Cinderella Man

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Entertainment: +3 1/2

Content: -2

Cinderella Man is the most important film of the year so far. In this true story brought to life by Ron Howard, James Braddock (Russell Crowe) is rising to the top of the boxing ranks in 1928. As he and his wife (Ren?e Zellweger) enjoy the good life and plan for a bright future, their dreams suddenly dim as his injuries leave him as broken as the Stock Market on Black Tuesday. New York?s one-time legend ? a man of integrity, grit, solid work ethic, and commitment to family ? finds himself scrimping to keep the electricity turned on in his family?s cramped New Jersey apartment. When Braddock gets a last-minute chance to fight in a Madison Square Garden match everyone's sure he'll lose, the old boxer punches his way back into the headlines, much to the reporters? surprise. Fighting against ridiculous odds, Braddock is lifted up by the working class as a symbol of hope in unbearably difficult times. Will this Cinderella Man?s victory dance end at midnight or will he become the king of the ring?

Jim Braddrock?s dedication to his family in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity will inspire the audience to press on when the odds are against them. Braddock?s humility and commitment will refresh our society that all too often rests on what it thinks it deserves and takes the easy way out. As parents and older kids watch Braddock take his son (Connor Price) to the butcher to return a stick of salami the boy stole because he feared losing his family, they will be challenged to consider whether a right motive justifies a wrong act. As mothers and fathers see the Braddocks? commitment to their marriage and kids, they will be inspired to love through the better and the worse. While the positive messages make it worth seeing, the boxing brutality and depressing 1930s conditions make Cinderella Man difficult to watch at times. Add to that a barrage of crude language and profanity, and the result is an Acceptability Rating of ?2.

Preview Reviewer: Suzanne Keffer
Distributor:
Universal

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: Many (21) times ? mild (hell 4, damn 1); moderate (b-stard 2, b-lls 2); strong (-ss 5, -sshole 2, SOB 5)

Obscene Language: Few (4) times ? mild (break wind 1); strong (f-word 2, s-word 1)

Profanity: Many (14) times ? moderate (G 1); strong (GD 2, J 2, C 2, JC 6, C-sake 1)

Violence: Many times ? mild (an argument between a man and a woman); moderate (boxing fights that are bloody but not gratuitous, a riot in a public park where men are dead after being trampled by horses)

Sex: Several times ? mild (husband and wife embrace and kiss in a chair, husband and wife kiss, a clothed man is in a hotel room with two sexily dressed women)

Nudity: Few (2) times ? mild (two instances of sexily dressed women showing cleavage)

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: None

Drugs: Several times ? mild (alcohol drinking and smoking in bar scenes)

Other: None

Running Time: 144 minutes
Intended Audience: 13 and up


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