In life, there are times when we are at our summit and moments when we are at our lowest. That is life, I guess. There will always be failures; it's not always a success. What matters is that we never lose faith in ourselves and use these setbacks as stepping stones on the way to achievement -
Like James J. Braddock who never gives up hoping for a second shot to succeed in life. In moments when we are feeling low, the movie Cinderella Man will fill our hearts once more with hope for life. The film was based on the true story of boxer Jim Braddock's legendary 1930s rise to stardom. Braddock is a well-known fighter in America and is also known as "The Bulldog of Bergen." However, there was a period when Braddock's fortune was not on his side, and he lost battle after battle, plunging him into abject poverty. The film was set in America during the great depression - a time when everyone was experiencing financial hardship.
Braddock and his family went through their darkest times. They suffer poverty, severe winters with no heat, and hunger. Because of that, his oldest child once committed food theft from a store. One of my favorite moments was when James reminded his son that although they were impoverished, they were not thieves. Indeed, we should not use poverty as a justification for stealing. This demonstrates how kind and devoted James was to his wife Mae and their children Joe, Rosemarie, and Howard. He works hard to keep their family together and always considers his wife's feelings while making decisions. They gave him the willpower to persevere in the face of hardship. This is shown in a further painful scene where he is seen pleading with his boxing superiors for money to settle their debts and get back his children.
It was a heart-moving movie because of the actors who played the characters. The performers that played the roles made it a heartfelt film. In his accurate portrayal of James J. Braddock, Russell Crowe does the character justice. The rest of the cast was excellent, particularly Renee Zellweger's portrayal of his wife, Mae, and Paul Giamatti's portrayal of his devoted manager Joe. The realistic boxing scenes, which include slam-cuts, close-ups, violent sound effects, and pictures of gory, beaten flesh, are graphically intense. Particularly his match with Max Baur, every boxing action was heart-stopping. The film was directed by Ron Howard. It won awards, including Best Title, In Recognition of the Hopefully Inner Female in Every Macho Guy, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, AFI International Award for Best Actor, and Best International Picture.
This movie shows that failures are part of success. Maybe some viewers won't like this kind of movie because the main character is too good to be true, but it is a good movie to watch if you want to be motivated amidst the harshness of life. The time will come when luck will find you again and give you more than what you wish, just like James, who never loses hope for himself and his dream. People around us also bring us luck, especially our loved ones. There will always be a person who will see something in us that others don't. A lot of people wanted James to quit boxing, but his manager, Joe, showed something in him and pushed him to continue boxing. It gives motivation to James in what he wants to pursue.
Family is also important in achieving our dreams as they are one of our strengths in life. Like what James always says to his wife, Mae, he can't win without her behind his back. Despite Mae not allowing him to continue boxing because she was scared that he would get hurt and leave them, she still supports and trusts him. Mae's support is a big thing for James, especially in his biggest matchup with Max Baur, who has killed two of his opponents and appears destined to kill the outmatched and underqualified Braddock. James's fairytale rose from the bottom to the top of the boxing profession. Victory started embracing his life again and was able to escape rag life, because of this, he was given the title of the Cinderella Man. Braddock also enlisted in the army and rendered valiant service during World War II. Later, he ran a business that used large machinery on the same docks where he had previously worked and contributed to the construction of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York City. He continued his life by creating his own legacy.
Life is not always easy. It could be difficult for us to the point that we want to give up on it. However, there are times when it's okay to give up, especially when we are too tired to hold on. Don't be scared of failure because fear of failure causes many of our dreams to die. Embrace it until it becomes courage and create hope towards success.
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