IMDb > The Wrestler (2008)
The Wrestler
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The Wrestler (2008) More at IMDbPro »

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The Wrestler (2008) -- A drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit, trying to get back in the game for one final showdown with his former rival.
The Wrestler (2008) -- Clip: The first 5 minutes of the film
The Wrestler (2008) -- Behind the scenes: Make-up ladies
The Wrestler (2008) -- Danny Boyle discusses how he acquired the rights to the Hindo version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" with director Darren Aronofsky.
The Wrestler (2008) -- UK

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Darren Aronofsky

Writer (WGA):

Robert D. Siegel (written by)

Contact:

View company contact information for The Wrestler on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

30 January 2009 (USA) more

Genre:

Drama | Sport more

Tagline:

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 synopsis

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 22 nominations more

User Comments:

An excellent drama about an aging wrestler more (412 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Company:

Wild Bunch more


Fun 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. more

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In one scene at the deli, Randy pages his supervisor over the store's intercom. The problem is, the button he hits to do it is actually the button to put an incoming call on hold. more

Quotes:

Nick Volpe: You know what I'm thinkin'? Two words... RE - MATCH. more

Movie Connections:

References Pro Wrestling (1986) (VG) more

Soundtrack:

(Bang Your Head) Metal Health more


FAQ

Does this film portray professional wrestling as fake or real?
What do some of the terms in the movie mean?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
more
329 out of 440 people found the following comment useful.
An excellent drama about an aging wrestler, 9 September 2008
9/10
Author: Greg Magne (grmagne@yahoo.com) from Toronto, ON, Canada

The Wrestler won the Golden Lion a few days ago in Venice. Obviously that's going to build up some high expectations but director Darren Aronofsky introduced it as a "simple little film" and he didn't want the movie to get over-hyped. He said it's been a busy week as he only finished the film 6 days ago!!

Randy "The Ram" Robinson, played brilliantly by Mickey Rourke, was a star professional wrestler in the 1980s. He had a legendary pay-per-view match against the Ayatollah in his prime, his own Nintendo game, posters, "Best of The Ram" VHS series and legions of fans who worshipped him. The film begins in the present day with The Ram collecting a paltry sum of money for his latest fight only to discover he's been locked out of his trailer home because he's behind on his rent. He has a good physique for his age - with the aid of steroids and tanning salons - he still has good friends in the local wrestling brotherhood and he enjoys hanging out with Cassidy (played by Marisa Tomei) at the strip club where she works. He's a likable guy and the neighbourhood kids look up to him as a hero, so it's easy to root for this washed-up old wrestler as he participates in choreographed, yet amazingly bloody, wrestling matches. He struggles to pay the rent while also searching for deeper meaning in his life as he knows that he can't wrestle forever. However, wrestling is the only thing he's good at, and he lives for those precious moments when he stands on the top turnbuckle and his adoring fans cheer his name – but once he steps out of the ring his life is a mess. He'd like to reconcile with estranged daughter Stefanie (played by Evan Rachel Wood) but she hates him after he abandoned her in her youth. He's never given her a birthday gift, probably because he doesn't know which day it is.

There's a parallel story with Cassidy, an aging stripper. She also knows that her career is coming to an end, but unlike The Ram she seems to have plans after she retires, and her finances are in good order. They've obviously known each other for quite some time, and though there seems to be some mutual attraction Cassidy has always followed the rule "don't get involved with a customer". They have a complex relationship that changes throughout the film, but you can always feel that Cassidy cares about his well-being.

This movie works because it feels so real. All the characters are so natural in their roles that you'll feel drawn into this world of wrestling. Mickey Rourke doesn't just play a wrestler, he is a wrestling star, he is Randy The Ram in every way. The wrestling scenes were also amazingly crafted and you can see Randy build off the crowd's excitement. The film does a great job of showing why so many fans love "fake" wrestling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this little film but it's not for all tastes. It's gritty, raw, sometimes depressing, sometimes funny, and yeah I'll admit that I cried. A 9.5/10 for me and it's a must-see for wrestling fans (especially from 1980s era) and, obviously, anyone who enjoyed the previous works of Aranofsky and/or Rourke. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei were both outstanding and Evan Rachel Wood also shone in her supporting role.

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