Bayonne, N.J. heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner was inspiration behind classic film, “Rocky.”
Give the White Guy a Break
1/2
Trust me, you know whom boxer Chuck Wepner is.
Even if you do not actually know who Wepner is, you know whom Sylvester Stallone’s famous character Rocky Balboa is.
If you do not know Wepner or Rocky, you most certainly know a Chuck Wepner in your life, a talented person who has been blessed with a great opportunity only to self-destruct and sabotage their big break.
The boxing biopic “Chuck,” is the tale of opportunities wasted and coping with that reality. And the brilliantly Phillipe Falardeau-directed film will resonate with boxing fans and non-boxing fans alike.
In the film “Chuck,” Wepner (Liev Schreiber) is a New Jersey boxing legend known to his chagrin as “The Bayonne Bleeder.”
Wepner gets that dubious nickname because of his ability to take a punch and his propensity for releasing large amounts of his own blood in the process.
However, while other boxing biopics like “Ali” and “Hands of Stone” show the glamorous side of pugilism, “Chuck” is the every man boxer, struggling to pay bills, raise his daughter and make a name for himself.
Chuck is the heavyweight champion of New Jersey and has climbed into the top 10 in the world.
That top 10 status has earned him a shot at the heavyweight championship against George Foreman.
There is only one huge problem with his proposed fight with Foreman.
Unfortunately for Foreman and Wepner, Muhammad Ali knocks out Big George to regain the heavyweight championship of the world in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974.
Chuck’s luck changes, however, when his manager Al Braverman (Ron Pearlman) presents him with the opportunity to fight for the title against Ali in Cleveland.
Boxing promoter Don King is looking for a White guy to fight Ali.
Since Wepner is the only White heavyweight in the top 10, the opportunity comes his way.
King wants to make the Ali-Wepner bout a fight between the races and he christens the fight with the moniker, “Give the White a Guy a Break.”
Wepner takes advantage of his big break, almost going the distance with the champ and inspiring Stallone to write and star in the 1976 classic film, “Rocky.”
However, Wepner’s 15 minutes of fame are challenging and he eventually squanders a golden opportunity at stardom.
The film “Chuck” is a fascinating cautionary tale of how success can become more difficult to manage than struggle and failure.
Wepner’s life is pretty secure before his shot at the heavyweight championship belt, but falls apart as soon as fame and prosperity enter the picture.
The visuals of the film “Chuck” scream the 1970s. The HD quality is gone and that good ole analogue feel is back in full effect.
Falardeau injects actual footage of Ali, Foreman, Howard Cosell, Joe Louis and the godfather of soul James Brown in a way that does not seem out of place with the actors playing those famous roles like Pooch Hall as Ali.
Hall (BET’s “The Game”) is a good actor, but playing the charismatic icon is difficult for anyone not named Will Smith.
Unfortunately for Hall, he does not look convincing as a boxer when he is in the ring in his trunks.
Nevertheless, actors like Schreiber, Elisabeth Moss who play’s Wepner’s wife Phyllis and Michael Rapaport who plays his brother John Wepner do a fabulous job of portraying the rollercoaster ride called the Wepner family life.
In all fairness to Hall, it is easier for the aforementioned actors to play their roles more convincingly than him because their characters are not as well-known as the outspoken, “Louisville Lip.”
But the story of lost opportunity is still well known long after Wepner stood toe-to-toe with the greatest of all time.
Unfortunately, we have seen it in the likes of professional athletes like Johnny Manziel, Josh Gordon and the late Len Bias.
Sometimes, opportunities only come once in a lifetime.
It is what you do with that opportunity that counts.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
Magazine Topics:
- Movie Review: ‘Hands of Stone’ Gives Mas to Duran Story
- Film Review: ‘The Last Out’ Shows How Elusive Fame, Glory Can Truly Be
- Film Review: ‘My Father Muhammad Ali’ Eye-Opening Look Into Champ as Father
- Film Review: ‘Creed III’ Much More Emotional Than Predecessors; Final Bout Leaves Much to Be Desired Visually
- Movie Review: ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ Enjoyable, But Stars Don’t Have Charisma of Wesley, Woody
- Film
- Film Review: ‘Southpaw’ Microcosm of Enduring Fight of Life
- Movie Review: ‘My All American’ Familiar Story, Great Result
- Film Review: ‘Creed’ Adds Strong New Branch to ‘Rocky’ Family Tree
- Film Review: ‘Concussion’ Will Make You Look at Football Differently
- Film Review: Jesse Owens Biopic ‘Race’ Wins Two Races
- Film Review: ‘Bleed For This’ Makes Feeling Uninspired Impossible
- Movie Review: ‘Uncle Drew’ So Much More Than Trailer Suggests
- Film Review: ‘Creed II’ Total Knockout
- Movie Review: British Humor Fuels Cliche Story in ‘Fighting With My Family’
- Hoop Dreams: 10 Greatest Basketball Films of All Time
- LeBron James, Drake Sued Over Hockey Doc ‘Black Ice’
- Movie Review: True ‘Champions’ Do Not Always Fit World’s Definition of Champs
- Movie Review: ‘Air’ Shows it Takes Greatness to Recognize Untapped Greatness in Others
- Documentary Review: ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated’ Shows Doubters Never Cease, Even for G.S.O.A.T
- Movie Review: ‘Gran Turismo’ Extremely Inspiring, But Kenny G Real MVP
- Film Review: ‘The Iron Claw’ One of Saddest Tales Told On Screen in Long Time
- Film Review: ‘The Boys in the Boat’ Unfortunately Sinks
- Movie Review: ‘Arthur the King’ Just Another Sports Movie Until…
- Movie Review: ‘Challengers” Should Change Title to ‘Scandalous’