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Summary

Boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs and crime.

Cast

Mark Wahlberg

Micky Ward

Christian Bale

Dicky Eklund

Amy Adams

Charlene Fleming

Melissa Leo

Alice Ward

Mickey O'Keefe

Jack McGee

George Ward

Melissa McMeekin

"Little Alice" Eklund

Bianca Hunter

Cathy "Pork" Eklund

Erica McDermott

Cindy "Tar" Eklund

Jill Quigg

Donna Eklund Jaynes

Dendrie Taylor

Gail "Red Dog" Eklund

Kate B. O'Brien

Phyllis "Beaver" Eklund

Jenna Lamia

Sherri Ward

Frank Renzulli

Sal Lanano

Paul Campbell

Gary "Boo Boo" Giuffrida

Caitlin Dwyer

Kasie Ward

Chanty Sok

Karen

Ted Arcidi

Lou Gold

Ross Bickell

Mike Toma

Sean Malone

Wolfie

José Antonio Rivera

Gilberto Brown aka Jose

Richard Farrell

HBO Cameraman #1

Matthew Muzio

HBO Cameraman #2

Steven Barkhimer

HBO Producer

Art Ramalho

Sugar Ray Leonard

Jackson Nicoll

Little Dicky

Alison Folland

Laurie Carroll

Sean Patrick Doherty

Jimmy (Laurie's Husband)

Sue Costello

Becky

Thomas Benton

Businessman

Ray Greenhalge

Ray Ramalho

Tino Kimly

Pran

Epifanio Melendez

Carlos Garcia

Jeremiah Kissel

Bald Businessman

Sean Eklund

Man in Diner

Roeun Chea

Chan

Brian Nguyen

Brian

Rikki Kleiman

Court Clerk

Michael Dell'Orto

WBU Commissioner

Paul Locke

Reporter #1

Kim Carrell

Reporter #2

Colin Hamell

John Hyland

Dale Place

Referee Micky Vann

Eddie Lee Anderson

Referee Joe Cortez

Joe Lupino

Referee Mitch Halpern

Bonnie Aarons

Crackhead Bonnie

Walter Driscoll

Court Officer

Matt Russell

Photo Guy On Street

A. Joseph Denucci

Man on Street #1

Dicky Eklund

Man on Street #2

George Michael Ward

Man on Street #3

Dicky Eklund Jr.

Man on Street #4

Jack Greenhalge

Man on Street #5

Kevin Paige

Man on Street #6

David A. Ramalho Sr.

Trainer

Ziad Akl

Inmate

Simon Hamlin

Movie Patron

Gerald Greenhalge

Uncle Jerry

Matthew Russell

Running Kid #1

Tommy Eklund

Running Kid #2

Rita Mercier

Woman on Street #1

Deborah Bolanger

Woman on Street #2

Kerry Moore

Woman on Street #3

Philip Dorn Hebert

Micky's Cutman

Raul Vera

Sanchez Trainer

Jack Lally

Neary Trainer

Carlos L. Smith

Sugar Ray Leonard Bodyguard

Lee Wesley

Fight Spectator #1

Hugh Long

Fight Spectator #2

Catherine Lynn Stone

Fan

Eric Weinstein

Micky's Friend

Bo Cleary

Cop

Anthony Molinari

Neary

Peter Cunningham

Mike "Machine Gun" Mungin

Miguel Espino

Alfonso Sanchez

Anthony "Ace" Thomas

Castillo

Brian Christensen

Drunk Guy

Jen Weissenberg

Drunk Girl

Michael Buffer

Fight Announcer

Larry Merchant

Fight Announcer

Jim Lampley

Fight Announcer

Emanuel Steward

Fight Announcer

Roy Jones Jr.

Fight Announcer

George Foreman

Fight Announcer

Don Dunphy

Fight Announcer

James Donnelly

Donut Shop Patron (uncredited)

Al Conti

Larry Merchant (uncredited)

Crew

Director

David O. Russell

Screenplay

Scott Silver

Screenplay, Story

Paul Tamasy

Screenplay, Story

Eric Johnson

Story

Keith Dorrington

Reviews

brekkil

December 29, 2014

Two brothers. Two fighters. One has had his time and his now a junkie - Dicky (Christian Bale), and the other is in the shape of his life, with his career ahead of him - Micky (Mark Wahlberg). The two love eachother, but one is on his way up, and the other is on his way down. Lets just say, it is not without problems. This is based on a true story, btw, and we see the two brothers by the credits (lovely idea, and also shows us how true the actors are to the real brothers).

The story is centered around Micky, but we also get a lot of insight into his crazy family, which consists of a mad and devoted mother (Melissa Leo), a hundred sisters and of course, the father who is just trying to survive in the ocean of women. They all mean well, but damn, I am glad my family is different from them.

I've never (big word in this case, but still) been a big David O. Russell fan. His movies has been a little too... fancy for my liking, and with a weird sense of humor (seriously, I've never understood what why everyone liked Silver Linings Playbook). However, this one really took me by the heart and flipped me around. It is a very emotional story, and the fact that it's a true story, only makes it so much better. Also, the actors are great, especially the two brothers, Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. They have enough contrasts between them to make it really interesting.

_Last words... forget the boxing matches. They are ok, but its the story between the brothers that is the real story here. I mean... that last scene with the two being interviewed... that got me so bad. It is a predictable story, but really, I can forgive that, since the rest is so good._