Fighting with My Family

2019 wrastlin' movie

Rating: 14/20

Plot: Coming from a wrestling family, both Paige and her brother have dreams of joining the WWF or WWE or whatever it's called. Paige's dream comes true when she's selected to train in Florida. But can she overcome obstacles and character flaws to actually make it big?

I had no idea that I had any interest in a true-life story of professional wrastler Paige, but this surprised me with a lot of humor and heart. Likely, I only watched this because of The Rock's involvement to help me get through the last month and a half before the next Fast and Furious installment, but he was mostly a distraction from what I really liked about the movie--the family dynamics and Paige's plucky rise to wrestling stardom. The Rock's reaction to a recurring "Dick me dead, bury me pregnant" line--that trademark eyebrow thing he does--was good though.

That rise to wrestling stardom didn't shy away from cliches with your typical training montages and the exact story arcs you might expect even if you've never heard of Paige. It's kind of a shame because there's a freshness to the opening half hour or so with this with all the family stuff. The four have a great rapport and their lines, filled with a special brand of English wit, sound natural even when you know there's nothing natural about it. That is until the end when, surprise, you see the real characters this is all based on because that's something that all of these movies are apparently required to do. And then, Nick Frost and Leana Headey's performances and exchanges seem pretty spot on. Jack Lowden, playing Paige's brother, is also good, but it's Florence Pugh who really excels here. I'm not sure how much of the physical performance is hers and how much is editing and stand-ins, but I was impressed. Vince Vaughn's also in this, and although he's as grating as he usually is, this is a character he wears pretty well.

Some great one-liners throughout, and the themes about perseverance, family, and teamwork are rewarding even if they're pretty typical. Fighting with My Family was a pleasant surprise.