Since we’ll be at the Toronto International Film Festival (we’ll be skipping the first few days, goddamn day job), we figured we’d crank out some quick thoughts on the script of “The Wrestler” as written by Robert D. Siegel and directed by Darren Aronofsky, seeing as we’ll be viewing it soon enough.
Our first reaction to not only the idea of the “The Wrestler”, but the script was, WTF? We were convinced it was going to be a comedy, especially since Siegel’s only other credit is “The Onion” movie that went straight to DVD, but rest assured this is anything but and a true drama.
The story chronicles the down and out professional wrestler Randy The Ram Robinson (Mickey Rourke), a former superstar during the 1980s wrestling heyday, who now is haggard and old man approaching his 50s and getting in the ring just to barely make ends meet in the dismal independent wrestling circuit (he’s obviously a play off WWF superstar Randy “Macho Man” Savage from the 1980s and the idea of ‘what if?’; wonder if they got his life rights)
The interest in wrestling has waned and instead of bright lights and performing in stadiums, The Ram is relegated to playing in small, high school-like gymnasiums to a dedicated, but niche crowd. He’s over the hill, pumped full of every sports drug imaginable to escape the years of abuse and damage down to his body and eeks out a living supplemented by working at a grocery store unloading boxes.
Its a pathetic existence in a jalopy van and a trailer trash house. His day are wrestling, getting trashed visiting the strippers, passing out and repeat. Over and over again. But this hard living takes its toll.
But empathy for the character about a quarter of the way in when Randy suffers a mild heart attack in the ring (we’re not spoiling anything this is in every basic synopsis), and the wrestler is told by doctors the one thing he’s good at, the one thing that bring him meager happiness in his pitiful existence is something he’s not allowed to again.It could cost him his life. Its a huge blow to his psyche and self esteem. Not only is the lion suddenly aware he’s over the hill, he now has to face his identity on a grand level. What is he in the world if he’s not a wrestler? What else is he good for at all?
It a griping and powerful realization that’s tough for any aging human, but even moreso for the seemingly invincible sports figure. So if you don’t give a flying headbutt fuck about wrestling, don’t worry, we don’t either and it obviously doesn’t matter (we will admit to enjoying that absurd nonsense when we were kids, but carry little nostalgia for it).
But aside from all the dropkicks and suplexes (and there aren’t really that many of them). Its really a story about identity and dignity, something the wrestler is struggling to find and totally lost in the latter case. Its also about the intoxicating addiction to glory, and being loved, adored and respected, something the wrestler never had in real life. Estranged from his family early on, this very human need was fulfilled by the wrestling audiences, the press and the groupies. He was once a sports rock star. Now he’s a former shadow of himself; like one of the bad dye=jobbed aging rockers still dressed in ill-fitting leather. The one that never wants Motley Crue to ever die.
The wrestler has already tried to make some gestures and inroads with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood), but years of neglect, abandonment and making the wrestling career #1 have poisoned the relationship, but when Randy realizes the only role left to play is a father he reaches out again to mend old fences. Its a hard going road as she’s bitter and clings to years of resent.
At the same time Randy starts to gently reach out to his friend (Marisa Tomei), a stripper at a local club he frequents. She super tentative and doesn’t want to cross that client/stripper divide, but Randy is both sullen, in need of help and endlessly charming; years of wooing wrestling fans and learning to charm audiences have left him rather slyly endearing when he’s feeling up to the task.
As he’s trying to sort what it means to be in normal life, hanging out with his daughter, convincing Marisa to birthday shop with him and overcoming the initial humiliation of having to work behind a deli counter with a white smock and hat, things get complicated when the allure of a 20 year old, lucrative rematch is hard to defer.
Every time the obstacles of everyday life embarrass him, his progress takes two steps back emotionally and he hears the call of the ring and the fans, no matter how faint they may be.
The character is akin to Morgan Freeman’s “Shawshank Redemption” character after being freed from a lifelong incarceration. Randy’s been at wrestling for so long its become a prison; the real world is a scary place and familiarity and comfortable ground is what he desperately wants.
The last act becomes the ultimate challenge: acclimate to civilian life or return to the ring to reclaim one major last glory – and maybe lose his life in the process. Now all of this is in the synopsis again, so don’t worry.
It’s a interesting story when you think about it deeply like we just did, but honestly, the screenplay didn’t grab us until about half-way through and we still thought the project was a little odd for Aronofsky, who usually plays with much higher-concept themes and realities. Once the human and vulnerable side of Robinson are revealed though, that’s when the story really starts to cook with grease.
One things for sure, the fact that the film has been taken in at Venice, Toronto and the New York film festival bodes well for the quality of the film and the script is very solid, but overall nothing overtly spectacular, so hopefully this means they nailed every scene and maybe even transcended what was on the page which is a very rare treat.
Our hunch is Aronofsky leaves most of his cinematic bells and whistles ricks at home and presents the story rather plainly aside from the kinetic, flashbulb bursts we’re likely going to see in the wrestling ring.
There’s some great scenes in the script: the tension with Randy trying to win his daughter’s affections tend to be winning and when his relationship with the stripper begins to blossom, you can’t help but smile and root for the guy. One of our favorite moments comes in a making the best of a situation deli counter scene where Robinson has to swallow his pride and interact with customers. Usually he loathes the job, but feeling somewhat hopeful, he decides to have fun with the gig and proceeds to charm their pants off his female mom customer utilizing his wrestling like swagger. The scene is terrifically written and incredibly honest.
We can’t wait to see it.
