In terms of critical pedigree, few boxing biopics can match the double Oscar-winning film documenting the lives and times of Micky Ward and his brother Dicky Eklund, “The Fighter.”
The film was nominated for Best Picture of 2011, with Christian Bale as Dicky and Melissa Leo as family matriarch Alice winning top awards for Best Supporting Actor.
It’s demanding to argue with critics.
Mark Wahlberg plays Micky Ward and the movie was his idea. The actor reportedly always wanted to star in a boxing movie, and he and Ward had known each other for years.
“The Fighter” presents a slice of Ward’s life and the ups and downs of his relationship with his trainer and brother, as well as his life in and out of the ring.
Bale stole the show in the nearly two-hour film, and those looking for flaws from a boxing perspective had a field day.
This was Hollywood – not a documentary after all. Which seemed pointless, because Micky and Dicky’s story was dramatic enough.
The period captured in the film was also met with criticism. For example, it stopped after Ward won the lesser-known WBU title with a victory over Shea Neary in London.
It did not include the period when Ward reached the height of his fame towards the end of his career, especially thanks to the trilogy with Arturo Gatti, which went down in boxing history as one of the greatest rivalries. There is some archived footage of these wild fights in the end credits, but that’s about it.
And the fact that the storytelling skipped that timeline always left a glimmer of hope that there would be a sequel – something Ward wanted and Wahlberg sometimes joked about.
Unfortunately, it was never meant to be.
What remains is an excellent biopic that falls into the “based on true events” category, documenting Eklund’s struggle with addiction and Ward’s career as a down-on-his-luck fighter, all set against the backdrop of a messy family.
Eklund is portrayed as a lovable if infuriating bastard, which could pass for fair commentary.
The brothers’ relationship was one of helping each other as best as they could, in their own way. It was as if Micky’s routine and discipline helped give Dicky structure, while Dicky, who had learned some of the hardest lessons in life, was able to pass on lessons about some of his many mistakes to his younger brother by saying: “do what I say.” , not like me” share this wisdom.
Wahlberg delivers an underrated and underappreciated performance as Ward. He is flawless and was probably his hardest job in the film. How can you play the role of an ordinary guy who still makes a living by paving roads? How do you make it believable without making it jump off the screen? That’s a challenge in itself, because despite all of Micky’s fame and his fights of the year against the likes of Emanuel Augustus, Gatti and Neary, and despite the movie and the fact that he was played by a star, Ward never changed.
I met Micky in 2001, a few weeks after the first fight with Gatti, while visiting him at his home in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Over the next 20 years I made many wonderful memories with Micky. I went back to his house in Lowell several times. Despite everything – distinctions; movies; success – never moved. He never changed his number. He remains everything you would want a worker’s idol to be – self-deprecating, humble and forthright.
If anyone watched “The Fighter” and felt inspired, Ward doesn’t fall into the category of heroes you’ll never meet.
In fact, when I left Micky’s house one day – and with a long journey ahead of me – he insisted on taking me out for food and coffee.
On another trip to Boston, I visited Micky to record my “Boxing Life Stories” podcast with him, and what we recorded is a faithful reflection of our friendship over the years, with some laughs and some somber moments along the way. While in the area, Dicky and I went out to lunch and he and I recorded another podcast episode. I thought Dicky would talk about his wild life and wasted youth, but he was actually demanding to figure out. I remember him telling me that wasn’t the case then it was bad and he argued: “The newspapers made me look like Al Capone.”
We often meet at the International Boxing Hall of Fame. I took my wife there on vacation one year and we met Micky and Dicky at Graziano’s, which was demolished by bulldozers.
Micky and I went and sat in the cabin to talk while Dicky could court my wife.
You should have seen the look on her face when Micky and I rejoined them at the bar 30 minutes later!
Micky’s paths also crossed with mine when I was writing “Damage” and I read in his excellent biography “A Warrior’s Heart” that he donated his brain to research when he passed an exam as part of an significant brain study for athletes and competitors in Boston.
As always, he jokes, “It’s not like I used it too much!”
Of course, Ward underestimates his price, but a brain is one thing and a heart is another thing entirely, and it’s the latter that he’s best known for.
And that’s where “The Fighter” best showcases Ward, both in and out of the ring. Micky Ward was always full of heart.
That’s why the title was so poignant. In Micky’s case, there are no heirs or favors. I’ve never been. He was and always will be a warrior.
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