“Resurrecting the Champ” follows the struggling journalist Erik Kernon (Josh Hartnett) and his fight to become on top of what he thinks he does best, sports writing.
His failed writing, which lacks luster and emotion, spills into his own life separating him from his wife and his son. What he needs is a story and in doing so finds a homeless man being beaten up by some frat-boys that had too much to drink.
Behind the matted hair and dingy clothing is the Champ, Battlin’ Bob Satterfield (Samuel L. Jackson). Realizing he has stumbled onto the story of his life, Kernon uses the old man by tempting him to tell his story through bribery and beer. What begins as an amazing tale of heroism and sympathy soon turns awry. This film, by Rod Lurie, is more a journey of self-fulfillment by coming out of the shadows we live in.
Hartnett’s character, lives in the shadow of his father who was once a great boxing sportscaster. The father’s inability to be there for his son when he was calling boxing matches leads to Kernon’s own fear of being a good fatherly figure while trying to become a good journalist.
The shadows that the Champ lives in are his own. Years of being in the ring desolate his wandering mind, that is still in tune to boxing but inept to the world around him. At times he is unable to comprehend fact from fiction and when he finally comes out of his shadow it is almost too late. Principally, “Resurrecting the Champ” has a unique story and interesting characters.
What’s nice about the story is that it is fresh, true and real, a hard find in today’s cinema. A strong supporting cast that includes Alan Alda, Teri Hatcher, Kathryn Morris and David Paymer compliment both the script and the main characters played by Hartnett and Jackson.
Hartnett who debuted his film career with Halloween H20 has come along nicely in his past few roles displaying great character choice and talented acting. Jackson is astounding. His ability to transform between roles shows a versatile actor, well seasoned.
The Champ should earn Jackson another academy nomination as this is a role which protrudes emotion and physical ineptitudes. What triumphs as a great film lacks surprise. The story reads like a book, so you don’t have to think and when the moment of reveal comes you’ve already accepted it.
So, when you get up out of your seat at the end of the film you feel content but unsatisfied. The Champ sums up the movie best by saying “That’s just the way it happened.”