| | | One Man's Extraordinary Fight To Save The Family He Loved.
Features: HD DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1, Dolby Digital (5.1) Plus; Dolby Digital Surround
Academy Award winners Russell Crowe and Rene Zellweger star in this triumphant, powerfully inspiring true story. In a time when America needed a champion, an unlikely hero would arise, proving how hard a man would fight to win a second chance for his family and himself. Suddenly thrust into the national spotlight, boxer Jim Braddock would defy the odds against him and stun the world with one of the greatest comebacks in history. Driven by love for his family, he willed an impossible dream to come true.
Editor's Note
Director Ron Howard and star Russell Crowe re-team after their Oscar-winning collaboration, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, for this rousing biopic. It's the true story of boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), a heavyweight contender from New Jersey nicknamed "the Bulldog of Bergen," who lost his fame and fortune during the Great Depression only to win the hearts of the downtrodden during a spectacular comeback. Crowe is masterful as Braddock, with Renee Zellweger playing his wife, and Paul Giamatti as his loyal friend and manager, Joe Gould. The sharply observed script devotes a significant amount of screen time to the domestic struggles of Braddock's family; developing character and place with a wealth of period detail, so when the comeback starts, the payoff is enormous. The matches themselves are unforgettable: raw, intense, riveting, with more than a passing stylistic nod to Martin Scorsese's groundbreaking 1980 film, RAGING BULL. Though it may sound a bit formulaic, one should remember that this is the true and "original" underdog boxer story from which all others hail, and it's riveted together with true craftsmanship. Howard has a real skill for plucking audience members' heartstrings, and the performances are first-rate. Giamatti and Crowe play off each other in a rapport perfectly suited to their roles, especially at the ring, where the one's manic intensity makes a perfect contrast to the other's warrior grace.
| Features | Feature Commentary with Director Ron Howard | | Feature Commentary with Writer Akiva Goldsman | | Feature Commentary with Writer Cliff Hollingsworth | | Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Ron Howard | | The Fight Card: Casting Cinderella Man | | The Man, the Movie, the Legend Featurette: A Filmmaking Journey | | For the Record Featurette: A History In Boxing | | Ringside Seats Featurette: The Filmmakers give a blow-by-blow commentary on the original Baer-Braddock fight | | Jim Braddock: The Friends & Family Behind the Legend | | Pre-Fight Preparations | | Lights, Camera, Action: The Fight From Every Angle | | The Sound of the Bell | | Braddock vs. Baer Fight Footage | | Photo Montage | | Cinderella Man Music Featurette | | Russell Crowe's Personal Journey: Becoming Jim Braddock | | The Human Face of the Depression | | Widescreen Presentation | | Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
| | Audio: English Dolby Digital (5.1) Plus; Dolby Surround Sound |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Universal |
| Release Date: 8/8/2006 |
| Running Time: 145 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2005 | | Catalog ID: 27845 | | UPC: 00025192784521 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Craig Bierko | | Paul Giamatti | | Renée Zellweger | | Bruce McGill | | Russell Crowe | | Paddy Considine | | Daniel Orlandi - Costume Designer | | Todd Hallowell - Producer | | Cliff Hollingsworth - Screenwriter | | Salvatore Totino - Director of Photography | | Penny Marshall - Producer | | Akiva Goldsman - Screenwriter | | Ron Howard - Screenwriter | | Dan Hanley - Editor | | Ron Howard - Producer | | Thomas Newman - Composer | | Mike Hill - Editor | | Brian Grazer - Producer | | Wynn Thomas - Production Designer | | Ron Howard - Director |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
"[T]here's not another actor working in the movies today with Crowe's kind of gravitational pull to authenticity..." 06/10/2005 p.78-79New York Times
"Out of the ring and opposite Mr. Giamatti, Mr. Crowe eases into the boxer's soft side, at times beautifully; in the ring, he's repulsively believable." 06/03/2005 p.E18 USA Today
"The climactic matchup works splendidly for two reasons. There's so much on the line, and the staging is breathtaking..." 06/10/2005 p.4E Premiere
"Crowe's physical acting is miraculous....A top-notch entertainment and as fine a sports movie as one could hope for." 07/01/2005 p.44-46 Sight and Sound
"Imbuing his Braddock with uncommon dignity and integrity, Crowe creates an utterly human character..." 09/01/2005 p.59-60 Uncut
"Russell Crowe is rugged and resilient....It's a solid picture..." 10/01/2005 p.137 Rolling Stone
"[A] rousing drama....Director Ron Howard does justice to the true story of James J. Braddock..." 12/01/2005 p.92 Rolling Stone
Ranked #6 in Rolling Stone's "Top 25 DVDs Of 2005' -- "If there's any justice, DVD will rescue this rousing drama from shocking box-office indifference." 12/01/2005 p.92 Widescreen Review
"[An] emotional true story....This is a good soundtrack that works well with the story." 07/01/2006 p.65 Wall Street Journal
"The film is RAGING BULL minus the rage, though with a motivation that's at least as involving, and a lot more surprising." 05/22/2009 |
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