champ’s last fight. The punk Kenny has come to take Champ on his own. It is a vicious fight but Champ rises victorious, knocking Kenny out cold. As he exits the scene proudly, Champ collapses to the ground with his last breath. Erik’s touching story tells how Champ showed him and made him reveal to himself the mistakes fathers make and the love that drives them to rectify them. It was because of the lessons that Champ passed on that Erik becomes a better journalist, husband and father.
Comments: A touching story about the experiences two men faced as sons and the experiences they try to pass on as fathers. The film does not revolve around violence and uses boxing only as a backdrop and a remembrance of faded glory. The relationship between the boxer and reporter, which later reverberates between the reporter and his son shows the only force more powerful than a boy wanting the admiration of his father, is the force of a father wanting the admiration of his son.
There is no denying that Erik is not a very good husband but a very good father. His scenes with Teddy and his devotion to making him proud are quite touching. However, as an overall character there is little to find agreeable with him. He is rude, irresponsible, and selfish while his wife’s character seems too angelic and kind. The characterization of Champ also fails to keep the audience’s sympathy or to win their support. He’s a racist, drunk and spiritually weak man. Perhaps that was the point, to show how he could be redeemable at the end by helping another father learn from his mistakes. The scenes between Champ and Eric and Champ and Teddy are pretty heart warming. It would be a real tear jerker if Champ got more time to spend with Teddy.
Truthfully, the biggest push for this movie is the father son aspect, which I do believe a lot of Japanese can relate to with absentee fathers. Emphasizing the ‘my father screwed up so I won’t’ aspect, the changing of family dynamics for the better, and the reporter trying his hardest to be honest and to right his wrongs mainly for his son, whose belief in him he cherishes will really hit home for most viewers. However, Erik and Champ need to change quicker. Erik writes wonderfully but his character and his dialogue do not seem to improve, especially when speaking with his wife. Champs changes could have come earlier so the final bout against Kenny will have more impact as audiences will want him to win without this ambivalent feeling that it does not matter. Some audiences may even feel he had it coming to him for being a horrible father. Overall, the story has a lot going for it but is dampered by the current characterizations. Whether this movie will work well depends largely on direction and on the performances of the cast. Samuel L. Jackson can be counted on for a stunning portrayal but Josh Hartnett is hit or miss (mostly miss).
Premise: GOOD
Storyline: GOOD
Characterizations: FAIR
Dialogue: GOOD
Plot/Structure: GOOD
Written by: Rob Lurie (The Contender, The Last Castle, The Nazi)
Based on a true story
Submitted by: Syndicate Films
Read by: Chen-Yung Hsu, Little Magic
Genre: Drama
Location and Period: Orange County, California, Present Day
Recommendation: ** 3/4
Date: 2/8/06
Elements: Dir: Rod Lurie (The Contender, The Last Castle, The Nazi)
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Star Wars: Episodes, The Man)
TBC - Josh Hartnett (40 Days and 40 Nights, Wicker Park, Sin City)
Logline:
A reporter trying to revive his struggling career writes about a has-been homeless ex-pro boxer. The boxer gets a second chance at a little glory and he teaches the reporter that the only force more powerful than a boy wanting the admiration of his father, is the force of a father wanting the admiration of his son.
Brief:
A touching story about the experiences two men faced as sons and the experiences they try to pass on as fathers. The film does not revolve around violence and uses boxing only as a backdrop and a remembrance of faded glory. The stereotypical portrayal of the boozed up boxer was sad but the relationship he held with the reporter, which later reverberates between the reporter and his son, was heart warming and memorable. However, even though the dialogue was touching, the changes the characters undergo were lacking and needed to be more effective in order to earn a greater reaction from the audience.
Synopsis:
Back in the 1950’s, boxing as a sport defined America. The nimble and powerful punchers dancing around the ring represented elegance and pride. Now, boxing represents a brutish sport without class and despite the violence, bores ERIK KERNAN (35), a journalist for the Los Angeles Times. After a bout where ARGUELLO, a Latin boxer stands in arrogant, disrespectful triumph over his opponent, Erik sits in the empty arena chugging out his latest article concerning the win but without much care for it. CUT TO: At the rear of a supermarket, CHAMP (late sixties) an African American homeless man is caked in filth and grit and is digging through a dumpster in search of food. A sudden glare of light blinds him, and a car pulls up with three men, RUNT, JAWS and KENNY, (twenties) who have come just to pick a fight with him. First they force him to fight, then Runt and Jaws hold him while Kenny uses him as a punching bag. Erik happens to drive by at this time and sees the carnage. The three delinquents run once they see they’ve been spotted, leaving Champ a bloody mess on the ground. Erik offers Champ a hand but Champ tells Erik he’s fine, after all, he was BOB SATTERFIELD, a great pro boxer. Champ then goes to sleep on the floor.
In the morning, Erik is blown away when he finds out his boxing story was relegated to page 17 of the sports section. His editor, RALPH METZ (50s) tells Erik he’s a good writer but he has no love for the sport and his writing shows it. Erik, disheartened, angry and determined to do something about his situation informs his estranged wife JOYCE (mid-thirties) he wants to try to take a step up and write for the Sunday magazine section. However, the reaction he gets from BING WHITLEY (50’s) who runs that section is the same as his editor, RALPH METZ’s (50’s), Erik’s writing lacks heart. Furthermore, it’s overshadowed by his last name. Erik’s father, KERNAN SR. (deceased) was supposedly a great writer. Erik manages to turn the situation around to show Whitley that he does want to write stories with merit and personality, and while fumbling for a pitch, Champ pops into his head. Writing about the ex-champ’s life story will be Erik’s big chance.
Erik has dinner with his son TEDDY (8) and JOYCE and tells them about Champ. Teddy feels it will be a sad piece but Erik assures him the story will be hopeful. As Erik goes off in search of Champ, he listens to a cassette tape in his car playing his father’s radio sports report. Erik finally manages to find Champ but the old pro wants nothing to do with the papers. But when Erik tells Champ about the straits he’s in at his job, Champ can relate and agrees to help him out. During the interview, Champ relives the bout he had against ROCKY MARCIANO and invigorates Erik to the point where he’s actually excited about boxing again. Erik is having a great time with Champ and during the interview, tries to find out more about Champ’s past. The subject of fathers comes up where Champ painfully reveals a dark scar running down the inside of his arm, a remnant of when his father beat him. During another interview, Champ tells Erik about the fight that changed his life, the bout against EZZARD CHARLES which he deemed a piece of ‘humiliation’. After that, Champ left his family and moved to Sioux City where he worked as a stable hand. During that time, his boss got him back into boxing until he used up the fighter. After the last fight, the boss ripped off all of Champs money, which was how he ended up penniless.
Back at the newsroom, POLLY HILL (early 30s) a librarian at the paper manages to obtain footage of Champ fighting and unknown boxer for Erik. For the first time, Erik watches boxing, mesmerized and exhilarated. Erik goes to find Champ and shows him the bout. Enthralled and disbelieving, Champ watches the fight and drops to his knees. Champ points out the other fighter as a man named Tommy Harrison and is overcome with pride and appreciation. He tells Erik he hopes Teddy will do something incredible for him, just like Erik did for him that day. Champ tries to leave but Erik needs more for his story, how did Champ end up the way he is now? So Champ takes Erik to see the house where his wife lives and tells him about his son, Bob, Jr., who he loved more than anything but his love was not reciprocated. Not surprising since Champ left his family when Bob, Jr. was only six years old. Erik also cannot hide his revulsion but decides to play on Champ’s side.
Wanting to show Teddy a champion, Erik introduces his son to Champ at the city park. Champ engages Teddy in a great fight story but soon dips into a fatherly role where he treats Teddy as if he was his own. When he’s finally shaken from his reverie he just admonishes Teddy to respect his father and not run wild. CUT TO: A flashback of Champ’s house in 1978. That night Champ and his wife Betty are in the midst of a heated argument, both wrecked with anxiety, waiting for their son to come home. Finally, BOBBY (14) returns bruised and bloody from a fight. Champ reveals how he tried to set his son right but he wouldn’t listen. And with that he beseeches Teddy to not do the same.
The next day in the newsroom Polly hands Erik information about Bob Satterfield’s son. Elated, Erik attempts to call Satterfield Jr., however, after hearing the name Kernan, he is rudely hung up on. Erik sits in his apartment one night with his son, a huge poster of his father, Kernan Sr. hangs on the wall. Teddy asks his father why his dad never visits his grandfather’s grave. Erik painfully admits he admires his father, but has never forgiven him for abandoning him. However, it’s because of his father, that Erik wants to be a great one. At this time, Joyce is reading over Erik’s finished article about Satterfield and points out a very large flaw, there are not enough sources. This does not hinder the article as it becomes a huge hit and Erik’s career takes off. He is soon given an offer to be a commentator on HBO. It seems to be going beautifully until news arises that the man Erik interviewed was not the real Bob Satterfield. It turns out that Champ is really Harrison from the Harrison-Satterfield fight. Joyce confronts Erik to reveal the truth but he refuses. He suddenly becomes enraged when she asks him to think about his son and how his son will see him. She hit the nail on the head with that remark. Erik did not want to sully the hero image his son has of him but by lying to his son he was only betraying him. As angry tears form in his eyes, Erik tries to deny any wrong doing as a father.
During the coverage of his first fight on HBO, Erik’s son watches in pride and admiration and his father gives a special shout out to him. But Erik feels terrible afterwards, he feels he didn’t earn it. He returns to Joyce’s house and begs to move back in and become the proper father he should be and not make the same mistakes his father did. The first step, he knows he has to come clean with his editor. The next day, it’s too late because Satterfield Jr. has come out to sue Erik for writing that he was ashamed of his father. Erik, angry and resentful, seeks out the Champ and attempts to physically unload on him. What’s more, Erik reveals he thought of Champ as a father figure, and he is resentful of the fact that another father figure betrayed him. But Erik soon finds himself bloody and on the ground and Champ finds himself weeping in regret, over this mistake and all the mistakes of his past.
Champ finally tells Erik about his real past and who he really is. He reveals that his son found out who he really was and was so full of disappointment he left the family first by getting himself killed. Erik takes Champ back to his wife’s house and encourages him to go in, to face everything he was afraid of facing. Erik also reveals that his father betrayed him and because of that, he wanted to do his best so his son would never be disappointed in him. At the settlement conference with Satterfield, Jr., Erik offers to write an article not only in apology, but a story about being a father. Satterfield, Jr. is touched by this and agrees.
Before writing the article, Erik has to do something more important – make right with his son. It’s his turn to reveal his sins as a father to Teddy. His lying, his exaggerations, and his stories were all for the sake of making his son proud of him. Now it’s Teddy’s turn to forgive him. Now Erik can begin to write his article, which he puts his full heart in to. His voice over of his article interlaces with Champ’s last fight. The punk Kenny has come to take Champ on his own. It is a vicious fight but Champ rises victorious, knocking Kenny out cold. As he exits the scene proudly, Champ collapses to the ground with his last breath. Erik’s touching story tells how Champ showed him and made him reveal to himself the mistakes fathers make and the love that drives them to rectify them. It was because of the lessons that Champ passed on that Erik becomes a better journalist, husband and father.
Comments: A touching story about the experiences two men faced as sons and the experiences they try to pass on as fathers. The film does not revolve around violence and uses boxing only as a backdrop and a remembrance of faded glory. The relationship between the boxer and reporter, which later reverberates between the reporter and his son shows the only force more powerful than a boy wanting the admiration of his father, is the force of a father wanting the admiration of his son.
There is no denying that Erik is not a very good husband but a very good father. His scenes with Teddy and his devotion to making him proud are quite touching. However, as an overall character there is little to find agreeable with him. He is rude, irresponsible, and selfish while his wife’s character seems too angelic and kind. The characterization of Champ also fails to keep the audience’s sympathy or to win their support. He’s a racist, drunk and spiritually weak man. Perhaps that was the point, to show how he could be redeemable at the end by helping another father learn from his mistakes. The scenes between Champ and Eric and Champ and Teddy are pretty heart warming. It would be a real tear jerker if Champ got more time to spend with Teddy.
Truthfully, the biggest push for this movie is the father son aspect, which I do believe a lot of Japanese can relate to with absentee fathers. Emphasizing the ‘my father screwed up so I won’t’ aspect, the changing of family dynamics for the better, and the reporter trying his hardest to be honest and to right his wrongs mainly for his son, whose belief in him he cherishes will really hit home for most viewers. However, Erik and Champ need to change quicker. Erik writes wonderfully but his character and his dialogue do not seem to improve, especially when speaking with his wife. Champs changes could have come earlier so the final bout against Kenny will have more impact as audiences will want him to win without this ambivalent feeling that it does not matter. Some audiences may even feel he had it coming to him for being a horrible father. Overall, the story has a lot going for it but is dampered by the current characterizations. Whether this movie will work well depends largely on direction and on the performances of the cast. Samuel L. Jackson can be counted on for a stunning portrayal but Josh Hartnett is hit or miss (mostly miss).
Premise: GOOD
Storyline: GOOD
Characterizations: FAIR
Dialogue: GOOD
Plot/Structure: GOOD