D.C. MOVIE GUYS

Bill’s Review
Far too often, and for reasons inexplicable, a movie is preceded by the title card with some variant of “based on a true story.” As the numerous authors who have analyzed history as depicted by the motion picture have written, there is rarely more than a tangential relationship of fact to fiction. Such is also the case with the myriad “true stories” which make their way to the multiplex. The truth is changed for any number of reasons including the truth is boring (although that does not seem to stop screenwriters most other times), the need to compact time, no permission from secondary persons, the writer is a lazy idiot who does not know the true story, etc. But least forgivable are those cases where the screenwriter tarts up the truth with movie clichés and ends up with a worse story. And this brings us to Against the Ropes…
Jackie Kallen was a teacher and writer assigned by Rolling Stone to write a profile of Detroit boxer Thomas Hearns. Hired to be the “Hit Man’s” publicist proved an introduction to the world of boxing. Working her way up the ladder, she began managing fighters culminating her career by working with Andrew Toney who, under her tutelage became the world middleweight champ. She went on to handle several other champions and anyone who watched Home Box Office’s recent history of boxing on the pay cable channel will recall her incisive commentary and quotes. Interesting story… might even make a good movie.
But that is not what we see in Against the Ropes. Meg Ryan still plays a character named Jackie Kallen and there is a goodly amount of boxing, but that is about it. Screenwriter Cheryl Edwards (whose first piece of hackwork was Save the Last Dance—yet another badly-written tale of a blonde finding her way by teaming up with a black man), either because she lacks talent or someone along the line lacked a touch of courage, could only reduce this to a simple-minded feminist tale in which Nine to Five is grafted onto Rocky.
The faux Jackie Kallen is working as administrative assistant to a Cleveland arena operator and often comes into contact with the various boxers, promoters, managers, and journalists. All of this works into an opening sequence where we see Jackie as the daughter of a trainer (and niece of an up-and-coming boxer) being told that this is no place for girls. Grown-up Jackie stays with the arena job just so she can stay near the fight game, but some unsolicited advice in the presence of thuggish manager Larocca (a one-note menacing Tony Shaloub) leads to a humiliating confrontation in which Larocca gives Jackie the contract of that night’s losing fighter for $1. But when our gallant gal goes to meet her fighter, she interrupts some crack work and decides to approach the dealer’s thug (Omar Epps) to see if he would be willing to turn pro under her wing. The movie then follows the standard “boxer up from the streets to the championship” arc with the only change being that Jackie (rather than the boxer) loses her way and has to learn the “important lesson” before the new champion is crowned, the music swells up, freeze frame, and we all get to go home.
Director Charles S. Dutton does a good job keeping things moving (and reserves a nice part for himself as Epps’ trainer), but the script is unworthy of his efforts. Tony Shaloub’s role seems particularly thankless and pointless. Perhaps he just took the role to remind everyone that Monk is just a really well-drawn character and that he can play villains as well as defective detectives. Luckily, although this stuff is straight out of Boxing Movie Cliches 101, Ryan, Epps, and Dutton are all quite likeable and even the most hard-hearted in the audience will find themselves rooting for the plucky trio. Whether Shaloub brought in Tim Daly (as Cleveland’s top TV man on the boxing beat) or the other way around, it is nice to see the old Wings men looking out for each other.
Maybe someday, somebody will make the screen biography of Jackie Kallen since it has not been filmed yet. Maybe they could even get Meg Ryan to play Jackie Kallen. She has experience—sort of.

Related Reading:

The Independent Movie Poster Book

Film History: An Introduction

Movie-Made America: A Cultural History of American Movies

Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Michael Wiese Productions)

100 Modern Soundtracks (BFI Screen Guides)