Cody's Top 30 Favorite Movies of All-Time: #21 - The Wrestler

Another Rocky-esque story of pride and redemption, except this one involves a character who is way past his prime.

The Wrestler follows Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), a fifty-something former 80's professional wrestler who's down on his luck and past his prime. He wrestles on weekends for decent slim wages and works part-time at a grocery store loading boxes during the week. He's estranged from his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) and woos the interest of a stripper named "Cassidy" Pam (Marisa Tomei). He frequently somberly relives his glory days as an 80's superstar, including that of his fables match with "The Ayatollah" that symbolized his career.

Following one of his club shows, his promoter comes to him with the idea of a 20th anniversary rematch with The Ayatollah at a Ring of Honor show he's hosting, with the idea that completing the match would send him back into super-stardom. After he accepts the offer, he decides to intensify his training to look more in shape, including taking steroids. Unfortunately, he suffers a heart attack after a brutal hardcore match that sees him bloodied and battered. The doctors perform coronary bypass surgery on him and he survives, though he must retire from professional wrestling.

Pam suggests that Randy visit his estranged daughter to rebuild a relationship with her. Randy visits Stephanie and is immediately rebuffed. He then goes out with Pam to purchase a gift for Stephanie, making intimate advances toward her when they sit at a bar, but Pam turns him down. Randy takes his gift to Stephanie, who then agrees to walk the pier with him. During their walk, Randy breaks down and apologizes for abandoning her in her young age. Stephanie agrees to have dinner with Randy that next Saturday. Randy buys a card for Pam to thank her for helping him buy a gift for Stephanie and getting her back in his life. She angrily declares that "he's a customer" and that "she can't date the customers". He angrily chides her for being a stripper, demands a lap dance and is thrown out of her strip club. Randy decides to go see a wrestling show and go to a post-party with some of the wrestlers. He's seduced by a random woman and snorts cocaine, having sex with her in the bathroom. He wakes up and realizes that he's missed his dinner date with his daughter, and goes to her home. She angrily declares she never wants to see him again, that "he's a fuck up" and he always does this to her, before throwing him out of her life for good. It gets worse that Randy explosively quits his grocery job after a patron recognizes him as Randy "The Ram" from the 80's, "except older". Randy jams his thumb into the meat cutter and storms out.

With both his daughter and his love interest angry at him, no grocery store job and having nothing left in his life, he decides to go back to wrestling against all doctor's wishes. He agrees to the 20th anniversary match with the Ayatollah. Pam learns of this as she catches Randy leaving his home. She goes to chase him but can't stop him from going through the curtain one last time, as he says "The only place I get hurt is out there (in the ring)" and that "the world don't give a shit about me". He then goes out to the ring and gives one of the most beautiful speeches in motion picture history (See clip).

He then goes on to wrestle a hell of a match with the Bob "The Ayatollah". As the match progresses, Randy's heart begins acting up and he begins having another heart attack, this one more fatal. Randy ignores Bob's wishes to close the the match with a pin, instead climbing the rope for his signature finisher, the "Ram Jam", officially turning his back on the world that turned its back on him. The movie ends with Randy diving off the top rope, leaving his fate ultimately ambiguous. The viewer decides if he survives and beats the Ayatollah or dies in the ring.

The Wrestler is a masterpiece. It shows all the negative aspects of the wrestling business, sure, but it's a hell of a story. This is the movie that brought Mickey Rourke back to super-stardom, much like Randy's own quest for redemption. Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood; they all deserve accolades for these performances. It truly is an awesome movie. It's a real tear-jerker at some points too. I'll admit it made me tear up the first time I watched it. The scene where Stephanie throws Randy out is utterly heartbreaking and watching him turn his back on society and ultimately do what he wants to do, regardless of how society feels about it, is rewarding. The ending leaves it totally in the dark whether or not Randy survives the move or the rest of the match. Give it a watch. You won't regret it.