Cinderella Man | AccessAtlanta

'Cinderella Man' makes all the right moves
by Eleanor Ringel Gillespie

"Rocky" meets "Ironweed" in Ron Howard's superb "Cinderella Man," a knockout boxing movie that reunites the director with his "A Beautiful Mind" star, Russell Crowe. "Cinderella Man" is the name Broadway's unofficial poet laureate, Damon Runyon, bestowed on fighter Jim Braddock (Crowe) who, like a Seabiscuit in boxing trunks, became an underdog hero for a nation feeling pretty underdog-ish itself in the Depression '30s. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
The story of Depression-era fighter and folk hero Jim Braddock, who defeated heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 15-round slugfest in 1935.

FILM FACTS ...

Universal Studios

'Cinderella Man'

Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Connor Price, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko
Run time: 144 minutes
Release date: June 3, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for intense boxing violence and some language.
See showtimes

On the web
Official movie site
View the trailer
Trailers require Quicktime

READ THE REVIEW

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A-
"Crowe is the movie's tarnished golden boy, its ace-in-the-hole left hook... To watch him as he makes his mark isn't just exciting, it's a privilege."

Read the full review

Austin American-Statesman: 3 of 5 stars
"(Director Ron) Howard generates a throbbing intensity during the final fight... conjuring a raw, thrilling brutality that rattles you."

Read the full review

Dayton Daily News: B+
"The thrilling final hour, a well-staged series of increasingly tense boxing matches building to the showdown between Braddock and Baer ... will have audiences cheering."

Read the full review

The Palm Beach Post: B
"What holds it back from an unqualified decision is the gnawing feeling that we have seen this story before, only with a spindly-legged horse instead of a prize fighter with an glass fist."