Against the Ropes ** (2004, Meg Ryan, Omar Epps, Charles S Dutton) – Classic Movie Review 10,941

Director Charles S Dutton’s 2004 drama Against the Ropes stars Meg Ryan, who battles to get her career off the ropes as a real-life go-getting promoter, Jackie Kallen, a Jewish woman from Detroit who storms the male bastion of the fight world and takes over as manager of punchy young boxer Luther Shaw (Omar Epps).

Ryan and Epps fight hard to bring some reality and freshness to a cliché-ridden but good-spirited, reasonably involving and finally cheering film of a true story of North America’s most famous female boxing promoter, and her struggle to succeed in the male-dominated sport.

Charles S Dutton, who also directs, brings a lot of warmth and charm as Epps’s trainer, Felix Reynolds.

It is written by Cheryl Edwards as a fictional story inspired by the life of Jackie Kallen, with young boxer Luther Shaw a composite character of several real-life boxers.

Ryan wanted to understand boxers and her character so she took three weeks of boxing lessons to prepare for her role.

It co-stars Tony Shalhoub, Joseph Cortese, Kerry Washington, Sean Bell, Dean McDermott, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Juan Carlos Hernández, Holt McCallany, Tory Kittles, Gene Mack, Jared Durand, Angelo Tucci, Reg Dreger and Beau Starr.

It cost $39,000,000 and grossed $5,884,190 in the US.

Ryan’s previous film was In the Cut in 2003 when she made an infamous appearance to promote it on the talk show Parkinson which was described by host Michael Parkinson as his ‘most difficult TV moment’. Ryan recalled: ‘I felt like he was berating me for being naked in the movie. He said something like “You should go back to doing what you were doing”. And I thought, are you like a disapproving dad right now? I’m not even related to you. Back off, buddy. I was so offended by him.’

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,941

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