Against the Ropes
Encyclopedia
Against the Ropes is a 2004 drama
movie
. It stars Meg Ryan
and Omar Epps
and was directed by Charles S. Dutton
, in his motion-picture directorial debut.
The story is a fictionalized account of the American
boxing
manager Jackie Kallen
, who was the first woman to become a success in the sport. Luther Shaw most likely represents James Toney
, a boxer whom Kallen managed to a title despite a rocky relationship.
Against the Ropes grossed less than $6 million in the US and was panned by critics, in part because of its resemblance to other boxing movies, such as the Rocky
series. As with other such movies, its climax is a bout for the championship.
The film was shot primarily in Hamilton, Ontario
, Canada
at the Copps Coliseum
.
LaRocca asks afterward what she thought of the fight. Obviously unimpressed with Jackie's knowledge of boxing, LaRocca offers her the loser's contract for a dollar. She goes to visit the fighter at home, only to find him addicted to drugs.
Enter Luther Shaw, a small-time hood. Kallen watches in horror and fascination as Shaw pummels the former middleweight
champ. She offers to manage him professionally. Shaw is at first hesitant, but he eventually signs on with her.
Because of LaRocca's influence, Kallen can't find Shaw a fight anywhere in Ohio
, so the two are forced to go on the road until Shaw makes a name for himself. Jackie begins to get swept up in all the attention she gets for being the first female boxing manager. Her attention eventually shifts from Shaw to her own media persona as her fighter's number of wins continues to climb.
Finally realizing that she is not paying enough attention to her only client, Kallen agrees to sell Shaw's contract to LaRocca on the condition that he be given a championship fight. LaRocca agrees, setting Shaw up for a shot at the title before he could possibly be ready. Kallen arrives at the fight and stands in Shaw's corner as he pulls off an upset and wins the championship.
, grossing only $6,614,280, with an estimated budget of $39,000,000. It opened up at #8 at the box office, grossing $3,038,546 in the opening weekend. The film was released on February 20, 2004 to 1,601 theaters (widest release) gathering an average of $1,897 per theater. The film closed its box office run after seven weeks, gathering a total of $5,884,190 from the domestic market and $730,090 from overseas for an international total of $6,614,280.
Critical reception of the film was negative to mixed. Rotten Tomatoes
reports a 'Rotten' average rating of 4.2 out of 10, summarizing it as "a bland, dumbed-down package of sports cliches." However the film did receive some positive reviews; Roger Ebert
gave it 3 stars out of 4, remarking:
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. It stars Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
and Omar Epps
Omar Epps
Omar Hashim Epps is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His film roles include Major League II, Juice, Higher Learning, Scream 2, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love and Basketball. Epps' television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the US medical drama series ER,...
and was directed by Charles S. Dutton
Charles S. Dutton
Charles Stanley Dutton is an American stage, film, and television actor and director. He is perhaps best known for his roles as "Fortune" in the film Rudy and "Dillon" in Alien 3...
, in his motion-picture directorial debut.
The story is a fictionalized account of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
manager Jackie Kallen
Jackie Kallen
Jackie Kallen is one of boxing's first and most successful female managers. Her life was the inspiration for the film Against the Ropes. She also worked as a consultant for Mark Burnett's reality tv series The Contender....
, who was the first woman to become a success in the sport. Luther Shaw most likely represents James Toney
James Toney
James Nathanial Toney is an American professional boxer who has held world titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, and cruiserweight divisions. Toney currently fights in the heavyweight division in boxing and also now competes in mixed martial arts.-Boxing career:Toney's amateur boxing...
, a boxer whom Kallen managed to a title despite a rocky relationship.
Against the Ropes grossed less than $6 million in the US and was panned by critics, in part because of its resemblance to other boxing movies, such as the Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
series. As with other such movies, its climax is a bout for the championship.
The film was shot primarily in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at the Copps Coliseum
Copps Coliseum
Copps Coliseum is a sports and entertainment arena, on the corner of Bay Street North and York Boulevard, in Hamilton, Ontario. Depending on event, the Copps Coliseum has a capacity of up to 19,000.It is named after the former Hamilton mayor, Victor K...
.
Plot
At a young age, Jackie Kallen learns about boxing with her father and uncle in a small gym. Later, she becomes the assistant to a Cleveland boxing promoter. Her boss then begins doing business with Sam LaRocca, a sports manager, during a middleweight championship fight.LaRocca asks afterward what she thought of the fight. Obviously unimpressed with Jackie's knowledge of boxing, LaRocca offers her the loser's contract for a dollar. She goes to visit the fighter at home, only to find him addicted to drugs.
Enter Luther Shaw, a small-time hood. Kallen watches in horror and fascination as Shaw pummels the former middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
champ. She offers to manage him professionally. Shaw is at first hesitant, but he eventually signs on with her.
Because of LaRocca's influence, Kallen can't find Shaw a fight anywhere in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, so the two are forced to go on the road until Shaw makes a name for himself. Jackie begins to get swept up in all the attention she gets for being the first female boxing manager. Her attention eventually shifts from Shaw to her own media persona as her fighter's number of wins continues to climb.
Finally realizing that she is not paying enough attention to her only client, Kallen agrees to sell Shaw's contract to LaRocca on the condition that he be given a championship fight. LaRocca agrees, setting Shaw up for a shot at the title before he could possibly be ready. Kallen arrives at the fight and stands in Shaw's corner as he pulls off an upset and wins the championship.
Cast
- Meg RyanMeg RyanMargaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
- Jackie Kallen - Omar EppsOmar EppsOmar Hashim Epps is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His film roles include Major League II, Juice, Higher Learning, Scream 2, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love and Basketball. Epps' television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the US medical drama series ER,...
- Luther Shaw - Charles S. DuttonCharles S. DuttonCharles Stanley Dutton is an American stage, film, and television actor and director. He is perhaps best known for his roles as "Fortune" in the film Rudy and "Dillon" in Alien 3...
- Felix Reynolds - Tony ShalhoubTony ShalhoubAnthony Marcus "Tony" Shalhoub is an American actor of Lebanese descent. His television work includes the roles of Antonio Scarpacci on Wings and sleuth Adrian Monk on the TV series Monk. He has won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his work in Monk...
- Sam LaRocca - Timothy DalyTimothy DalyJames Timothy "Tim" Daly is an American stage, screen and voice actor, director and producer. He is best known for his television role as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom Wings and for his voice role as Superman/Clark Kent in Superman: The Animated Series, as well as his recurring role of the...
- Gavin Reese (as Tim Daly) - Joseph CorteseJoseph CorteseJoseph Cortese is an American actor who has been in Evilspeak and American History X. He was married to Kim Delaney from 1989 to 1994.-External links:...
- Abel (as Joe Cortese) - Kerry WashingtonKerry WashingtonKerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
- Renee - Sean Bell - Ray Kallen
- Dean McDermottDean McDermottDean McDermott is a Canadian-American actor best known in the United States for having married Victoria Davey "Tori" Spelling, with whom he appeared in the observational documentary shows Tori & Dean: Inn Love and Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, and for having acted out the role of Constable...
- Pete Kallen - Skye McCole BartusiakSkye McCole Bartusiak-Life and career:McCole Bartusiak was born in Houston, Texas, where she lives today with her parents Raymond Donald Bartusiak and Helen McCole. She attended St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal school for her elementary education....
- Little Jackie - Juan HernandezJuan HernándezJuan Bautista Hernández Pérez is a retired boxer from Cuba, who won the golden medal in the Bantamweight division at age seventeen at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow...
- Pedro Hernandez - Holt McCallanyHolt McCallanyHolt McCallany is an Irish American actor, writer, and producer working primarily in film and television.-Early life:...
- Dorsett - Tory KittlesTory KittlesTory Kittles is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as Malibu's Most Wanted, Get Rich or Die Tryin, Next, and Miracle at St...
- Devon Green - Gene Mack - Kevin Keyes
- Beau StarrBeau StarrBeau Starr is an American actor who has starred in movies and on television. He is known for his film role as Sheriff Ben Meeker in the 1988 hit horror movie Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers; he reprised his role in the 1989 sequel Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.Starr was born...
- Corcoran - Jared Durand - Young Crisco
- Diego FuentesDiego FuentesDiego Fuentes is a Canadian actor of Chilean descent and Toronto socialite. He was MuchMusic's first ever VJ winner in 1995, going on to host the popular Clip Trip show on MuchMusic's sister station, MuchMoreMusic....
- Car Attendant - Angelo Tucci - Rex
- Reg Dreger - Lonnie
- Arturo Fresolone - Hernandez' Manager
- James JardineJames JardineJames Jardine was a Scottish civil engineer, mathematician and geologist. He was the first person to determine mean sea level.He was born in Applegarth, Dumfriesshire, on 30 November 1776, the son of a farmer...
- Ring Announcer - Big Daddy Wayne - Stormy
- Merwin MondesirMerwin MondesirMerwin Mondesir is a Canadian actor. His ancestry is Saint Lucian. Now he is living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.- Movies :*2000: Seventeen Again as Todd*2001: Bones as Bill Peetas*2004: Godsend as Maurice...
- Street Crony - Doug LennoxDoug LennoxDoug Lennox is an Canadian actor, Writer and Radio Personality who is perhaps best known for his Book "Now You Know ,The Big Book of Answers" and his many appearances in movies such as X-Men and Police Academy. He also is known for his role as P.T. Boomer in Thomas and the Magic Railroad...
- Barrel Chested Man - Hayley Verlyn - Beauty with LaRocca
- Moses Nyarko - Mouketendi
- Aidan DevineAidan DevineAidan Devine is a Canadian film actor. He was born in England and immigrated with his family to Canada at the age of 15. He studied at Dawson College's Dome Theatre in Montreal, Quebec and began his acting career in Montreal. He would later relocate to Toronto. His 1993 breakout role came in...
- Crisco - Joel Harris - Mathias
- Michael Rhoades - Mathias' Manager
- Bruce Gooch - Pawn Shop Clerk
- Arnold Pinnock - Heavyweight
- Neven PajkicNeven PajkićNeven Pajkić is a Canadian heavyweight boxer. His professional debut was on 18 November 2005 against Sheldon Hinton. On 4 February 2011 he won the vacant NABA Canada heavyweight title in a match against Johnnie White...
- Heavyweight - Adrianne Keshock - Janey
- Dov TiefenbachDov TiefenbachDov Yosef Tiefenbach is a Canadian actor and musician.Tiefenbach was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He began his acting career at the age of 12, first starting off in commercials before playing the role of 'Josh Avery' in the television series RoboCop , and landed his first starring role as...
- Organic Clerk - Jackie KallenJackie KallenJackie Kallen is one of boxing's first and most successful female managers. Her life was the inspiration for the film Against the Ropes. She also worked as a consultant for Mark Burnett's reality tv series The Contender....
- Female Reporter - Mike Kraft - Jacobs
- John Christopher Terry - USA Today Reporter
- Tamara Hickey - Megan the Reporter
- Karen Robinson - Kimberly Insurance
- Noah DanbyNoah DanbyNoah Dalton Danby is a Canadian film and television actor. He is best known for portraying Connor King on the series Painkiller Jane.-Life:...
- LaRocca Henchman - Rocky Zolnierczyk - Sands Fight Referee
- Tracy Waterhouse - Receptionist
- Michael BufferMichael BufferMichael Buffer is an American professional ring announcer for boxing and professional wrestling matches. He is known for his trademarked catchphrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" He is known for pioneering a distinct announcing style in which he rolls certain letters and adds other inflections to...
- Ring Announcer - Neil CroneNeil CroneNeil Crone is a Canadian voice actor and comedian who does the voices of Gordon the Big Engine, Splatter and Diesel 10 from the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad. He does Phillip the Concierge in the My Secret Identity episode "Sour Grapes"...
- HBO Commentator - Ray Marsh - Final Fight Referee
- Jeff Ironi - Security Guard
Reception
Against the Ropes was a box office bombBox office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
, grossing only $6,614,280, with an estimated budget of $39,000,000. It opened up at #8 at the box office, grossing $3,038,546 in the opening weekend. The film was released on February 20, 2004 to 1,601 theaters (widest release) gathering an average of $1,897 per theater. The film closed its box office run after seven weeks, gathering a total of $5,884,190 from the domestic market and $730,090 from overseas for an international total of $6,614,280.
Critical reception of the film was negative to mixed. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports a 'Rotten' average rating of 4.2 out of 10, summarizing it as "a bland, dumbed-down package of sports cliches." However the film did receive some positive reviews; Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave it 3 stars out of 4, remarking:
- "It works near the end of "Against the Ropes," a biopic about Jackie Kallen, who was (and is) the first female fight promoter in the all-male world of professional boxing. It works, and another cliche works, too: the Big Fight scene, right out of "Rocky" and every other boxing movie, in which the hero gets pounded silly but then somehow, after becoming inspired between rounds, comes back and is filled with skill and fury."