Directed by: Rod Lurie
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Hartnett. Kathryn Morris
Running time: 112 minutes
Erik Kernan
Jr. (Hartnett) is a young sports journalist trying to make a career for himself
and live up to his father’s name. One day, while leaving a boxing match that he
was covering for the newspaper, he meets a homeless man (Jackson), who calls
himself Champ and claims to be former boxing contender Bob Satterfield. The
reporter decides to write a story on him, but, in his excitement to get that
big story, he forgot a premiere principle in journalism: Fact-checking.
As a former
journalist, I had a hard time at first understanding how a reporter could make
such a grave mistake. After a moment, I remembered what it was like to be young
and hungry. Also, in Kernan’s case, he had that pressure of feeling like he
needed to impress his young son. That can bring on so many lies that get very
hard to carry.
Josh
Hartnett, who I usually find to be very dry and boring as an actor, does a fine
job here. He carries that character quite well. The viewer can feel his plight.
The star in
this one, in all aspect of the term, is Samuel L. Jackson. As usual, he sinks
into his character and makes you believe it. He pulls you in and never lets you
go. What is interesting here is that he doesn’t play Champ in an overly
dramatic way. He shows vulnerability, which is cool for an actor who has played
to many tough guys and badasses, but he doesn’t go overboard trying to draw
tears. The voice he chose for his
character was kind of grating at first, but I got used to it.
While not
the greatest sports or boxing movie of all-time, taken for what it is,
Resurrecting the Champ is a very good film.
Rating: ««««
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