“Suplexed my heart from the top turnbuckle”
I used to love wrestling, back when it was the attitude era. The Rock, Stone Cold, Triple H, Hardy Boys and Mankind, just to name a few. I had heard of Paige (the main character this movie is based on) but I didn’t know her story. She was new and I stopped watching years ago, will this be the movie to resurrect my love for wrestling just like the undertaker or will it fall flat like Mick Foley from the top of a steel cage?
Paige Knight from Norwich, England, grows up in a family that lives and breathes wrestling, and dream of one day performing for the WWE with her brother. After an audition gone right for her but wrong for her brother, the life of the wrestling Knights is thrown in to excitement and chaos with dizzying highs and depressing lows. The story isn’t anything new when it comes to “biographies” it has your standard drama and fun times. With cameos by The Rock and Stephen Merchant, it keeps it fresh and the look into the life of the poorer side of England was a refreshing setting for a large movie.
The way it was shot, music and acting were all on par. Nothing blew me away under any of those banners but there was something comforting about that. Everyone was committed and I believed nearly every moment. The strangeness that I felt was actually afterwards, when I began to research the life of Paige. Once I was down the WWE rabbit hole, I noticed some strange inconsistences with the actual story and normally I would understand changes for an hour and a half movie, but somethings just seemed changed for no reason. So, for me it didn’t matter but I would worry that perhaps some die hard wrestling fans might be upset.
If you’re looking for a motivational film then Fighting with My Family is right for you. If your heart beckons for a sporting movie that will motivate you to do more, to challenge more or simply get off the couch then this is something the film does well. The film’s emotional levels are high enough to make you feel for Paige and her journey, even if you don’t know much about wrestling. You can easily go and see Fighting with My Family and enjoy it without any prior knowledge, but prior knowledge might make you think less about why it is so important to the athletes who wrestle.
Overall, I liked this film, I found myself laughing out loud, cheering internally and smiling nearly the entire time. The audience was made up of an eclectic group of people of all ages and from the laughs and the talking as I left, it seemed like nearly most of the people liked it. The emotional story will keep you entertained as everyone has been in a similar tough spot in their lives. If you’re just going to watch some wrestling and laugh then it is also for you. If you liked the trailers this movie seems like something you’ll like, I genuinely think you will!
Score: 3.5/5