Cinderella Man deserves more Oscar nominations

Question

I hate Russell Crowe, nasty little bully boy. And although Renee Zellweger does a mean British accent for a yank, I never rated her as much as others. Hence, I'd been putting this film off and didn't even read many reviews of it when it came out.
But I have to recommend to you CINDERELLA MAN.
I'd been putting it off for ages. Watched it finally on DVD last night. What a brilliant surprise.
I can't believe that Crowe, the film or the director aren't up for Oscars this year. Paul Giamatti is nominated for best supporting actor and deserves to win, although I guess either Clooney for Syriana or Dillon for Crash will get it.
Equally amazing is that Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman aren't up for original screenplay. They were nominated for a Globe, and they're up for a BAFTA here in the UK.
WATCH CINDERELLA MAN.
Raging Bull is the better boxing film without doubt. Surely the best boxing film ever.
But Cinderella Man is definitely second. Then I would put either Kirk Douglas in the Champion, or The Harder they Fall. And then Rocky. And then the likes of Million Dollar Baby, Ali, etc etc.
I really recommend Cinderella Man to you all. You'll be watching the fighting through your fingers.
I knew nothing about this particular boxer, whether he makes it or not, and I enjoyed the film all the more for it. Therefore I URGE YOU do not look up the film on IMDB, or read too many reviews, or find out about the life of the real boxer, or anything. (Assuming you don't know much about it already).
The last half hour I was so tense, I had no idea whether he was going to live or not, whether he would win or not... that is why the film is so good, as the fighting keeps you guessing. If I'd checked him out on Wikipedia first I would have found the film would have been completely spoilt, so I urge you not to spoil it for yourselves. Rent it out, and watch it. Knocks seven shades of *** off Rocky and Million Dollar Baby. "Raging Bull" is still king, though..

I seriously recommend it to all of you, even if you're not particularly boxing fans.
I guess it got few Oscar nods because it came out so long ago (although this didn't harm Crash), or because of Russell Crowe's violent off- screen antics in hotels (although this didn't harm Crowe getting a Globe nomination).
The only reason I can therefore think is that the Academy got all Boxinged out with Million Dollar Baby last year. Perhaps had Million Dollar Baby never existed, Cinderella Man would be picking up the best picture Oscar this year!
It certainly has been seriously overlooked by the Academy.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

It hasn't had much publicity in the UK. I think people who saw it loved it...but these days Blockbusters tend to swamp the cinema and there is no time for dramas to build word or mouth.
Its a 'winter' movie..the atmosphere is so much more suited to a cold-weather release. The themes and the look are just not in keeping with the Summer season.
Crash was a different thing altogether...in a way it was just early enough to avoid the pile-up of Blockbusters. And its aimed at a younger audience. CM was very much an Oscar film at the wrong time. I think there were a lot of Oscar movies that came along last minute and took some of CM's votes. 'Crash' is sufficiently outside-the-box to capitalize on the vote-splitting. Also I think American politics has a part to play. Its all about political message this year and Cinderella Man isn't that kind of movie.Despite what people read about Crowe..and I agree he does some stupid things..a lot of what is written is very much exaggerated by the press. (UK tabloids are much the worst)I don't know Crowe myself, but we do have a mutual friend. All I know is that Crowe has been extremely kind to her in quite surprising ways. There are different sides to his personality than the one you see portrayed exclusively by the media.

Crowe shines as Jimmy Braddock...you believe he IS the guy. Now surely that isn't just because he's a bruiser and aggressive (which he can be)...but its because he also shares the more gentle and loyal qualities of the character. (And Crowe does have many loyal friends). I don't think an Actor can reach down inside himself and pull something out that isn't there to begin with.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]It hasn't had much publicity in the UK.[/nq]
It certainly passed me by, possibly because the title is so strangely uncompelling. It also gives absolutely no clues as to the subject matter, though in my case that might have been an advantage, since I really can't summon up any interest in people who hit each other for a living.

Actually, pretty much all the Oscar nominees seem more or less peripheral to me this year. They either didn't appeal at all, didn't appeal enough for me not to wait for the DVD, or haven't opened here yet anyway. The one exception was the Wallace and Grommit flick, and I was away when that was showing. Oh, and Narnia, King Kong and War of the Worlds, all of which I did see in the cinema but rather wish I hadn't.
Bert
www.bertcoules.co.uk

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[nq:1]I hate Russell Crowe, nasty little bully boy. And although Renee Zellweger does a mean British accent for a yank, ... Man would be picking up the best picture Oscar this year! It certainly has been seriously overlooked by the Academy.[/nq]
Stop me if I've raved about this before, but you have to go and see "Beautiful Boxer" from Thailand. A "boxing" film unlike any other. I put boxing between quotation marks, as although there is quite a lot of it (and for real a lot of the time), the story is elsewhere.

Again, I'd avoid reading too much about it. Just sit back and enjoy the journey.
M

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[nq:1]But I have to recommend to you CINDERELLA MAN. I'd been putting it off for ages. Watched it finally on ... Champion, or The Harder they Fall. And then Rocky. And then the likes of Million Dollar Baby, Ali, etc etc.[/nq]
The fact that you know The Champion impresses me, but Million Dollar Baby has no place in the great boxing films of all time (check out Somebody up there Likes Me with Paul Newman).
I never saw Cinderella man in the theaters for the same reason i think most people did: It's awful title and the fact it was marketed as a love story. All those billboards all over LA with Crow and Zillwelger in an embrace, it looked awful. Yeah, it was a great movie, I enjoyed it a lot (generally when you get a great director and cast together like that the odds are you're going to have a well made film). If it had been marketed differently and a had a different title (he really was called Cinderella Man in a newspaper article back then, but it's still just a terrible title for a boxing movie) it would have done better in the theaters.

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[nq:1]Stop me if I've raved about this before, but you have to go and see "Beautiful Boxer" from Thailand. A ... time), the story is elsewhere. Again, I'd avoid reading too much about it. Just sit back and enjoy the journey.[/nq]
Thanks, I've added it to my DVD queue and the website says it's Available Now, so I should get it in my mailbox tomorrow. :-)

I'll watch it over the weekend.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]But I have to recommend to you CINDERELLA MAN. I'd ... then the likes of Million Dollar Baby, Ali, etc etc.[/nq]
[nq:1]The fact that you know The Champion impresses me, but Million Dollar Baby has no place in the great boxing ... then, but it's still just a terrible title for a boxing movie) it would have done better in the theaters.[/nq]
Incidentally, I had another boxing story that I was toying with, a biog of one of the early greats. But after "Million Dollar Snooze" and "Cinderella Man" I figure it's time to put it on hold. Shame. It's a cracking subject.
M

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I hate Russell Crowe, nasty little bully boy. And although Renee Zellweger does a mean British accent for a yank, ... What a brilliant surprise. I can't believe that Crowe, the film or the director aren't up for Oscars this year.[/nq]
Crowe should definitely be nominated, but then again, he won for Gladiator, which was a joke. Likewise, Ron Howard won for A Beautiful Mind, so he has no right to complain (and frankly, I don't think he's worthy of the nomination given this year's crop).
Paul Giamatti is nominated for best supporting actor
[nq:1]and deserves to win, although I guess either Clooney for Syriana or Dillon for Crash will get it.[/nq]
Giamatti's performance isn't even on the same level as Dillon's, IMO. Scott Wilson should win Best Supporting Actor for Junebug. The only problem is he wasn't nominated.
[nq:1]Equally amazing is that Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman aren't up for original screenplay. They were nominated for a Globe, and they're up for a BAFTA here in the UK.[/nq]
I don't know that I'd call it "amazing." I'd probably nominate the screenplay, but it's borderline. A very good screenplay, but there were better choices this year.
[nq:1]It certainly has been seriously overlooked by the Academy.[/nq]
Films that got seriously overlooked were Junebug, The Three Burials of of Melquiades Estrada, Turtles Can Fly, and Me and You and Everyone We Know. In comparison, the lack of nominations for Cinderella Man is a minor oversight at best.

Stephen Mack
"Nobody's smart enough to be wrong all the time." -Ken Wilber

Cinderella Man deserves more Oscar nominations

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