James J. Braddock once said, " I have to believe that once things are bad, I have to change them". The movie Cinderella Man is about Braddock rising from a poor, unsuccessful boxer to the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The historical background to his life and career was during the same time period as the Great Depression. James Braddock was not always the boxer he is now known to be, in the 1920’s he had lost one third of his fights and people referred to him as a “bum” which is the lowest name you could label a boxer at the time. Despite a broken hand and the hatred the crowd brought upon him, Braddock never hesitated to do his best on the rink. However, when the…
Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, the girl who finds her prince with the help of a magical fairy god-mother, transforming her previously horrible life to a fabulous depiction of every little girls dream. Generations of children around the world have heard the story Cinderella countless times, however most people are unaware of the multiple versions of this legend. The European version of Cinderella ,“Aschenputtel” written by the Grimm Brothers consists of the female protagonist being treated as a servant, yet somehow manages to leave her cruel family behind for her Prince whom she lives happily ever after with. Another version of Cinderella is the Native American tale “The Algonquin Cinderella”, where the female protagonist is also mistreated by her family, however she is fortunate enough to “find” her own prince in her village. Although both stories present similar morals, both vary in details such as characters, settings,and use of magic.…
Another factor during this time period was how badly the economy was failing. The economy was so bad at this time that it would be known as the great depression. In par 2 of “Great Depression” it says “.... the stock market crash dramatically shook public confidence in the U.S. economy.”(Edsforth) the stock market crashing caused many company’s to lose money. With their money dwindling work places were forced to fire workers. In Cinderella Man Braddock had to wait to be handpicked for a job daily if he was picked at all and to make it worse he was competing with over fifty people for 12 jobs at most. In the first par of Laura Hillenbrand’s “Horse Racing” we learn “During the height of the great depression in the 1930s, millions of Americans looked to sports and entertainment to help then briefly forget about the economic devastation that had taken its toll around the country”(Hillenbrand) this shows that even…
The Great Depression occurred during the 1930s when the stock market crashed and all the banks closed. The United States of America became poor and all the citizens had little money and there was barely any jobs. Most men looking for jobs had to take a train and just head in the direction it was going until they found a job (McCabe). In To Kill a Mockingbird the Great Depression is occurring and it has some references to how it was hard to find jobs. There was also the Jim Crow laws, mob mentality, and the Scottsboro trials that influenced a few things in To Kill a Mockingbird.…
The Great Depression was a very difficult time in American history. The Great Depression was the longest and most severe depression that was experienced in the Western World. The movie Riding the Rails is a good example of times during this depression. The movie presents a story of ten men and women in their youth, who gave their accounts about leaving their homes in search of a better life. I think Riding the Rails gives a very clear and accurate view of how life was for young teenagers during these historical times.…
In its brutal portrayal of the difficult circumstances during the Great Depression, Cinderella Man tugs the heartstrings and encourages the viewer to side with and support James Braddock’s struggle. The threat of Braddock losing his family and career is never downplayed, packing the film with high intensity emotions. However, the film as a representation of history falls short; while it pits Braddock against other boxers, it plays the encounters as obstacles for Braddock to attain success and glosses over the reality that many of his opponents were in similar circumstances to him. What could have been a heartbreaking revelation that Braddock’s successes came at the cost of the livelihoods and families of his opponents was dismissed in favor of the ever-popular comeback story. This is merely a mild disappointment; only a few of the cruelties of the Depression can be included in a film, whereas a novel can carry the depth and complexity of the struggles of the time. The actors’ portrayals of life in the slums during the Depression were stark and contrasting with their acting during times of financial success, and the writing of the film was…
In another scene in the movies Annie asked Mr. Warbucks, if she can watch him work because she has never seen anybody who has jobs before, so that was another problem during the Great Depression. This movie also has the input of the struggle of the president FDR and some of his problems when he first got elected that he had to deal with. It also talks about the closing of factories and the cutting of production affects the factory owners. That was another issue during the Great Depression. This story also talks about how moving from place to place to find jobs that were available to find jobs was a big factor act this…
Famous boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crow) looks over his defeated opponent as fans cheer on another victory. This 2005 film produced by Brian Grazer and directed by Ron Howard tells the story of a dedicated man struggling to get by during the Great Depression. Cinderella Man begins on November 30, 1928, with a 2nd round knockout over Tuffy Griffith. Shortly after the fight, Braddock returns home to his spouse Mae Braddock (Renée Zellweger) with his winnings. As Braddock prepares for an easy night’s rest, the era transitions to four years later in urban New York City during the midst of the Great Depression. Braddock tries to continue his boxing career but fans soon become bored after he breaks his hand during a match and is unable to land hard punches. Still needing to find a way to feed his family Braddock tries to find job shifts at a dockyard, however, the odds of being chosen are already slim, and even more so for a man with a broken hand. With dwindling work, hungry children, no electricity and a child with a high fever, Mrs. Braddock has no choice but to send the kids to stay with family. Jobless Braddock is forced to get help from the Emergency Relief Administration and goes back to Madison Square Garden, humbling himself by asking old comrades for spare change to bring his kids back home. His luck turns, however, when his boxing manager Joe Gould (Paul Giamatti) schedules a last minute fight for Jim to replace an injured fighter against Corn Griffin. It’s predicted that the fight is to be an easy knockout for Heavyweight Champion contender, Griffin, but Braddock makes a surprising comeback with a technical knockout in the 3rd round. Braddock is able to get more shifts at the dockyard with recognition of his upset. Meanwhile, Gould is able to talk the boxing commissioner into scheduling another fight for Braddock. Mrs. Braddock doesn’t agree with the potential danger of the brutal sport,…
The movie that I will be reviewing is Cinderella Man. Directed by Ron Howard and stars Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger and Craig Bierko. The story is about James Braddock, who is a light heavyweight boxer, who was forced to retire from the ring after breaking his hand in the last fight. His wife Mae had hoped for years and years that he would quit boxing before really messing himself up. James works as a laborer at the docks but he still has ambitions to box. A couple years after his last fight, his old manager wants him to be a last minute substitute against the world’s second-ranked boxer. James agrees to fight, looses a couple times but then eventually steps his game up and wins. The point of view in the story is first person. I suppose this point of view was used by the director to give the audience a perspective of James’s life. The mood of the story is surprising. It is surprising because when you watch James during fights, you’ll never know if he will give up or win. Cinderella Man takes place in New York and New Jersey during the great depression. It is important to the story because it was a time when people experienced the worst economic hardship in the United States history. The main characters are James Braddock, who is an ex-prizefighter, Mae Braddock, James’s wife and Joe Gould, a boxing manager. Its intended audience are sports and boxing lovers, because the movie features many fights. The main theme of the film is that that no matter how dim things look and how unrealistic goals can be, you can always achieve them if you work hard enough. In my opinion, I think the actors did an excellent job, the acting was not bad nor lines being cheesy. They used a lot of emotion and expressing when saying their lines. In my opinion, I think the movie was perfect the way it was, I really enjoyed and it also made me want to achieve my dream goals in…
Folklore, modern media, and historical events within the western world have shown us time and time again that women are meant to be the fairer and weaker of the two sexes; while reiterating the idea that men are strong, valiant, and ultimately the saviors of all women. This notion has been used to fortify the difference between the two genders, asserting the claim that women cannot save themselves or each other, and can only find their “happily ever after” with the help of a man. Perrault’s “Cinderella: or The Glass Slipper,” is the story of a mistreated, but kindhearted, girl who eventually marries a prince and goes on to live happily ever after. Within Perrault’s “Cinderella,” women are illustrated as powerful, and are the sole characters that drive the plot. While the male characters within the story remain flat and generally unimportant, therefore challenging the gender dichotomy that has depicted women as demure, and men as being critical in the lives of women.…
On a calm first Saturday morning in the month of April, the young high school senior Isabella Bennett arose her from bed with the mindset to achieve one goal this day: to buy the most beautiful and unique prom dress in all of Winchestertonfieldville, Iowa.…
The 1930’s was what they called, “The Dust Bowl”. Before the 1930’s many investors lost their fortunes due to the crash of the “Stock Markets. Many people blamed the U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, for this incident. Many Americans who were unemployed or homeless were living in shantytowns called “Hoovervilles”. Between 1930 and 1933, many banks closed, taking with them billions of dollars. Unemployed people did all they could to get money and feed their families. They would sell apples in the street corners and stand in charity breadlines.…
October 29, 1929, some may know it as Black Tuesday, others know it as an important date in history but those who lived it know it as the day that changed their lives for many years to come. Black Tuesday marked the beginning of a new life style for the people of the 30’s. The stock market crashed and although its investors lost all they had, margin buyers were completely wiped out. This essay will examine the changes that followed the event that marked the Great Depression through the lives of James Braddock, Mae Braddock and the society as shown in the movie “Cinderella Man”.…
The changes in time from 1930 to 1935 are very obvious. Before the depression, and coming out of the booming twenties, everything was great for the average American farmer. In 1932 when the depression hit it everyone was effected. The two forms of art that show the before and after effects of the Great Depression. The before painting being American Gothic, and the after painting being Rural Rehabilitation Client.…
The 1920s were known as carefree and relaxed. The decade after the war was one of improvement for many Americans. Industries were still standing in America; they were actually richer and more powerful than before World War I. So what was so different in the 1930’s? The Great Depression replaced those carefree years into ones of turmoil and despair.…