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The Wrestler (2008)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
30 January 2009 (USA) moreTagline:
Love. Pain. Glory.Plot:
A faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 19 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(1260 articles)
Greta Garbo's life and loves get the big screen treatment (From AfterEllen.com. 16 July 2009, 10:00 AM, PDT)
Rourke Eyeing New York Move
(From WENN. 16 July 2009, 9:11 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Honest to the core! moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Mickey Rourke | ... | Randy 'The Ram' Robinson | |
| Marisa Tomei | ... | Cassidy | |
| Evan Rachel Wood | ... | Stephanie | |
| Mark Margolis | ... | Lenny | |
| Todd Barry | ... | Wayne | |
| Wass Stevens | ... | Nick Volpe | |
| Judah Friedlander | ... | Scott Brumberg | |
| Ernest Miller | ... | The Ayatollah | |
| Dylan Keith Summers | ... | Necro Butcher (as Dylan Summers) | |
| Tommy Farra | ... | Tommy Rotten | |
| Mike Miller | ... | Lex Lethal | |
| Marcia Jean Kurtz | ... | Admissions Desk Woman | |
| John D'Leo | ... | Adam | |
| Ajay Naidu | ... | Medic | |
| Gregg Bello | ... | JAPW Promoter Larry Cohen |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
111 minLanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Dolby DigitalCertification:
UK:15 | Ireland:16 | USA:R (certificate #44697) | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/16 | Brazil:14 | Singapore:R21 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Argentina:16 | Germany:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | New Zealand:R16 | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-15 | Mexico:B15 | Denmark:15 | Austria:16 | France:U (with warning) | Iceland:14Fun Stuff
Trivia:
During his boxing career, the song played over Mickey Rourke's entrances was "Sweet Child O' Mine", by the band Guns N' Roses; his character in this film uses this same song when entering the ring in his last fight. moreGoofs:
Continuity: When Pam meets Ram at the vintage clothes store to help pick out a present for his daughter, Marisa Tomei is wearing a white cap with her hair tucked in and absolutely no makeup. Ram comments "you look clean". After leaving the store Ram convinces her to go for a beer. The next shot they are sitting on bar stools, she is clearly wearing makeup and her hair is done up nicely. moreQuotes:
Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: I don't hear as good as I used to, and I ain't as pretty as I used to be. But I'm still here - I'm the Ram. moreSoundtrack:
The Wrestler moreFAQ
What do some of the terms in the movie mean?What is Randy's fate at the end of the movie?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
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I caught an advanced screening of The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke last night in Hollywood, CA. Following the screening was a Q&A session with Mickey Rourke, Darren Aronofsky, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and film composer Clint Mansell.
Mickey Rourke delivers one of the most honest and heart breaking performances I've seen from an actor. Very rarely do you see an actor come back with such a role. He is truly extraordinary in The Wrestler. There are times in this film when I wonder just how much of this is Mickey in character as "The Ram" or Mickey reacting as Mickey to a situation similar to what he went through in his "lost years". The parallels are astounding. There is a scene when Randy "The Ram" is in the ring and he points to the audience "It is not over until you tell me it's over". Is it Mickey or Randy talking there? As a newly revived Mickey Rourke fan, I can tell you this audience member says it's just beginning Mickey!
Marissa Tomei delivers a stellar performance as an aging exotic dancer the parallel story to Mickey's character "The Ram". Evan Rachel Wood really brings it as "The Rams" angry, abandoned and emotionally exhausted daughter. The chemistry between Mickey and Evan is breath taking!
Darren Aronofsky delivers this story to us with honesty, realism and artistic skill. I think this young director will be around making fantastic films for some time to come. At least I hope he is!
You can't go wrong with this film. It is rock solid to the core!
Facts from the Q&A
Only the 3rd American Film to with the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
The film was made for $7 Million.
The filmscore is more atmospheric as the composer did not want to interfere with the documentary feel of the film.
Mickey Rourke trained for 6 months to get to the wrestling weight of 235 for the film. Weight training, wrestling training and eating 5,000 calories.
The scenes of Mickey Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood were as real as they could get. The actors put on music before the scene and just talked about their real life and Mickey's parallels to the film. When the director felt they were there he would yell action and they would work through the scene.
The scenes back stage with the wrestlers were all real as well. The crew would go to wrestling matches and film the wrestlers before/after matches. Mickey would walk in and introduce himself (in character) and the scene was improvised.
The film was about 20-30% improvisation from the actors.