The Fighter
Short description
The Fighter follows Micky Ward, a boxer from Lowell, Massachusetts, whose professional career has stalled. His half-brother Dicky Eklund, once a talented fighter who famously went the distance with Sugar Ray Leonard, now struggles with drug addiction and cannot reliably serve as Micky's trainer. Their mother, Alice, manages Micky's career with more enthusiasm than skill, and his sisters crowd into every decision. Micky keeps losing, often brought in as an opponent for stronger fighters. After a disastrous bout and Dicky's imprisonment, Micky's girlfriend Charlene, a bartender with a blunt manner, pushes him to step back from his family's influence and take control of his own training and management. Dicky, meanwhile, works toward his own recovery.
The film, released in December 2010, was directed by David O. Russell. It was his fifth feature, following Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees. Mark Wahlberg plays Micky and also produced; Christian Bale plays Dicky, with Amy Adams as Charlene and Melissa Leo as Alice. The screenplay was written by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson. Made for about 25 million dollars, it earned roughly 129 million worldwide, a strong return. On IMDb it holds 7.8/10 from over 407,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.4/10 from about 4,800 votes; a critics' rating of 7.8/10 from 253 reviews places it alongside the audience response.
What's left behind the scenes
- Matt Damon and Brad Pitt were considered for the role of Dicky Eklund.
- When the film was first being planned, Mark Wahlberg sent the script to Martin Scorsese, hoping he would be interested. However, Scorsese wasn't interested. Wahlberg eventually suggested that David O. Russell direct the film.
- Mark Wahlberg waived his salary for his role in this film.
- For greater realism, Wahlberg refused a stunt double and performed all the fight scenes himself, nearly breaking his nose in the process.
- Filming began in July 2009 and took 33 days. It took place in Massachusetts, in the very locations where Micky Ward actually boxed.
- Mark Wahlberg asked Christian Bale to participate in the film. This happened when they met by chance at the kindergarten their daughters attend.
- Dicky is 7 years older than Micky, but Christian Bale, who plays Dicky, is actually 3 years younger than Mark Wahlberg.
- To prepare for the role of Micky, Mark Wahlberg trained extensively and even built a boxing ring in his house.
- Emily Blunt turned down a role in this film.
- To achieve greater authenticity in portraying cocaine addict Dicky Eklund, Christian Bale went on a strict diet, eating only vegetables and fruits, even though his contract did not require it. He lost so much weight that his co-star Mark Wahlberg publicly expressed concern for his health. However, this was not the first time for Christian: he had subjected himself to a similar ordeal while working on the film "The Machinist" (2004).
- Darren Aronofsky was previously attached to the film but left the project to shoot "Black Swan" (2010).
- Michael Fassbender originally auditioned for the role of Mickey Ward.
- Actress Melissa Leo plays Bale's mother in the film, but in reality, she is only 13 full years older than Christian.
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