Resurrecting the Champ

2007 "Based on a true story, that was based on a lie."
6.7| 1h52m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 14 June 2007 Released
Producted By: Battleplan Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Up-and-coming sports reporter rescues a homeless man ("Champ") only to discover that he is, in fact, a boxing legend believed to have passed away. What begins as an opportunity to resurrect Champ's story and escape the shadow of his father's success becomes a personal journey as the ambitious reporter reexamines his own life and his relationship with his family.

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Reviews

Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.
Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.
Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
tieman64 Directed by Rod Lurie, "Resurrecting the Champ" stars Samuel L. Jackson as a homeless man who appears to be Bob Satterfield, a once-famous professional heavyweight boxer. Satterfield is stumbled upon by a journalist desperate for a unique story, played by Josh Hartnett.To say any more about "Champ" would be to spoil several key revelations. Suffice to say that the film watches as its characters wallow in insecurity and self-hate. The film's awash with fathers, sons, performers and onlookers, all of whom are sold, and so desperately reach for, certain notions of success, conquest and masculinity. Teri Hatcher co-stars. Jackson is largely unconvincing in a tricky role.7.9/10 – Worth one viewing.
classicsoncall The surprising thing about this boxing story is that it's not really a boxing story per se. To use another sports film analogy, it's similar to the way "Field of Dreams" is not so much about baseball when you come right down to it, but the way a man relates to the legacy of a father who's no longer around but still manages to cast a shadow over his own life. The twist in the story occurs when Samuel L. Jackson's character turns out to be someone completely different from the celebrated sports figure he's presumed to be when first discovered by newspaper writer Erik Kernan Jr. (Josh Hartnett). The unveiling of Battlin' Bob Satterfield (Jackson) as a fraud becomes the undoing of Kernan's career as well, forcing him to embark on his own journey of introspection and self discovery. Putting politics aside, Jackson gives an exceptional performance here, much unlike just about any other character I've seen him portray. Though Hartnett was OK for his role, I could visualize a number of other actors who would have handled the job capably. Alan Alda injects a much needed conservative challenge to Hartnett's character to start taking his career seriously and produce something of value, and even though she portrayed a sleaze of a film producer, Teri Hatcher provided just the right touch in the film to jolt Kernan's career back on track to some semblance of respectability. The young kid playing Kernan's son (Dakota Goyo) hit the right notes when he needed to, and was most effective when keeping it real for his Dad.
Adam Pryor The Film follows a promising young reporter, Erik Kernan Jr. (Hartnett) desperate to make a name for himself and break from out of his successful father's shadow. The story that could do just that was right round the corner. 'Champ' (Jackson), a local homeless man, who is boxing legend, 'battling Bob Satterfield', a man previously believed dead. The writing of the film is complemented justly by the quality of the acting, which is true quality. What really helps this film along is how it wasn't churned up in the Hollywood machine, it was kept as true to the story as possible. The film captures the emotions and reality of the bonds between family and friendship both good and bad, truth and lies and the repercussions that they make. This is definitely an uplifting film that is worth a watch one evening and will leave you smiling in your sleep.
Adam Kane I just finished watching Resurrecting The Champ and enjoyed this film. This film was shot in Calgary, Alberta and Denver, Colorado. I think it's funny how our American neighbours to the South love to use Western Canadian cities to imitate there own. Samuel L. Jackson has actually shot a few films in Canada and I had a friend see him in the local comic book store in Oakville, Ontario when he did unbreakable which is also a very good film. This time out Samuel L. Jackson plays a homeless boxer who calls himself "The Champ". I like Josh Harnett as well but it depends on the movie. He played a pretty good performance but Samuel L. Jackson makes this film. This story is very heartfelt and sad. I liked how the film pieced together and the ending is great. I just watched Tom Hanks in Charlie Wilson's War last night and that movie had a way bigger cast and budget but was not even as good as this movie.