Revisited - Fighting With My Family

When I first saw the trailer for the film while slurping on my coke and eating popcorn waiting for the actual movie to start, I didn't think much of it. It was a funny trailer I give it that but I wasn't that much of a fan of wrestling and thought the film was just going to be corny and empty as some of other Hollywood flops but how truly wrong I was when I gave it a shot a few weeks ago. The film is fantastic, great even and deserves not only my apologies but also my praise for the performances, the script and the directing. Throughout the movie, I couldn't stop laughing as well as caring for every character in it. It also showcases a different side of wrestling that I didn't even know was there and really shines a light on it's affect on peoples life as well as giving some a second chance at life in general.

Fighting with My Family is a 2019 British-American biographical sports comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephen Merchant. Based on the 2012 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family by Max Fisher, it depicts the career of English professional wrestler Paige as she makes her way up WWE, while also following her brother Zak Zodiac, as he struggles with his failure to achieve similar success. Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden star as Paige and Zodiac respectively, alongside Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne Johnson, with the latter also acting as producer.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 28 January 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on 14 February 2019. It received positive reviews from critics, particularly for the performances of Pugh and Vaughn. It was also a commercial success, grossing $41.5 million worldwide against a budget of $11 million.

Rick and Julia and their kids Saraya and “Zak Zodiac” are a family of wrestlers, who also train other wrestlers. When they grow up, Saraya and Zak apply to join the WWE. Trainer Hutch Morgan agrees to let them try out before a SmackDown taping at The O2 Arena, where they meet Dwayne Johnson. Saraya adopts the stage name Paige.

Morgan chooses Paige to train for the WWE, but not Zak, despite Paige's protests. Arriving at NXT in Florida, Paige has difficulty with the training, especially given that the other girls there are models and cheerleaders with no wrestling experience. Paige struggles with performing promos and Morgan's constant belittlement. Morgan makes it clear to Zak that he will never be signed to WWE, and Zak falls into a depression.

At an NXT live event and her in-ring debut, Paige is heckled by the crowd and freezes, leaving the ring in tears. She decides to bleach her hair and spray tan to look more like other trainees. After failing an obstacle course, Paige lashes out at the trainees for gossiping about her when they weren't.

Morgan tells Paige that her brother's future in WWE would only have been as a jobber and signing would have ruined his life, implying that it did the same to him. Morgan encourages Paige to quit and return to her family for a happier life. She travels home for the Christmas break, and tells her family she is leaving WWE. Angry that she is giving up the dream he failed to achieve, Zak attacks Paige during a wrestling match, then gets in a drunken bar fight. Paige changes her mind after Zak berates her for abandoning their shared dream, and she returns to Florida, resuming her original hair color and skin tone.

She drastically improves in training, befriending and encouraging her fellow trainees. Zak returns to training his parents’ students. Morgan brings the trainees to WrestleMania XXX, where The Rock greets Paige and tells her she will make her Raw debut the following night against WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee. Paige makes her Raw debut and again freezes at first, but ends up winning the match and the Diva's Championship.

This movie is great plain and simple and even if your not a wrestling fan you should still watch it because the movie is much much more than that. All the actors give a fantastic performance at their given role especially Florence and Jack who just knock it out the park. The movie will make you laugh, cry and mostly care about these character life because this movie actually makes their character multi-dimensional and real because yes, this is based on a true story but many few movies nowadays truly achieve bringing that onscreen and I think this film should be applauded for doing just that. So if you haven't given it a chance already, nows your chance and believe me, it is worth it because not many movies nowadays feel as genuine and well made as this one. Ricardo Signing Off