The Fighter (DVD)

The Fighter (2010) starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo. Boxer Micky Wade (Wahlberg) is coming off a string of losses, and his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Bale), a former boxer who is supposed to be training him, is more interested in drugs. Meanwhile, his mother Alice (Leo) is acting as his manager, and she's not very good at the job. Adams plays Charlene, Micky's girlfriend, who stands up for him against his large family. The question becomes, can Micky drag himself out of the muck of his low-class family long enough to get his boxing career back on track, and maybe get a shot at the championship? This movie is based on a true story, and it takes off in a slightly different direction than I was expecting. The climactic fight was exciting, the outcome satisfying. Bale and Leo won supporting acting Oscars. English subtitles are included, as well as closed captions. Grade: A-