Welterweight boxer Micky Ward is struggling to make a name for himself in the tough world of boxing. He is known as a "stepping stone" for other boxers to excel further up the boxing world. Tired of being a He then vows to fight his way to the very top of the welterweight category, therefore giving his daughter a better life. Like every 'underdog' character in a movie, they obviously have some sort of family or background dispute to settle. In this case, it's his slender drug addicted brother Dicky, played by Christian Bale. As the film progresses, so does the tension between the two brothers as Ward feels his family are holding him back from hitting the big time. What makes this film great isn't just the way the story is told, but how the actors make the characters their own. The way Christian Bale plays ex-boxer turned junkie is sublime. For him to play a superhero that doesn't require much emotional acting, to a film where he plays a man fighting a daunting drug addiction takes nature talent. Other performances I think deserve some recognition is one Melissa Leo, who played Micky's controlling mother Alice Ward. She plays a fiesty, sassy mother that ultimately controls Micky's future for much of the film. She portrays her character as an aggressive leader, however showing later on in the film that she has a soft side when Ward progresses to his dream fight towards the end of the film.
This type of sporting underdog story isn't unique to other films, as such film as Rocky and the Blind Side have created storyline that relate to a character rising from a tough background to claim a brighter future. However the films gritty storyline, combined with the some mesmeric acting, makes this film rightful for the Oscar nomination it has received.
