This Week's Hot Pick: 'Cinderella Man'

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

Extras, extras, extras!

The producers of this critically acclaimed box-office also-ran must be hoping loads of extras on one- and two-disc versions of Ron Howard's film about heavyweight fighter Jim Braddock will make it a DVD contender.

"Cinderella Man" is a stunningly made biopic of Braddock and his amazing comeback from obscurity. We meet him as a cocky young contender (Russell Crowe), happily married to his loyal wife (Renée Zellweger), and basking in the good times of the 1920s. Cut to four years later: Braddock has suffered a severe hand injury, lost his confidence and lives with his starving family in a Hooverville shack in a cold Chicago winter at the bottom of the Depression. But the over-age fighter-turned-occasional-longshoreman gets a shot at redemption and, when he makes the most of it, he's suddenly in a dizzying comeback and race for the crown that captivates and gives hope to a ravaged America.

Crowe provides an irresistible star turn, conveying an uncluttered personal integrity and nobility of spirit.

Despite strong reviews, the film opened to a lukewarm box office in June and eventually took in $61 million, No. 35 among this year's movies.

Those DVD extras include commentary by Howard and writers Akiva Goldsman and Cliff Hollingsworth, deleted scenes, features on casting and the making of the film, a history of boxing with trainer Angelo Dundee, a discussion of the original Braddock/Max Baer title fight and interviews with the friends and family of Braddock. On the two-disc version, there are more deleted scenes, footage of the original fight, features on Crowe's training for the part, the writing of the screenplay, cinematography/choreography and the music.

144 minutes. Rated PG-13 for intense boxing violence and some language. (William Arnold)

GRADE: A

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