Ryan, Katie, and Kyle review Cinderella Man, the 2005 Ron Howard film about James J. Braddock that Kyle suggested for the second episode of Get in the Ring.

Kyle picked it because it is a boxing movie that is also more than a boxing movie, and it landed at a hard time in his own life. Katie first saw it in theaters in 2005 and rewatched it for this. Ryan saw it then too, partly for Russell Crowe post-Gladiator and partly for Ron Howard. They cover the true-story spine: Braddock’s early success, the light-heavyweight title loss, the Depression, the dock work, the broken hand, and the comeback. They note the film’s liberties, especially the portrayal of Max Baer as a psychopath when the real Baer was widely remembered as a decent guy who took responsibility after a ring death. Katie and Kyle both clock multiple Rocky parallels (the “far too pretty to be a widow” line, Mae throwing the drink, the “every time you get hit I feel it,” the last-minute opponent, the “stay down,” the press-conference humility). The close is the next episode: Christy.

0:00 Kyle explains why he suggested Cinderella Man
3:10 First watches, IMDb score, and box office
8:40 Depression context and Braddock’s spiral
12:20 Camera work and the 1928-to-1933 cut
18:50 Rocky III parallel and Max Baer portrayal
28:10 More Rocky echoes and Mae’s lines
36:40 Canadian filming and local talent
42:30 Length, rewatch, and parent perspective
52:10 Sending the kids away and the salami
1:02:20 Renée Zellweger and Paul Giamatti
1:12:40 Real footage and family bonus features
1:22:50 Scores and next episode (Christy)

Ryan’s first full watch. Katie and Kyle came in colder than the reputation. They talk Scorsese’s near-fatal overdose and why this was meant to be his last American film; black-and-white vs the color home-movie vignettes; Hershey’s-syrup blood and oxblood gloves; Paul Schrader’s rewrite; the undercooked-steak and jealous-TV-fix scenes; Vickie at 15; Pesci as Joey; fight choreography that isn’t Rocky; box office vs later canon (8.1 IMDb, same as Rocky).

Scorecards (1 throw-the-towel through 5 knockout)

Next up: Kyle’s pick, *Cinderella Man*. After that, Ryan’s pick

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