Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is an aging professional wrestler, decades past his prime, who now barely gets by working small wrestling shows in VFW halls and as a part-time grocery store employee. As he faces health problems that may end his wrestling career for good he attempts to come to terms with his life outside the ring: by working full time at the grocery store, trying to reconcile with the daughter he abandoned in childhood and forming a closer bond with a stripper, Cassidy (Marissa Tomei), who he has romantic feelings for. Hilarity ensues as he struggles with his new life and an offer of a high-profile rematch with his 1980s arch-nemesis, The Ayatollah, which may be his ticket back to stardom.Trivia: Darren Aronofsky revealed that Mickey Rourke wasn't the first choice to play Randy "The Ram" Robinson. First choice in line was Nicolas Cage, but he turned the movie down due to creative differences. Second choice was Sylvester Stallone. Aronofsky was trying to get Stallone back in the ring again but he has been too busy working on Rocky Balboa at the time. Only two days after its completion, "The Wrestler" was screened on Venice Film Festival and walked off with the Golden Lion award for Best Picture. Mickey Rourke also would have walked off as Best Actor if the Venice jury chairman, director Wim Wenders, had had his way but Wenders' vigorous campaigning could not topple a longstanding festival rule which insists that one film is not allowed to win both awards. Rourke happily contented himself with finally being the star of a prize-winning picture. The scene where a fan hands "The Ram" a prosthetic leg is based on an actual event from an ECW show where a fan repeatedly yelled "use my leg" and eventually tossed his prosthetic leg to Tommy Dreamer who in turn used it on his opponent. Darren Aronofsky and Marisa Tomei attended the same high school, Edward R. Murrow High School.
Today you are getting a Twofer so be sure to keep reading my review of Rachel Getting Married below. This movie is all about Mickey Rourke. I shudder to think of what it would have looked like if Nicolas Cage had played The Ram. Rourke deserves all the accolades he is getting, including the Best Actor nomination. Rourke's career actually parallels Ram's. Rourke's golden days are behind him and this movie is his comeback, just like Ram struggles to make his own comeback. This part is perfect for Rourke and I think he put a whole lot of his own life into the role. I would not be surprised if he won. Now I just said the movie was all about Rourke, well, most of it is. Marisa Tomei stole most of the scenes she was in from Rourke (It didn't hurt that she played a stripper, after all I am a guy). She provides a bright spark where most of the movie is a little depressing. She has also be nominated (For Best Supporting Actress).
Be sure to tune in tomorrow for another Twofer (Doubt and The Visitor)
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