Against the Ropes
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Against the Ropes
Plot
Charles S. Dutton's feature-length directorial debut Against the Ropes is based on the real-life story of Jackie Kallen, a Jewish woman from Detroit who became a successful boxing manager. Played by Meg Ryan, Kallen works her way up in the world of boxing by believing in the fighting skills of Luther Shaw (Omar Epps). Director Dutton appears as veteran trainer Felix Reynolds, whom Kallen encourages to come out of retirement. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, RoviReview
That other 2004 boxing movie directed by an actor who casts himself as a trainer in the film, Charles S. Dutton's Against the Ropes is no Million Dollar Baby, but it does also focus on the unusual role of a woman in the world of pugilism. As played by Meg Ryan with a raspy Midwestern mill-town accent, that woman comes across as a lot tougher than her coiffed appearance would indicate, and a lot better informed about baahhxing than her male counterparts want to admit. Thankfully, she doesn't play the martyr saint. Ryan and Dutton realize that even though she's the only female representative in this male-dominated world, she can be less than perfect, and get the kind of inflated head that alienates both her boxer (Omar Epps) and the audience. Unfortunately, the film doesn't go quite far enough in documenting these human weaknesses, which leaves the audience a bit puzzled when she becomes universally vilified in the boxing community. The story then takes on many of the standard components of failure and redemption, all leading toward "the big fight" whose outcome is a tad less than uncertain. By the time the film closes with the most tired of clichés -- the slow clap that builds toward thunderous applause -- Against the Ropes has devolved into something utterly conventional. Maybe it's appropriate that a film that deals so much with dualities -- black and white, male and female -- has very few shades of gray. ~ Derek Armstrong, RoviCast
- Meg Ryan - Jackie Kallen
- Omar Epps - Luther Shaw
- Charles S. Dutton - Felix Reynolds
- Tony Shalhoub - Sam LaRocca
- Tim Daly - Gavin Reese
- Joe Cortese - Irving Abel
- Kerry Washington - Renee
Credit
Jackie Kallen - Associate Producer, Avy Kaufman - Casting, Mike Drake - Co-producer, Ruth E. Carter - Costume Designer, Richard Cowan - First Assistant Director, Charles S. Dutton - Director, Eric L. Beason - Editor, Steven Roffer - Executive Producer, Scarlett Lacey - Executive Producer, Jonathan Pillot - Executive Producer, Roy T. Anderson - Fights Choreographer, Michael Kamen - Composer (Music Score), Sandra Kybartas - Production Designer, Jack N. Green - Cinematographer, Robert W. Cort - Producer, David Madden - Producer, Steven Essam - Set Designer, Bruce Carwardine - Sound/Sound Designer, Roy T. Anderson - Stunts Coordinator, Cheryl Edwards - Screenwriter| Against the Odds: The Artists of the Harlem Renaissance (1993 Film), Against the Odds: Jarno Saarinen (1982 Film) | |
| Against the Wall (1994 Film), Against the Wind (1948 Film) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Against the Ropes
| Against the Ropes | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for Against the Ropes |
|
| Directed by | Charles S. Dutton |
| Produced by | Robert W. Cort Mike Drake Jackie Kallen Scarlett Lacey David Madden Jonathan Pillot Steven Roffer Sharon Seto |
| Written by | Cheryl Edwards |
| Starring | Meg Ryan Omar Epps Tony Shalhoub Tim Daly Kerry Washington and Charles S. Dutton |
| Music by | Michael Kamen |
| Cinematography | Jack N. Green |
| Editing by | Eric L. Beason |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | February 20, 2004 |
| Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Against the Ropes is a 2004 drama movie. It stars Meg Ryan and Omar Epps and was directed by Charles S. Dutton, in his motion-picture directorial debut.
The story is a fictionalized account of the American boxing manager Jackie Kallen, who was the first woman to become a success in the sport. Luther Shaw most likely represents James Toney, a boxer whom Kallen managed to a title despite a rocky relationship.
Against the Ropes grossed less than $6 million in the US and was panned by critics, in part because of its resemblance to other boxing movies, such as the Rocky series. As with other such movies, its climax is a bout for the championship.
The film was shot primarily in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada at the Copps Coliseum.[1]
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Contents
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Plot
At a young age, Jackie Kallen learns about boxing with her father and uncle in a small gym. Later, she becomes the assistant to a Cleveland boxing promoter. Her boss then begins doing business with Sam LaRocca, a sports manager, during a middleweight championship fight.
LaRocca asks afterward what she thought of the fight. Obviously unimpressed with Jackie's knowledge of boxing, LaRocca offers her the loser's contract for a dollar. She goes to visit the fighter at home, only to find him addicted to drugs.
Enter Luther Shaw, a small-time hood. Kallen watches in horror and fascination as Shaw pummels the former middleweight champ. She offers to manage him professionally. Shaw is at first hesitant, but he eventually signs on with her.
Because of LaRocca's influence, Kallen can't find Shaw a fight anywhere in Ohio, so the two are forced to go on the road until Shaw makes a name for himself. Jackie begins to get swept up in all the attention she gets for being the first female boxing manager. Her attention eventually shifts from Shaw to her own media persona as her fighter's number of wins continues to climb.
Finally realizing that she is not paying enough attention to her only client, Kallen agrees to sell Shaw's contract to LaRocca on the condition that he be given a championship fight. LaRocca agrees, setting Shaw up for a shot at the title before he could possibly be ready. Kallen arrives at the fight and stands in Shaw's corner as he pulls off an upset and wins the championship.
Cast
- Meg Ryan - Jackie Kallen
- Omar Epps - Luther Shaw
- Charles S. Dutton - Felix Reynolds
- Tony Shalhoub - Sam LaRocca
- Timothy Daly - Gavin Reese (as Tim Daly)
- Joseph Cortese - Abel (as Joe Cortese)
- Kerry Washington - Renee
- Sean Bell - Ray Kallen
- Dean McDermott - Pete Kallen
- Skye McCole Bartusiak - Little Jackie
- Juan Hernandez - Pedro Hernandez
- Holt McCallany - Dorsett
- Tory Kittles - Devon Green
- Gene Mack - Kevin Keyes
- Beau Starr - Corcoran
- Jared Durand - Young Crisco
- Diego Fuentes - Car Attendant
- Angelo Tucci - Rex
- Reg Dreger - Lonnie
- Arturo Fresolone - Hernandez' Manager
- James Jardine - Ring Announcer
- Big Daddy Wayne - Stormy
- Merwin Mondesir - Street Crony
- Doug Lennox - Barrel Chested Man
- Hayley Verlyn - Beauty with LaRocca
- Moses Nyarko - Mouketendi
- Aidan Devine - Crisco
- Joel Harris - Mathias
- Michael Rhoades - Mathias' Manager
- Bruce Gooch - Pawn Shop Clerk
- Arnold Pinnock - Heavyweight
- Neven Pajkic - Heavyweight
- Adrianne Keshock - Janey
- Dov Tiefenbach - Organic Clerk
- Jackie Kallen - Female Reporter
- Mike Kraft - Jacobs
- John Christopher Terry - USA Today Reporter
- Tamara Hickey - Megan the Reporter
- Karen Robinson - Kimberly Insurance
- Noah Danby - LaRocca Henchman
- Rocky Zolnierczyk - Sands Fight Referee
- Tracy Waterhouse - Receptionist
- Michael Buffer - Ring Announcer
- Neil Crone - HBO Commentator
- Ray Marsh - Final Fight Referee
- Jeff Ironi - Security Guard
Reception
Against the Ropes was a box office bomb, grossing only $6,614,280, with an estimated budget of $39,000,000. It opened up at #8 at the box office, grossing $3,038,546 in the opening weekend. The film was released on February 20, 2004 to 1,601 theaters (widest release) gathering an average of $1,897 per theater. The film closed its box office run after seven weeks, gathering a total of $5,884,190 from the domestic market and $730,090 from overseas for an international total of $6,614,280.[2]
Critical reception of the film was negative to mixed. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 'Rotten' average rating of 4.2 out of 10, summarizing it as "a bland, dumbed-down package of sports cliches."[3] However the film did receive some positive reviews; Roger Ebert gave it 3 stars out of 4, remarking:
- "It works near the end of "Against the Ropes," a biopic about Jackie Kallen, who was (and is) the first female fight promoter in the all-male world of professional boxing. It works, and another cliche works, too: the Big Fight scene, right out of "Rocky" and every other boxing movie, in which the hero gets pounded silly but then somehow, after becoming inspired between rounds, comes back and is filled with skill and fury."[4]
References
- ^ "Internet Movie Database - List of Films shot in Hamilton, Ontario". http://www.imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Hamilton,+Ontario,+Canada. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
- ^ Against the Ropes (2004). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
- ^ Against the Ropes Movie Reviews, Pictures. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
- ^ Against the Ropes :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
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