Resurrecting the Champ

Resurrecting the Champ ***

Directed by Rod Lurie
Written by Michael Bortman and Allison Burnett, based on the Los Angeles Times Magazine article by J.R. Moehringer

Starring:
Samuel L. Jackson as Champ
Josh Hartnett as Erik
Kathryn Morris as Joyce
Dakota Goyo as Teddy
Teri Hatcher as Flak
Alan Alda as Metz
Rachel Nichols as Polly
David Paymer as Whitley

111 Minutes(Rated PG-13 for some violence and brief language. )
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WARNING: This review contains a certain about a spoilers for surprises that occur about halfway through the film. Since knowing them may upset your viewing experience for the film, I am warning you early so that you avoid them.

"Resurrecting the Champ" is being billed as something based on a true story that was based on a lie. Of course, if you think about that as you begin to watch the movie, it does give away some of the halfway mark surprises-something that the trailer actually avoided, to my immense surprise. But it's an interesting little story, and the film version of that story does take it turn it into a little bit of a melodramatic nightmare, but the performances are worth checking out, and at times it does have its heart in the right place. It is also an interesting mediation on lying, the place it has in society, and the place it has in the home. When it is acceptable to lie, if ever, and when it is not.

Samuel L. Jackson delivers some of his best actual acting in recent memory-a long distance away from "Snakes on a Plane" here-as the Champ. Champ is a homeless man living in alleyways, but once upon a time he was a legendary boxer named Bob Satterfield, at one time the Heavyweight Champion of the World. On the other side there is Erik Kernan, a newspaper reporter who usually does small little bylines in the paper. Separated from his wife and his young son, who he often fabricates stories to about being friends with John Elway and playing golf with Ali, Erik has the intention of moving to the upstairs floor with a different paper, and sees a potential story in the Champ. He begins interviewing him-here is a boxer that fought the Raging Bull Jake LaMotta, and who everyone thought to be dead for twenty years. And he is living on the street! But once the story hits, and Erik begins to rise up in his career, facts begin to come into question, and Erik's reputation goes on the line.

My analysis of this film is fairly simple. It comes out at the end of August, a few weeks shy of the time when Oscar contender films usually come out. And it shows. This is not an Oscar caliber film, but it's enjoyable, entertaining, and has its heart in the right place. Samuel L. Jackson is kind of great as the Champ-loaded with latex and other make-up to make him almost unrecognizable. I remember seeing the trailers for this-completely under advertised film, more on that later-and not knowing that it was Jackson until they said him name. Champ isn't a character that you are meant to pity, but you could watch in a realistic light. He is not a sobbing sack like the script could have easily made him, and Jackson would have had no problem with that. Josh Hartnett makes me forget flops like "Hollywood Homicide" and "The Black Dahlia" and does some good work here. The two leads are fine, and bring some heart and energy to the film, but the supporting cast does nothing but bring out cliche after cliche.

First there is Alan Alda as the newspaper editor character, similar to Bob Balaban as the editor in "Dedication," except Alda is coasting his way through-and for good reason, because he's Alan Alda and can do whatever he wants. There is Kathryn Morris as the ex-wife of Hartnett who is there to give him advice and moral support-she claims to not like him, but you know in the end they will find solace in each other again. I was glad that Hartnett-even though he had the chance several times-did not find comfort in another woman's arms, something that could have complicated the film even more. They avoided that, thankfully. They also avoid a third act courtroom scene which I really smelled coming, and did not. There is his son, played by Dakota Goyo, who is just awful. There is an example of his "acting" in the trailer, when Hartnett asks if he's proud of his father. The line is "real proud," but the delivery is so laughable. Yes, he's like that the whole film. And there is Teri Hatcher as a Showtime executive who lands Hartnett a role as a television boxer reporter, in a brief and useless additional ten minutes. She is just as bad as the kid.

For all it's flaws and cliches with the supporting acting and background subplots, I liked "Resurrecting the Champ" for it's interesting look into lies and why we tell them. When facts about Champ really being Bob Satterfield become brought into question, we see a comparison between the lies that Hartnett tells to his son-about him being friends with famous sports figures-and the lies that Champ may be telling to Hartnett. While you could say that lying to a child in such a trivial way is harmless, but lying to one child may be worse than lying to a massive group of people who are inspired by the story of Champ. Hartnett and Jackson play their roles well, and if the film was released later in the year I would say that Jackson had a chance for an award. But this will probably be forgotten as the major contenders begin to be released next month. "Resurrecting the Champ" is a good film-imperfect and flawed-but on the whole it works.

One thing to mention: I was surprised with Yari Film Groups choice to barely advertise this film. I remember seeing the ad twice in one day last June-I think before "Mighty Heart" and "Sicko"-but after that I didn't even see a single poster, television ad, or banner for the film. YFG produced the great "The Illusionist" last year, and the hit "The Painted Veil," but hit low with flops (and bad films) like "Gray Matters," "First Snow," and "Kickin' It All Sckool," as well as the five year delayed "Shortcut to Happiness,' which had a small release in the boonies in July-it never opened in New York which is why I didn't see it. I guess the company is failing, because had it been advertised I could have seen this having a moderate box office success, but I guess they lost faith in themselves.

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