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The Wrestler (2009 film)
Encyclopedia
The Wrestler is a 2008 sports drama film
directed by Darren Aronofsky
, written by Robert D. Siegel
and starring Mickey Rourke
, Marisa Tomei
and Evan Rachel Wood
. Production began in January 2008 and Fox Searchlight Pictures
acquired rights to distribute the film in the U.S.; it was released in a limited capacity on December 17, 2008 and was released nationwide on January 23, 2009. It was released on DVD
and Blu-ray Disc
on April 21, 2009 in the United States. It was released in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2009.
Aronofsky considers The Wrestler to be a companion piece to his 2010 film, Black Swan
, as both films feature a character with a demanding art.
Rourke plays an aging professional wrestler
who continues to wrestle matches in an attempt to cling on to his 1980s heyday despite his failing health, while also trying to mend his relationship with his estranged daughter and find romance with a stripper.
The film received universal critical acclaim and won the Golden Lion
Award in the 2008 Venice Film Festival
in August, where it premiered. Film critic Roger Ebert
wrote it as one of the year's best films, while Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 98% of critics gave the film positive reviews. For his role, Mickey Rourke went on to receive a BAFTA award, a Golden Globe award, an Independent Spirit Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Tomei also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
in New Jersey
. A regular at a strip club
, he befriends a stripper, Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). Though she is very beautiful, she is getting too old for her job, much like Randy. After winning a local match, Randy agrees to a proposed 20th anniversary rematch against his most notable opponent, "The Ayatollah" (Ernest Miller
). Randy intensifies his training, which includes steroid
injections.
At his next show, he wrestles in a hardcore match
. After the match, Randy suffers a heart attack backstage. After he receives coronary artery bypass surgery
, his doctor tells him that his heart can no longer handle the stress of wrestling. He retires and begins working a 9–5 shift behind the deli counter at the supermarket with a demeaning manager, Wayne (Todd Barry
), who mocks Randy's wrestling background.
At Cassidy's suggestion, Randy visits his estranged daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), whom he abandoned when she was a child. Now an adult, she rebuffs him. While helping Randy buy a gift for Stephanie, Cassidy reveals that she has a son. Randy makes romantic advances on her, which she rejects on the grounds of her job. Randy gives the gifts to his daughter and apologizes. The two bond over a visit to a beachfront boardwalk and they agree to meet for dinner on the coming Saturday.
Randy goes to Cassidy's strip club to thank her, but she once more rejects him, resulting in an angry exchange. Upset, Randy goes to see a wrestling match and finds solace in his wrestling friends. When he goes to a bar with them, he gets drunk, snorts cocaine
and has sex with a woman in the bar's bathroom. He sleeps the entire next day and misses his dinner with Stephanie. He goes to her house to apologize, but she angrily cries and says that she never wants to see him again.
At the deli counter, a patron recognizes him as "The Ram", though Randy denies being the wrestler. Agitated, Randy cuts his thumb on the deli slicer machine and goes on a rampage in the store, before quitting. With nothing else left, he decides to return to wrestling. He reschedules the 20th anniversary rematch with The Ayatollah and turns down Cassidy's attempts at reconciliation, who warns him of his heart condition. He explains to her that he belongs in the ring with the fans who truly love him, unlike the rest of the world.
As he wrestles, Randy begins to feel chest pain and becomes unsteady. The Ayatollah notes this and urges him to initiate the pin. However, Randy begins his signature finishing move, a diving head butt called the "Ram Jam". During this, he realizes that Cassidy has left the audience. He climbs the top rope and stands up. In tears, he salutes the crowd and leaps.
Professional wrestlers who appeared in the film include: Rob Eckos, Ron "The Truth" Killings
, Necro Butcher
, Nick Berk
, The Blue Meanie, Sabian
, Nate Hatred
, L.A. Smooth
, Jay Lethal
, Jim Powers
, Claudio Castagnoli
, Larry Sweeney
, Romeo Roselli
, John Zandig
, Chuck Taylor
and Nigel McGuinness
.
The Wrestler was written by Robert D. Siegel
, a former writer for The Onion
and entered development at director Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures. Actor Nicolas Cage
entered negotiations in October 2007 to star as Randy. The following month Cage left the project, and Mickey Rourke replaced him in the lead role. According to Aronofsky, Cage pulled out of the movie because Aronofsky wanted Rourke as the lead character. Aronofsky stated that Cage was "a complete gentleman, and he understood that my heart was with Mickey and he stepped aside. I have so much respect for Nic Cage as an actor and I think it really could have worked with Nic but, you know, Nic was incredibly supportive of Mickey and he is old friends with Mickey and really wanted to help with this opportunity, so he pulled himself out of the race."
The roughly 40-day shoot began in January 2008, with filming taking place throughout New Jersey in Elizabeth
, Hasbrouck Heights, Garfield, Asbury Park
, Linden
, Rahway
, Roselle Park
, Dover, a supermarket in Bayonne
where Rourke served and improvised with real customers, and in New York. Scenes were also shot at The Arena in Philadelphia.
Afa Anoa'i
, a former professional wrestler, was hired to train Rourke for his role. Anoa'i brought his two main trainers, Jon Trosky
and Tom Farra, to work with Rourke for eight weeks. Both trainers also have parts in the movie.
One scene features a fictional Nintendo Entertainment System
video game called Wrestle Jam '88. It starred the characters of Robinson and The Ayatollah. Aronofsky requested a fully functioning game for the actors to play with, with programmer Randall Furino and the film's title designer Kristyn Hume creating a playable demo with a working interface and AI
routines that also featured 1980s era-appropriate graphics and music.
To add more realism, the locker room scenes were improvised for Rourke and others to look as if they were actually socializing. Some of the deli scenes were improvised because Aronofsky was actually filming Rourke working there.
Clint Mansell
, the composer for Aronofsky's previous films, π
, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain
, reprised his role as composer for The Wrestler. Slash
played the guitars on the score. A new Bruce Springsteen
song, also titled "The Wrestler
", plays over the film's closing credits. Springsteen wrote the song while on tour in Europe after receiving a letter and a copy of the script from Rourke.
The Guns N' Roses
song "Sweet Child o' Mine
" is played during Randy's ring entrance
at the end of the film. In his Golden Globe
acceptance speech, Rourke mentioned that Axl Rose
donated the song for free due to the budget, and the film's closing credits thank Rose for this. Rourke had used the same song as his intro music during his stint as a boxer in the mid-90s. Randy even mocks one of Axl Rose's biggest rivals in the popular music scene of the early 1990s: Kurt Cobain
.
Also featured in the film are two Ratt
songs ("Round and Round
" and "I'm Insane"), the Quiet Riot
song "Metal Health
" (which is Randy's entrance song except for the last match), the FireHouse song "Don't Walk Away", the Slaughter
song "Dangerous", the Scorpions
song "Animal Magnetism", "Balls to the Wall
" by Accept
, "Soundtrack to a War" by Rhino Bucket
and the Cinderella
song "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)
." The two Ratt tunes are actually recordings by Rat Attack, a project featuring Ratt lead singer Stephen Pearcy
and guitarists George Lynch
(Dokken
) and Tracii Guns
(L.A. Guns
). The Madonna
song "Jump
" is played in the bar scene. The Birdman and Lil Wayne
song "Stuntin' Like My Daddy
" can be heard in the strip club. Also in the movie is a song called "Let Your Freak Out" by independent Toronto singer/songwriter Deesha which can be heard during the strip club scene where Marisa Tomei's character is having an emotional conversation with Mickey Rourke's character.
In the Toronto International Film Festival
interview conducted by James Rocchi
, Aronofsky credited the 1957 Charles Mingus
song "The Clown
," an instrumental piece with a poem read over the music about a clown who accidentally discovers the bloodlust of the crowds and eventually kills himself in performance, as a major source of inspiration for the movie. Aronofsky also said the brief reprise of Senator and Presidential-candidate John McCain
's "Bomb bomb Iran
" to the tune of The Beach Boys
' "Barbara Ann
" in the movie evolved as improvisation on the set. The Ayatollah wrestling character's persona had developed more than 20 years before but, in part through this musical moment and its connection with the character, came to still feel appropriate to Aronofsky in 2008.
Chris Jericho
criticizing legendary retired wrestlers such as Ric Flair
, whom he felt were embarrassing themselves, as well as Mickey Rourke for his portrayal in The Wrestler. At the 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards
, Rourke announced he would be competing at WrestleMania XXV
, specifically targeting Jericho. The announcement led to a confrontation between the two on Larry King Live
, which showed signs of second thoughts from Rourke. On January 28, it was announced through Rourke's spokesperson that the actor would not compete at the event, and he was soon after announced instead as a guest.
Rourke was also invited to the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame
induction ceremony the night before WrestleMania. The angle culminated the following night where Jericho faced Ricky Steamboat
, Roddy Piper
, and Jimmy Snuka
in a handicap match. After his victory, Jericho dismantled Flair and challenged Rourke, who finally entered the ring and punched him out. Flair then congratulated Rourke.
reported that 98% of critics gave the film positive write-ups based upon a sample of 213, and gave it a golden tomato for best drama of 2008. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 81, based on 36 reviews, signifying "universal acclaim". Alonso Duralde, of MSNBC, said, "Rourke's work transcends mere stunt-casting; his performance is a howl of pain that seems to come from a very real place."
Todd McCarthy, of Variety
, said, "Rourke creates a galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances." Ben Mankiewicz
, from At the Movies, said, "To put it simply, this is the best film I've seen this year." Le Monde
praised the film for melding European film style with an American plot, and stated that “Mickey Rourke’s performance in ‘The Wrestler’ is a continuous celebration of the burdens and splendors of the profession of performance.” (one other French movie critic, Philippe Azoury, praised its portrayal of "the American heartland" as what he viewed as a bleak wasteland).) Although The Wrestler was not technically in Roger Ebert's "Best Films" list, he includes a note at the bottom of his review: "'The Wrestler' is one of the year's best films. It wasn't on my 'best films' list for complicated and boring reasons."
's feelings on The Wrestler:
WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart
, who was a multi-time world champion in both WWE and WCW
, enjoyed The Wrestler and applauded Rourke's "clairvoyant
" performance, but called the film a "dark misinterpretation" of the business. He asserted: "Randy “The Ram” Robinson was a main-eventer who sold out Madison Square Garden
. So was I... Although the film speaks superbly to the speed bumps all pro wrestlers navigate, I’m happy to report most of us don’t swerve off the road quite so severely." WWE play-by-play commentator Jim Ross
called it a "really strong, dramatic film that depicts how people who are obsessed with their own lives and their careers can self-destruct".
Former WWE
and TNA
world heavyweight champion Mick Foley
enjoyed the film, saying: "Within five [minutes], I had completely forgotten I was looking at Mickey Rourke. That guy on the screen simply was Randy 'the Ram' Robinson." WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
was said to have been highly emotional after watching a screening of the movie. Aronofsky said of Piper: "He loved it. He broke down and cried in Mickey's arms, so he was psyched that this story was finally told." Insights on the film from Roddy Piper and other former pro wrestlers can be seen in Fox Searchlight Pictures's "Wrestler Round Table", which was
included in the Blu-ray version of the film.
in half across his knee. Borna News, a state-run Iranian newspaper, also criticized the heel
(bad-guy) wrestler character "The Ayatollah", who is portrayed as a villain wearing Arabic clothings Keffiyeh
and Bisht
creating a deliberate amalgam of Iranians and Arabs among the audience. On the wrestling ring he wears a skimpy leotard in the pattern of an Iranian flag with the alef
character, representing the first letter of the word Ayatollah
.
Some Iranian newspapers avoided mentioning the character, presumably to avoid offending Iran's clerical rulers. In March 2009, Javad Shamaqdari
, cultural adviser to President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, demanded an apology from a delegation of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
actors and producers visiting Iran for what he characterized as negative and unfair portrayals of the Islamic republic
in The Wrestler and other Hollywood films. The Iranian gimmick is a reference to the now legendary rivalry between Hulk Hogan
and The Iron Sheik during the mid-1980s.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
, written by Robert D. Siegel
Robert D. Siegel
Robert D. Siegel is an American screenwriter for The Onion Movie and The Wrestler, as well as the writer and director of Big Fan.The Wrestler won the Golden Lion at the 2008 Venice Film Festival and has earned several Best Picture nominations....
and starring Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
, Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei is an American stage, film and television actress. Following her work on As The World Turns, Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987...
and Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood is an American actress and singer. She began her acting career in the late 1990s, appearing in several television series, including American Gothic and Once and Again...
. Production began in January 2008 and Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures, established in 1998, is a film division of Fox Filmed Entertainment alongside the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox...
acquired rights to distribute the film in the U.S.; it was released in a limited capacity on December 17, 2008 and was released nationwide on January 23, 2009. It was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on April 21, 2009 in the United States. It was released in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2009.
Aronofsky considers The Wrestler to be a companion piece to his 2010 film, Black Swan
Black Swan (film)
Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis. Its plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City company. The production requires a ballerina to...
, as both films feature a character with a demanding art.
Rourke plays an aging professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
who continues to wrestle matches in an attempt to cling on to his 1980s heyday despite his failing health, while also trying to mend his relationship with his estranged daughter and find romance with a stripper.
The film received universal critical acclaim and won the Golden Lion
Golden Lion
Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
Award in the 2008 Venice Film Festival
65th Venice International Film Festival
The 65th Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was opened on August 27, 2008 by Burn After Reading, and closed on September 6, 2008....
in August, where it premiered. Film critic 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...
wrote it as one of the year's best films, while 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...
reported that 98% of critics gave the film positive reviews. For his role, Mickey Rourke went on to receive a BAFTA award, a Golden Globe award, an Independent Spirit Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Tomei also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
Plot
Robin Ramzinski (Mickey Rourke), better known by his ring name Randy "The Ram" Robinson, is a professional wrestler who became a celebrity in the 1980s. Twenty years later, he is now past his prime. Randy wrestles on weekends for independent promotionsIndependent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. A regular at a strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
, he befriends a stripper, Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). Though she is very beautiful, she is getting too old for her job, much like Randy. After winning a local match, Randy agrees to a proposed 20th anniversary rematch against his most notable opponent, "The Ayatollah" (Ernest Miller
Ernest Miller
Ernest Clifford Miller is an American actor and former professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller....
). Randy intensifies his training, which includes steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
injections.
At his next show, he wrestles in a hardcore match
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
. After the match, Randy suffers a heart attack backstage. After he receives coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
, his doctor tells him that his heart can no longer handle the stress of wrestling. He retires and begins working a 9–5 shift behind the deli counter at the supermarket with a demeaning manager, Wayne (Todd Barry
Todd Barry
-Biography:Barry was born in The Bronx, New York, and grew up in Florida. In 1999, his Comedy Central Presents aired. He wrote, directed and starred in the short film Borrowing Saffron , which co-starred H. Jon Benjamin. He has made a variety of guest appearances on shows like Dr...
), who mocks Randy's wrestling background.
At Cassidy's suggestion, Randy visits his estranged daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), whom he abandoned when she was a child. Now an adult, she rebuffs him. While helping Randy buy a gift for Stephanie, Cassidy reveals that she has a son. Randy makes romantic advances on her, which she rejects on the grounds of her job. Randy gives the gifts to his daughter and apologizes. The two bond over a visit to a beachfront boardwalk and they agree to meet for dinner on the coming Saturday.
Randy goes to Cassidy's strip club to thank her, but she once more rejects him, resulting in an angry exchange. Upset, Randy goes to see a wrestling match and finds solace in his wrestling friends. When he goes to a bar with them, he gets drunk, snorts cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and has sex with a woman in the bar's bathroom. He sleeps the entire next day and misses his dinner with Stephanie. He goes to her house to apologize, but she angrily cries and says that she never wants to see him again.
At the deli counter, a patron recognizes him as "The Ram", though Randy denies being the wrestler. Agitated, Randy cuts his thumb on the deli slicer machine and goes on a rampage in the store, before quitting. With nothing else left, he decides to return to wrestling. He reschedules the 20th anniversary rematch with The Ayatollah and turns down Cassidy's attempts at reconciliation, who warns him of his heart condition. He explains to her that he belongs in the ring with the fans who truly love him, unlike the rest of the world.
As he wrestles, Randy begins to feel chest pain and becomes unsteady. The Ayatollah notes this and urges him to initiate the pin. However, Randy begins his signature finishing move, a diving head butt called the "Ram Jam". During this, he realizes that Cassidy has left the audience. He climbs the top rope and stands up. In tears, he salutes the crowd and leaps.
Cast
- Mickey RourkeMickey RourkePhilip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
as Robin Ramzinski / Randy "The Ram" Robinson - Marisa TomeiMarisa TomeiMarisa Tomei is an American stage, film and television actress. Following her work on As The World Turns, Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987...
as Pam / Cassidy - Evan Rachel WoodEvan Rachel WoodEvan Rachel Wood is an American actress and singer. She began her acting career in the late 1990s, appearing in several television series, including American Gothic and Once and Again...
as Stephanie - Mark MargolisMark MargolisMark Margolis is an American actor who has been making films since 1976.Margolis went to Temple University briefly before moving to New York City, where he studied drama with Stella Adler and at the Actors Studio...
as Lenny - Todd BarryTodd Barry-Biography:Barry was born in The Bronx, New York, and grew up in Florida. In 1999, his Comedy Central Presents aired. He wrote, directed and starred in the short film Borrowing Saffron , which co-starred H. Jon Benjamin. He has made a variety of guest appearances on shows like Dr...
as Wayne - Judah FriedlanderJudah FriedlanderJudah Friedlander is an American actor and comedian, known for his trademark trucker hats, oversized glasses and unkempt appearance, which he retains in many of his screen roles.-Early life:...
as Scott - Ernest MillerErnest MillerErnest Clifford Miller is an American actor and former professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller....
as Bob / "The Ayatollah" - Ajay NaiduAjay NaiduAjay Kalahastri Naidu is an American actor.Naidu was born in Evanston, Illinois He attended Evanston Township High School. As an actor, he trained with the American Repertory Theater's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.His first professional acting job was the film ...
as Medic - Wass Stevens as Nick
- John D'Leo as Adam
- Gregg Bello as Larry
Professional wrestlers who appeared in the film include: Rob Eckos, Ron "The Truth" Killings
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
, Necro Butcher
Necro Butcher
Dylan Keith Summers is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Necro Butcher. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Beyond Wrestling, Firestormpro, Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA-Mid South, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Big Japan Pro Wrestling,...
, Nick Berk
Nick Berk
Nicholas K. "Nick" Berk , also known by his ring name Nicky Benz, is an American independent professional wrestler, best known for his work in Combat Zone Wrestling, where he is a former CZW World Heavyweight and Iron Man Champion....
, The Blue Meanie, Sabian
Sabian (wrestler)
Sabian is an American professional wrestler, currently performing for Combat Zone Wrestling, where he was a founding member of The Blackout / BLKOUT with Ruckus. In addition to CZW, he also competes for several other American independent promotions, most notably Chikara.-Debut:Born in...
, Nate Hatred
Nate Hatred
Nate Hatred is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his current tenure in the Philadelphia-based hardcore wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling where he is a member of the H8 Club...
, L.A. Smooth
Lloyd Anoa'i
Lloyd Anoa'i is a Samoan American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager who has performed under numerous ring names. He is one of the three sons of professional wrestling patriarch Afa Anoa'i, and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:...
, Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal
Jamar "Jay" Shipman better known by his ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor , where he is the ROH World Television Champion...
, Jim Powers
Jim Powers
James Manley , better known by his ring name Jim Powers is a retired American professional wrestler. He most notably wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s...
, Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, working in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Antonio Cesaro...
, Larry Sweeney
Larry Sweeney
Alexander K. Whybrow was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name Larry Sweeney...
, Romeo Roselli
Romeo Roselli
Giovanni Roselli best known as Romeo Roselli is a professional wrestler and actor best known for his stint with World Wrestling Entertainment on the Raw brand as one half of the "Heart Throbs" and is not to be confused with another wrestler by the name of Kid Romeo.-Career:Roselli began wrestling...
, John Zandig
John Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
, Chuck Taylor
Chuck Taylor (wrestler)
Dustin Howard is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chuck Taylor. He is currently competing most notably in Chikara, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Evolve Wrestling and Dragon Gate USA...
and Nigel McGuinness
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
.
Production
Robert D. Siegel
Robert D. Siegel is an American screenwriter for The Onion Movie and The Wrestler, as well as the writer and director of Big Fan.The Wrestler won the Golden Lion at the 2008 Venice Film Festival and has earned several Best Picture nominations....
, a former writer for The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
and entered development at director Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures. Actor Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
entered negotiations in October 2007 to star as Randy. The following month Cage left the project, and Mickey Rourke replaced him in the lead role. According to Aronofsky, Cage pulled out of the movie because Aronofsky wanted Rourke as the lead character. Aronofsky stated that Cage was "a complete gentleman, and he understood that my heart was with Mickey and he stepped aside. I have so much respect for Nic Cage as an actor and I think it really could have worked with Nic but, you know, Nic was incredibly supportive of Mickey and he is old friends with Mickey and really wanted to help with this opportunity, so he pulled himself out of the race."
The roughly 40-day shoot began in January 2008, with filming taking place throughout New Jersey in Elizabeth
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, Hasbrouck Heights, Garfield, Asbury Park
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 16,116. The city is known for its rich musical history, including its association with...
, Linden
Linden, New Jersey
- Local government :, the Mayor of Linden is . The former longtime Mayor of Linden is 82-year-old John T. Gregorio, who served as mayor of Linden for 30, nonconsecutive years and was repeatedly tagged with scandal during his mayoral career, including one felony conviction, later pardoned, which...
, Rahway
Rahway, New Jersey
Rahway is a city in southern Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the New York metropolitan area, being 15 miles southwest of Manhattan and five miles west of Staten Island...
, Roselle Park
Roselle Park, New Jersey
Roselle Park is a borough in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 13,297....
, Dover, a supermarket in Bayonne
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
where Rourke served and improvised with real customers, and in New York. Scenes were also shot at The Arena in Philadelphia.
Afa Anoa'i
Afa Anoa'i
Arthur "Afa" Anoa'i, Sr. is a Samoan American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. Since retiring in the 1990s, he has operated the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Facility.-Early life:Anoa'i was born in Samoa, but...
, a former professional wrestler, was hired to train Rourke for his role. Anoa'i brought his two main trainers, Jon Trosky
Jon Trosky
Jon Trosky is an American teacher, actor, stuntman and professional wrestler, known by his ring name Supreme Lee Great, who competed in North American independent promotions including the Heartland Wrestling Association, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance, Pro Wrestling...
and Tom Farra, to work with Rourke for eight weeks. Both trainers also have parts in the movie.
One scene features a fictional Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
video game called Wrestle Jam '88. It starred the characters of Robinson and The Ayatollah. Aronofsky requested a fully functioning game for the actors to play with, with programmer Randall Furino and the film's title designer Kristyn Hume creating a playable demo with a working interface and AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
routines that also featured 1980s era-appropriate graphics and music.
To add more realism, the locker room scenes were improvised for Rourke and others to look as if they were actually socializing. Some of the deli scenes were improvised because Aronofsky was actually filming Rourke working there.
Music
Clint Mansell
Clinton Darryl "Clint" Mansell, is an English musician, composer, and former lead singer and guitarist of the band Pop Will Eat Itself....
, the composer for Aronofsky's previous films, π
Pi (film)
Pi, also titled ,WorldCat gives the title as [Pi] and provides a note which states, "Title is the mathematical symbol for Pi." . Amazon gives the title as Pi with no notation concerning the math symbol . is a 1998 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky...
, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain
The Fountain
The Fountain is a 2006 American romantic drama film, which blends elements of fantasy, history, religion, and science fiction. It was directed by Darren Aronofsky, and starred Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz...
, reprised his role as composer for The Wrestler. Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
played the guitars on the score. A new Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
song, also titled "The Wrestler
The Wrestler (song)
"The Wrestler" is the title song from the 2008 film, The Wrestler. The track was written and performed by Bruce Springsteen.The origins of the song are based in a lost and resumed friendship between Springsteen and Wrestler lead actor Mickey Rourke; Rourke told Springsteen about his upcoming film...
", plays over the film's closing credits. Springsteen wrote the song while on tour in Europe after receiving a letter and a copy of the script from Rourke.
The Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
song "Sweet Child o' Mine
Sweet Child O' Mine
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is the third single by American rock band Guns N' Roses, and the third from their 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. Released on August 17, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S...
" is played during Randy's ring entrance
Music in professional wrestling
Music in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
at the end of the film. In his Golden Globe
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
acceptance speech, Rourke mentioned that Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
donated the song for free due to the budget, and the film's closing credits thank Rose for this. Rourke had used the same song as his intro music during his stint as a boxer in the mid-90s. Randy even mocks one of Axl Rose's biggest rivals in the popular music scene of the early 1990s: Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
.
Also featured in the film are two Ratt
Ratt
Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
songs ("Round and Round
Round and Round (Ratt song)
"Round and Round" is a song by American glam metal band Ratt which proved to be the biggest hit of their career, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It appears as the third track of their album Out of the Cellar...
" and "I'm Insane"), the Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet...
song "Metal Health
Metal Health (song)
"Metal Health", sometimes listed as "Metal Health "; "Bang Your Head"; or, as it was listed on the Billboard Hot 100, "Bang Your Head ," is a song by American heavy metal band Quiet Riot on their breakthrough album of the same name. The song is one of their best known hits and received constant MTV...
" (which is Randy's entrance song except for the last match), the FireHouse song "Don't Walk Away", the Slaughter
Slaughter (band)
Slaughter is an American heavy metal band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada by lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum. The band reached stardom in 1990 with their first album, Stick It to Ya which spawned several hit singles including "Up All Night", "Spend My Life", "Mad...
song "Dangerous", the Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
song "Animal Magnetism", "Balls to the Wall
Balls to the Wall (song)
"Balls to the Wall" was the lead single from Accept's fifth studio album with the same name. The album's best known song, which became Accept's signature tune, is the anthemic title track, for which a music video was shot that received American airplay on MTV....
" by Accept
Accept
Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s...
, "Soundtrack to a War" by Rhino Bucket
Rhino Bucket
Rhino Bucket is a hard rock band from Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California.The band was formed in 1988 by Georg Dolivo , Greg Fields , Reeve Downes , and Rick Kubach . This lineup played the Los Angeles rock scene for a year with contemporaries such as Junkyard, The Four Horsemen, Rage Against the...
and the Cinderella
Cinderella (band)
Cinderella is an American heavy metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation. They were famous for being a glam metal band, but then shifted over towards a more hard...
song "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)
Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)
"Don't Know What You Got " is a power ballad written and performed by the Glam metal band Cinderella, from their second album Long Cold Winter. It was their most successful single, peaking at number 12 on the charts in November 1988. It was released in August 1988.It is featured in the South Park...
." The two Ratt tunes are actually recordings by Rat Attack, a project featuring Ratt lead singer Stephen Pearcy
Stephen Pearcy
Stephen Erica Pearcy is the lead singer of the 80's metal band Ratt. He has also been in the bands Arcade, Vicious Delite, Vertex, Nitronic, and Band From Hell...
and guitarists George Lynch
George Lynch (musician)
George Lynch is a hard rock/heavy metal guitarist best known as a member of the band Dokken, his own bands Lynch Mob and Souls of We.-Pre Dokken:...
(Dokken
Dokken
Dokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
) and Tracii Guns
Tracii Guns
Tracii Guns is an American guitarist best known as the founder of glam metal group L.A. Guns as well as the supergroups Brides of Destruction and Contraband. He was also involved in the formation of the first lineup of Guns N' Roses but eventually left the group and was replaced by guitarist...
(L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns
L.A. Guns is the name of a hard rock group formed in Los Angeles, California, of which two rival incarnations currently exist due to numerous line-up changes. The first incarnation of the group was formed, by Tracii Guns, in 1983 but disbanded in 1985 following its merger with fellow Los Angeles...
). The Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
song "Jump
Jump (Madonna song)
"Jump" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor. Written by Madonna, Stuart Price and Joe Henry, the song was supposed to be released as the third single of the album...
" is played in the bar scene. The Birdman and Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
song "Stuntin' Like My Daddy
Stuntin' Like My Daddy
"Stuntin' Like My Daddy" is the first single off Birdman and Lil Wayne's album, Like Father, Like Son. It reached a number twenty-one on the U.S...
" can be heard in the strip club. Also in the movie is a song called "Let Your Freak Out" by independent Toronto singer/songwriter Deesha which can be heard during the strip club scene where Marisa Tomei's character is having an emotional conversation with Mickey Rourke's character.
In the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
interview conducted by James Rocchi
James Rocchi
James Rocchi is a freelance film critic living and working in Los Angeles. He currently writes reviews for MSN.com, amctv.com, Redbox, Mother Jones Magazine and other outlets. He is a current member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Society, the Online Film Critics Society and the Broadcast Film...
, Aronofsky credited the 1957 Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
song "The Clown
The Clown (album)
The Clown is an album by Charles Mingus recorded and released in 1957 on Atlantic Records as SD-1260. It is the follow-up to 1956's Pithecanthropus Erectus and features the improvised narration of Jean Shepherd. A deluxe edition of The Clown was issued in 2000 on Rhino featuring two bonus tracks...
," an instrumental piece with a poem read over the music about a clown who accidentally discovers the bloodlust of the crowds and eventually kills himself in performance, as a major source of inspiration for the movie. Aronofsky also said the brief reprise of Senator and Presidential-candidate John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's "Bomb bomb Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
" to the tune of The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
' "Barbara Ann
Barbara Ann
"Barbara Ann" is a song written by Fred Fassert and performed by The Regents in 1961. The recording reached a peak position of #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart....
" in the movie evolved as improvisation on the set. The Ayatollah wrestling character's persona had developed more than 20 years before but, in part through this musical moment and its connection with the character, came to still feel appropriate to Aronofsky in 2008.
Promotion
Though initially critical of the film, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) helped promote it through an on-screen angle (a fictional storyline used in wrestling). This involved the heelHeel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
criticizing legendary retired wrestlers such as Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, whom he felt were embarrassing themselves, as well as Mickey Rourke for his portrayal in The Wrestler. At the 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards
15th Screen Actors Guild Awards
----Best Cast - Motion Picture: Slumdog Millionaire----Best Cast - Drama Series: Mad Men Best Cast - Comedy Series: 30 Rock ...
, Rourke announced he would be competing at WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas...
, specifically targeting Jericho. The announcement led to a confrontation between the two on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, which showed signs of second thoughts from Rourke. On January 28, it was announced through Rourke's spokesperson that the actor would not compete at the event, and he was soon after announced instead as a guest.
Rourke was also invited to the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
induction ceremony the night before WrestleMania. The angle culminated the following night where Jericho faced Ricky Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
, Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
, and Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
in a handicap match. After his victory, Jericho dismantled Flair and challenged Rourke, who finally entered the ring and punched him out. Flair then congratulated Rourke.
Reception
The Wrestler has received universal critical acclaim. Rotten TomatoesRotten 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...
reported that 98% of critics gave the film positive write-ups based upon a sample of 213, and gave it a golden tomato for best drama of 2008. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 81, based on 36 reviews, signifying "universal acclaim". Alonso Duralde, of MSNBC, said, "Rourke's work transcends mere stunt-casting; his performance is a howl of pain that seems to come from a very real place."
Todd McCarthy, of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, said, "Rourke creates a galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances." Ben Mankiewicz
Ben Mankiewicz
Ben Mankiewicz is an American radio and television personality, known for his work as a TV journalist, news anchor, and film critic...
, from At the Movies, said, "To put it simply, this is the best film I've seen this year." Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
praised the film for melding European film style with an American plot, and stated that “Mickey Rourke’s performance in ‘The Wrestler’ is a continuous celebration of the burdens and splendors of the profession of performance.” (one other French movie critic, Philippe Azoury, praised its portrayal of "the American heartland" as what he viewed as a bleak wasteland).) Although The Wrestler was not technically in Roger Ebert's "Best Films" list, he includes a note at the bottom of his review: "'The Wrestler' is one of the year's best films. It wasn't on my 'best films' list for complicated and boring reasons."
Professional wrestling industry reception
Prominent wrestling figures have commented on the movie. Aronofsky remarked during an NPR interview on WWE chairman Vince McMahonVince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
's feelings on The Wrestler:
WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
, who was a multi-time world champion in both WWE and WCW
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
, enjoyed The Wrestler and applauded Rourke's "clairvoyant
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
" performance, but called the film a "dark misinterpretation" of the business. He asserted: "Randy “The Ram” Robinson was a main-eventer who sold out Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. So was I... Although the film speaks superbly to the speed bumps all pro wrestlers navigate, I’m happy to report most of us don’t swerve off the road quite so severely." WWE play-by-play commentator Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
called it a "really strong, dramatic film that depicts how people who are obsessed with their own lives and their careers can self-destruct".
Former WWE
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
and TNA
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...
world heavyweight champion Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
enjoyed the film, saying: "Within five [minutes], I had completely forgotten I was looking at Mickey Rourke. That guy on the screen simply was Randy 'the Ram' Robinson." WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
was said to have been highly emotional after watching a screening of the movie. Aronofsky said of Piper: "He loved it. He broke down and cried in Mickey's arms, so he was psyched that this story was finally told." Insights on the film from Roddy Piper and other former pro wrestlers can be seen in Fox Searchlight Pictures's "Wrestler Round Table", which was
included in the Blu-ray version of the film.
Top ten lists
The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008.- 1st – Matt Cale, Ruthless Reviews
- 1st – Ben MankiewiczBen MankiewiczBen Mankiewicz is an American radio and television personality, known for his work as a TV journalist, news anchor, and film critic...
, At the MoviesAt the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger EbertAt the Movies was a movie review television program that aired from 1982 to 1990. It was produced by Tribune Entertainment and created by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, who had left Sneak Previews the previous year.... - 1st – Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out
- 1st – Owen GleibermanOwen GleibermanOwen Gleiberman is an American film critic for Entertainment Weekly, a position he has held since the magazine's launch in 1990. From 1981–89, he worked at the Boston Phoenix....
, Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture... - 2nd – Marc Doyle, MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- 2nd – Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
- 3rd – Anthony LaneAnthony LaneAnthony Lane is a film critic for The New Yorker magazine.-Personal life:Lane lives in Cambridge with Allison Pearson, a British writer and former Daily Mail columnist...
, The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast... - 3rd – Marc Savlov, The Austin Chronicle
- 3rd – Peter Vonder Haar, Film ThreatFilm ThreatFilm Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
- 4th – Richard RoeperRichard RoeperRichard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times and now a co-host on The Roe Conn Show on WLS-AM...
, Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-TimesThe Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city... - 4th – Ben Lyons, At the Movies
- 4th – David DenbyDavid Denby (film critic)David Denby is an American journalist, best known as a film critic for The New Yorker magazine.-Background and education:Denby grew up in New York City. He received a B.A...
, The New Yorker - 5th – James BerardinelliJames BerardinelliJames Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
, ReelViews
- 5th – Mick LaSalleMick LaSalleMick LaSalle is an American Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] [[film reviewer] and the author of two books on pre-[[Motion Picture Production Code|Hays Code]] Hollywood...
, San Francisco Chronicle - 6th – Ty BurrTy BurrTy Burr has been a film critic for the Boston Globe since 2002 where he reviews films alongside Wesley Morris.Born in 1957, he studied film at Dartmouth College and New York University and has written three books: The Hundred Greatest Movies of All Time, The Hundred Greatest Stars of All Time and...
, The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993... - 7th – David AnsenDavid AnsenDavid Ansen is a reviewer and senior editor for Newsweek, where he has been reviewing movies since 1977. He came to Newsweek after several years as the chief film critic at Boston's The Real Paper...
, NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence... - 7th – Ray Bennett, The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
- 7th – V.A. Musetto, New York PostNew York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
- 8th – PremierePremiere (magazine)Premiere was an American and New York City-based film magazine published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., published between the years 1987 and 2007. The original version of the magazine, Première , was started in France in 1976 and is still being published there.-History:The magazine originally...
- 8th – Nathan RabinNathan RabinNathan Rabin is an American film and music critic. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Rabin was the first head writer for The A.V. Club, a position he continues to hold today....
, The A.V. ClubThe A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its... - 9th – Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
- 9th – Josh Rosenblatt, The Austin Chronicle
- 10th – Dana Stevens, SlateSlate (magazine)Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
- 10th – Joe MorgensternJoe MorgensternJoe Morgenstern is a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for The Wall Street Journal.-Career:Morgenstern graduated from Lehigh University in 1953. His first journalism experience was as news clerk at the New York Times...
, The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal.... - 10th – Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
Controversy
The Wrestler has been condemned as an "anti-Iranian" film in many Iran newspapers and websites, in response to a scene in which Mickey Rourke violently breaks a pole bearing an Iranian flagFlag of Iran
The current flag of Iran was adopted on 29 July 1980, and is a reflection of the changes brought about by the Iranian Revolution. Its field is a tricolour comprising equal horizontal bands of green, white, and red...
in half across his knee. Borna News, a state-run Iranian newspaper, also criticized the heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
(bad-guy) wrestler character "The Ayatollah", who is portrayed as a villain wearing Arabic clothings Keffiyeh
Keffiyeh
The keffiyeh/kufiya , also known as a ghutrah , ' , mashadah , shemagh or in Persian chafiye , Kurdish cemedanî and Turkish puşi, is a traditional Arab headdress fashioned from a square, usually cotton, scarf. It is typically worn by Arab men, as well as some Kurds...
and Bisht
Bisht
The Bisht are a Rajput community living primarily in the Central Himmalayas, such as the Indian state of Uttarakhand.Bisht Rajputs refers to the title of Rajputs in Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand...
creating a deliberate amalgam of Iranians and Arabs among the audience. On the wrestling ring he wears a skimpy leotard in the pattern of an Iranian flag with the alef
Aleph
* Aleph or Alef is the first letter of the Semitic abjads descended from Proto-Canaanite, Arabic alphabet, Phoenician alphabet, Hebrew alphabet, Syriac alphabet-People:*Aleph , an Italo disco artist and alias of Dave Rodgers...
character, representing the first letter of the word Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
.
Some Iranian newspapers avoided mentioning the character, presumably to avoid offending Iran's clerical rulers. In March 2009, Javad Shamaqdari
Javad Shamaqdari
Javad Shamaqdari is an Iranian filmmaker and "deputy culture minister of film" to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He has attacked the film 300 as psychological warfare and accused American 'cultural authorities' and Hollywood of attacking Iranian culture....
, cultural adviser to President
President of Iran
The President of Iran is the highest popularly elected official in, and the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran; although subordinate to the Supreme Leader of Iran, who functions as the country's head of state...
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, demanded an apology from a delegation of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
actors and producers visiting Iran for what he characterized as negative and unfair portrayals of the Islamic republic
Islamic republic
Islamic republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mauritania. Pakistan adopted the title under the constitution of 1956. Mauritania adopted it on 28 November 1958. Iran adopted it after the 1979 Iranian...
in The Wrestler and other Hollywood films. The Iranian gimmick is a reference to the now legendary rivalry between Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and The Iron Sheik during the mid-1980s.
Accolades
| Award | Category | Winner/Nominee | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards 81st Academy Awards The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST... |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... |
Mickey Rourke Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films.... |
No |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... |
Marisa Tomei Marisa Tomei Marisa Tomei is an American stage, film and television actress. Following her work on As The World Turns, Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987... |
||
| BAFTA Film Awards 62nd British Academy Film Awards The 62nd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 8 February 2009, and honoured the best films of 2008.-Best Actor:Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler*Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon... |
Best Leading Actor BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.-Superlatives:... |
Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film... |
Marisa Tomei | No | |
| Boston Society of Film Critics | Best Actor Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor The winners of the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor are listed below:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 14th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking.Nominees were announced on December 9, 2008.-Best Film:Slumdog Millionaire... |
Best Song | Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band... |
Yes |
| Best Picture | No | ||
| Best Actor Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor The Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association.-List of winners and nominees:*1995: Kevin Bacon - Murder in the First as Henri Young... |
Mickey Rourke | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei | ||
| Central Ohio Film Critics | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 21st Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, given by the CFCA on December 18, 2008, honored the best in film for 2008. Disney/Pixar's WALL-E became the most successful film on this years' ceremony, won four awards, including Best Film, out of five nominations... |
Best Actor Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... |
Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Chlotrudis Awards Chlotrudis Awards 2009 The 15th Annual Chlotrudis Awards were presented March 22, 2009, by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. Honoring the best of the past year's independent, documentary and international film, the awards ceremony took place at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts... |
Best Actor Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor The Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the actor or actors whose winning performance is voted by participating members. The Chlotrudis Awards is an annual ceremony where the best of the previous year's independent and international... |
Mickey Rourke | No |
| Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 15th Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, given by the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association on December 17, 2008, honored the best in film for 2008.-Top 10 films:# Slumdog Millionaire# Milk# The Dark Knight... |
Best Actor Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association to honor the best achievements in filmmaking.-1990s:*1993: Anthony Hopkins - The Remains of the Day*1994:... |
Mickey Rourke | 2nd |
| Best Supporting Actress Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association to honor the best achievements in filmmaking.-2000s:-2010s:-References:... |
Marisa Tomei | 3rd | |
| David di Donatello Awards David di Donatello David di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The... |
Best Foreign Film David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film -1950s-1960s:**Hotel Rwanda, directed by Terry George**Ray, directed by Taylor Hackford*2006 Crash, directed by Paul Haggis**A History of Violence, directed by David Cronenberg**Good Night, and Good Luck., directed by George Clooney... |
Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking... |
No |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei | ||
| Best Film | No | ||
| Best Director | Darren Aronofsky | ||
| ESPY Awards ESPY Awards An ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993... |
Best Sports Movie Best Sports Movie ESPY Award The Best Sports Movie ESPY Award has been presented annually since 2002 to the sports-related feature film adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year.... |
Darren Aronofsky | No |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2008 -Winners:*Best Actor:**Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Best Actress:**Melissa Leo - Frozen River*Best Animated Film:**WALL•E*Best Cinematography:**The Dark Knight*Best Director:**Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire*Best Documentary Film:... |
Best Actor Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Florida Film Critics Circle to honor the finest male acting achievements in filmmaking.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the Florida Film Critics Circle to honor the finest supporting female acting achievementes in filmmaking.- 1990s :-2000s:-2010s:... |
Marisa Tomei | ||
| Golden Globes 66th Golden Globe Awards The 66th Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was broadcast on January 11, 2009, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States on the NBC TV network... |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama | Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Original Song - Motion Picture Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:... |
Bruce Springsteen | ||
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | Marisa Tomei | No | |
| Independent Spirit Awards Independent Spirit Awards 2008 The Independent Spirit Awards 2008 announced its nominees in December 2008. The winners were announced on February 21, 2009.-Best Actor :Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona... |
Best Feature Independent Spirit Award for Best Film The Independent Spirit Award for Best Film is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.-1980s:* 1985: After Hours - Martin Scorsese** Blood Simple - Joel and Ethan Coen** Smooth Talk... |
Darren Aronofsky Scott Franklin Scott Franklin Scott Franklin , is a Canadian rugby union player who plays rugby for the Prairie Wolf Pack in Canada, and for the Canadian national team. Franklin is a prop.- Career :... |
Yes |
| Best Male Lead | Mickey Rourke | ||
| Best Cinematography Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography The Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography is one of the annual awards given by Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers.- 1980s :* 1986: Toyomichi Kurita – Trouble in Mind... |
Maryse Alberti | ||
| International Cinephile Society | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei | No | |
| Iowa Film Critics Awards Iowa Film Critics Awards 2008 The 6th Iowa Film Critics Awards, honoring the best in film for 2008, were held on 12 January 2009.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Best Actress:**Meryl Streep - Doubt*Best Animated Feature:**WALL-E*Best Director:... |
Best Actor | Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards 2008 The 43rd Loutzenhiser Awards, honoring the best in film for 2008, were announced on January 4, 2009.-Winners:Best Actor*Mickey Rourke – The WrestlerBest Actress*Meryl Streep – DoubtBest Animated Film*WALL-E... |
Best Director Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director Steven Spielberg holds the record for most wins: 6 . Peter Jackson won an award for each and every film of The Lord of the Rings-trilogy.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:*... |
Darren Aronofsky | Yes |
| Best Actor Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle to honor the best achievements in acting.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:*... |
Mickey Rourke | ||
| Best Original Screenplay Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Original Screenplay The Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Original Screenplay is one of the annual awards given by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle.-2000s:-2010s:... |
Robert D. Siegel Robert D. Siegel Robert D. Siegel is an American screenwriter for The Onion Movie and The Wrestler, as well as the writer and director of Big Fan.The Wrestler won the Golden Lion at the 2008 Venice Film Festival and has earned several Best Picture nominations.... |
||
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards 2008 The 12th Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, honouring the best in film for 2008, were given by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society on 18 December 2008.-Winners:Best Actor*Frank Langella - Frost/NixonBest Actress... |
Best Supporting Actress Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Supporting Actress is an award given by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society to honor the best actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Marisa Tomei | No |
| London Film Critics Circle | Film of the Year | Yes | |
| Actor of the Year London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The London Film Critics Circle Award for Actor of the Year in an annual award given by the London Film Critics Circle.-2000s:-2010s:... |
Mickey Rourke | ||
| Director of the Year London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director The London Film Critics Circle Award for Director of the Year in an annual award given by the London Film Critics' Circle.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Darren Aronofsky | No | |
| MTV Movie Awards 2009 MTV Movie Awards The 2009 MTV Movie Awards were presented on Sunday, May 31, 2009, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Andy Samberg served as host for the 18th annual ceremony.- Performers :* Eminem — "We Made You" and "Crack a Bottle"... |
Best Song from a Movie | Bruce Springsteen | No |
| National Society of Film Critics National Society of Film Critics Awards 2008 The 43rd National Society of Film Critics Awards, given on 3 January 2009, honored the best filmmaking of 2008.-Best Picture::1. Waltz with Bashir 2. Happy-Go-Lucky2. WALL•E-Best Director::... |
Best Actor National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor is an annual award given by the National Society of Film Critics to honor the best leading actor of the year.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Mickey Rourke | 2nd |
| Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards 2008 The 3rd Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best filmmaking of 2008, were given on 23 December 2008.-Top 10 films:*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button *The Dark Knight *Doubt... |
Best Actor Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the annual film awards given by the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle.-2000s:-2010s:... |
Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual film awards given by the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle.-2000s:-2010s:... |
Marisa Tomei | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Robert D. Siegel | ||
| Online Film Critics Society Online Film Critics Society Awards 2008 ----Best Picture: WALL-E The 12th Online Film Critics Society Awards, honoring the best in film for 2008, were given on 19 January 2009.-Best Picture:WALL-E*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*The Dark Knight... |
Best Actor Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best lead actor of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Marisa Tomei | ||
| Best Picture Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Picture The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Picture is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best picture of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
No | ||
| Best Director Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Director The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Director is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best director of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Darren Aronofsky | ||
| Best Original Screenplay Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best screenplay of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Robert D. Siegel | ||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Phoenix Film Critics Society The Phoenix Film Critics Society is an organization of film reviewers from Phoenix-based publications.In December of each year, the PFCS meets to vote on their Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards for films released in the same calendar year.Categories of awards include:* Best Actor The Phoenix... |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is an award given by the Phoenix Film Critics Society to honor the finest achievements in acting.-2000s:-2010s:... |
Marisa Tomei | Yes |
| Best Original Song | Bruce Springsteen | ||
| San Diego Film Critics Society San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2008 - Winners :*Best Actor:**Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler as Randy "The Ram" Robinson*Best Actress:**Kate Winslet - The Reader as Hanna Schmitz*Best Animated Film:**WALL•E*Best Cast:**Frost/Nixon*Best Cinematography:... |
Best Actor San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor The San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor is an award given by the San Diego Film Critics Society to honor the finest male acting achievementes in filmmaking.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the San Diego Film Critics Society to honor the finest female acting achievementes in filmmaking.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Marisa Tomei | ||
| San Francisco Film Critics Society San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards 2008 The 7th San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in film for 2008, were given on 15 December 2008.-Winners:*Best Picture:**Milk*Best Director:**Gus Van Sant - Milk*Best Original Screenplay:... |
Best Actor San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given by the San Francisco Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.-2000s:-2010s:... |
Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress, given by the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, honors the finest achievements in filmmaking.-2000s:-2010s:-Notes:... |
Marisa Tomei | ||
| Satellite Awards Satellite Awards 2008 The winners of the 13th Annual Satellite Awards, honoring the best in film and television in 2008, were announced on December 14, 2008.-Top 10 films:*Ballast*Changeling*Doubt*The Dark Knight*Frost/Nixon*Frozen River*Milk... |
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama | Mickey Rourke | No |
| Best Original Song Satellite Award for Best Original Song The Satellite Award for Best Original Song is an annual award given by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :*1996: "You Must Love Me" performed by Madonna - Evita**"God Give Me Strength" - Grace of My Heart**"Kissing You" - Romeo + Juliet... |
Bruce Springsteen | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards ----Best Cast - Motion Picture: Slumdog Millionaire----Best Cast - Drama Series: Mad Men Best Cast - Comedy Series: 30 Rock ... |
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | Mickey Rourke | No |
| Toronto Film Critics Association Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 12th Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2008, were given on December 17, 2008. -Winners:*Best Actor:**Mickey Rourke – The WrestlerRunners-Up: Sean Penn – Milk and Jean-Claude Van Damme – JCVD... |
Best Performance, Male Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor The Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor is one of the annual awards given by the Toronto Film Critics Association.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Utah Film Critics Association Utah Film Critics Association The Utah Film Critics Association is an organization of cinema journalists affiliated with publications, broadcasting stations and online media based in Utah... |
Best Actor | Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Best Supporting Actress | Evan Rachel Wood Evan Rachel Wood Evan Rachel Wood is an American actress and singer. She began her acting career in the late 1990s, appearing in several television series, including American Gothic and Once and Again... |
2nd | |
| Venice Film Festival 65th Venice International Film Festival The 65th Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was opened on August 27, 2008 by Burn After Reading, and closed on September 6, 2008.... |
Golden Lion Golden Lion Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes... |
Darren Aronofsky | Yes |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2008 were given in December 2008.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler*Best Actress:**Meryl Streep - Doubt*Best Animated Film:**WALL•E... |
Best Actor | Mickey Rourke | Yes |
| Writers Guild of America Writers Guild of America Awards 2008 The 61st Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2008. Winners were announced on February 7, 2009.-Best Adapted Screenplay:... |
Best Original Screenplay Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay The Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay is one of the three film writing awards given by the Writers Guild of America Award.... |
Robert D. Siegel | No |
See also
- Terry FunkTerry FunkTerrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
, professional wrestler whose real life shares major traits with the character of "Randy Robinson" - Beyond the MatBeyond the MatBeyond the Mat is a 1999 documentary directed by Barry W. Blaustein. The movie focuses on the lives of professional wrestlers outside of the ring, primarily Mick Foley, Terry Funk, and Jake Roberts, as well as some aspiring wrestlers...
, a 1999 documentary featuring Mick FoleyMick FoleyMichael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
, Terry FunkTerry FunkTerrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
, and Jake RobertsJake RobertsAurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
. They deal with and talk about experience with drug addiction, marital infidelity, estranged children, skid-row hardcore matches, bladingBlading (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, blading is the practice of intentionally cutting oneself to provoke bleeding. It is also known as juicing, gigging, or drawing color. Similarly, a blade is an object used for blading, and a bladejob is a specific act of blading...
, "career-ending" injuries, several retirement bouts, etc.