Ron Howard’s best films focus on everyday
heroes, men who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances yet can
summon enough strength to conquer seemingly insurmountable challenges.
These exemplars of the ideal American man have included fathers struggling
to get through the day (Parenthood), firefighters battling ravaging flames (Backdraft), reporters striving to tell
the truth (The Paper), and astronauts struggling to survive in space (Apollo 13). Howard delivers what
his audience wants, and it’s no wonder he’s one of film’s
most popular directors.
Howard’s latest entry in this genre, Cinderella Man, proves his most
satisfying work. The film tells the story of James Braddock, a
Depression-era boxer who, like so many of his contemporaries, lost nearly
everything when the stock market crashed in late 1929. Laid low by
circumstances beyond his control, Braddock found the will to continue,
picking up odd jobs here and there in an effort to support his wife and
three children. Fate, however, gives Braddock a too-good-to-be-true shot,
one on which he must risk everything.
Russell Crowe shines as Braddock, bringing calm,
dignity, and strength to the role. Renée Zellweger matches him step
for step as Braddock’s devoted wife, Mae, a woman of uncommon
devotion. Paul Giamatti, the best character actor working today, lends
invaluable support as Braddock’s trainer, Joe Gould, and Craig Bierko
brings a convincing degree of menace to the role of heavyweight champion
Max Baer, Braddock’s ultimate opponent.
Howard’s attention to detail, his meticulous
re-creation of the dingy American streets of the 1930s and the harsh
conditions that people faced, gives Cinderella
Man a degree of realism that makes
Braddock’s struggle meaningful and poignant. Howard doesn’t
manipulate the material or his audience; he tells Braddock’s tale in
a straightforward way, with little embellishment. And the payoff is clear: Cinderella Man is the best movie
released so far this year.
Also in theaters this week. . .
Kicking & Screaming [PG] Soccer coach Phil Weston (Will Ferrell) faces his father Buck’s
(Robert Duvall) team. Buck’s ace player is a son from a new marriage.
Parkway Pointe, Route 66 Drive In
Lords of Dogtown [PG-13]
Tracks the rise of surf and skateboarding culture in Venice, Calif., in the
1970s. ShowPlace West
Madagascar [PG] Animated
comedy about a lion (voice of Ben Stiller), a zebra (Chris Rock), a giraffe
(David Schwimmer), and a hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith). When one goes missing
from the zoo, the other three break free, and learn what it’s like to
live in the wild. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace
East
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants [PG] Four girlfriends plan to stay connected to each other
by passing around a pair of secondhand jeans that fits each perfectly. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
This article appears in Jun 2-8, 2005.
