Against the Ropes

Against the Ropes is a drama drawn from the life of Jackie Kallen, a woman raised around boxing in Detroit who sets out to make a place for herself as a manager in a sport dominated by men. After leaving her marriage and her old life behind, she spots potential in Luther Shaw, a raw fighter from the streets, and takes charge of his career. With help from Felix Reynolds, a veteran trainer she coaxes out of retirement, the pair try to turn Luther into a serious professional while Jackie builds her own reputation. The film follows the working relationship and personal bond that develop between manager and boxer as they pursue success together.

Charles S. Dutton directed the film, his first time behind the camera, from a screenplay by Cheryl Edwards. Meg Ryan plays Jackie Kallen, with Omar Epps as Luther Shaw, Dutton himself as Felix Reynolds, and Tony Shalhoub, Tim Daly and Joe Cortese in supporting roles. It was a large production, with a budget of 39 million US dollars.

That investment was not recovered: the worldwide box office came to about 6 million. Audiences have been lukewarm as well, with a rating of 5.3 out of 10 on IMDb from over 7,300 votes and 5.1 out of 10 on TMDB from a much smaller number of votes. A critics' rating of 4.2 out of 10 from 133 reviews places it in similar territory to the audience scores.