Jim goes out of his way to commend his wife, both in public and private. Both acknowledge their healthy dependence on each other (“You can’t win without me behind you,” Mae says-to which Jim lovingly replies, “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you”). Jim and Mae’s relationship is a beautiful portrayal of a deep-rooted marriage.
And when it comes to her kids, Mae does whatever she can to assure them of a hopeful future. She also defends her husband in the face of would-be manipulators and attackers, even verbally confronting the intimidating Max Baer after his trash-talking turns personal. … You are the champion of my heart,” she tells him before a key bout. While she refuses to attend Jim’s fights in an effort to keep herself emotionally stable (“Every time you get hit, feels like I’m getting hit”), she is quick to stand by her man with moving words of encouragement, gratitude and honor. The boxer also defends a woman when her drunken husband treats her roughly and even reprimands Joe for speaking disrespectfully about an opponent. Jim never assigns blame or gets bitter toward the government. When he’s forced to apply for federal emergency relief money, he returns later to pay back his loan-an action many people consider foolish and unnecessary since they claim the American government betrayed them. In the interest of his struggling family, Jim humbles himself and asks for help from friends and acquaintances.
He repeatedly makes good on that guarantee despite various pressures. … There are a lot of people worse off than us.” In a wonderful display of unconditional love, however, Jim discovers the fear behind his son’s actions and comforts him by promising to never send him away. Despite the family’s obvious need for food, the dad’s message is clear: “We don’t steal, no matter what. After his son steals salami from the local butcher, Jim makes him return it and apologize to the storeowner. In a touching scene, Jim sacrifices his own meager portion of food when his daughter says she’s still hungry. Their love for each other and for their children is at the forefront of their story, which includes numerous examples of solid parenting. It’s rare that such positive leading characters remain untainted throughout a film, yet the couple defies the odds. And Mae is finally putting her foot down.īoth Jim and Mae stand for integrity, perseverance, commitment, honor … the list goes on. Jim, now dubbed the “Cinderella Man,” is lined up to fight the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world, Max Baer, an arrogant giant who has already killed two men in the ring. Reality hits soon enough, as it’s bound to do. One victory leads to another … and another … and another … until Jim has suddenly rekindled hope among the down-and-out Irish-American community rallying around its newfound underdog hero. Having seen glimpses of his fighter’s old self, Joe offers Jim another shot in the ring (much to the chagrin of the ever-supportive Mae). Donning makeshift gloves and a fighter’s robe with the wrong name on it, Jim is simply expected to show up, take a few hits and collect his paycheck.īut then the unexpected happens: Jim KOs his opponent.
And the fact that Jim has never been knocked out makes him an attractive story line. 2 heavyweight in the world needs a last-minute replacement to fight for $250. Jim finally gets a break when his boxing manager, Joe Gould, shows up out of the blue with a proposition. But despite the threat of having no electricity, heat or food for the family, Jim refuses to send his kids off to live with wealthier relatives, even after his wife, Mae, suggests the move. His only hope each day is that he’ll be picked to work on the docks for a day’s pay.
After being forced into retirement via a string of losing decisions and a broken hand, “The Bulldog of Bergen” has all but lost his boxing bite and is scrambling for work alongside 15 million other unemployed Americans. More importantly to him, he has a wonderful wife and three beautiful children to enjoy.īut by 1933-in the thick of the Great Depression-Jim’s world looks completely different.
Cinderella man cast professional#
Earnings (and wins) come easy for this professional boxer.
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