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The Wrestler Champion’s Life
By its name The Wrestler sounds like a movie which would only interest fans of professional wrestling. However, The Wrestler has a lot more to offer and this review explores why everyone should see The Wrestler.
The Wrestler, a film starring Mickey Rourke as a broken down professional wrestler named Randy “the Ram” Robinson, is a movie everyone should see regardless of whether or not they have any interest in professional wrestling. While the main character and plot evolves around the wrestling ring, the movie is about something bigger: life. Robinson’s relationship with the women in his life and his struggle with leaving the spotlight is what makes The Wrestler a must see movie for everyone.
The main character Randy “the Ram” Robinson was once the biggest name in professional wrestling. But that was the 1980s. In 2009 Randy has been forgotten about, left to wrestling on small shows for independent companies during weekends and working stock in a grocery store during the week to pay the bills (something he can barely do). A health scare forces Robinson into retiring from professional wrestling and becoming a full-time worker at the grocery store, working behind the counter of the store’s deli.
Outside of wrestling there are two significant people in Randy’s life; his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) who he doesn’t talk to and Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), an exotic dancer Randy confines everything in. Randy’s relationship with his daughter became strained because he was never there for her growing up. Along with Cassidy’s advice, Robinson’s health scare is enough to make Randy try to fix his relationship with his daughter Stephanie.
The origin of Randy’s relationship with Cassidy stems from the night club she works at as an exotic dancer and the club he attends after working wrestling matches. While only a customer at the night club, Robinson has a unique relationship with Cassidy. They care deeply for each other and Robinson attempts to establish a relationship outside of the club which is a move Cassidy is very guarded against.
While Robinson’s relationships with Stephanie and Cassidy are compelling, Robinson’s personal struggle with fame is what hooks viewers on The Wrestler. In the 1980s Robinson had all the things our society desires in life, namely fame, and being forced to retire meant being pushed out of the spotlight and entering into the ordinary world. Working behind the deli counter Robinson came face-to-face with the battle of working an ordinary job and being in the professional wrestling spotlight.
The final few scenes in The Wrestler are what make the movie stand out. The Wrestler is different from other films because there is no Hollywood happy ending. In fact the final scene is kind of ambiguous as we don’t know for sure what happens to Randy “the Ram” Robinson. The ambiguous ending may leave you initially unsatisfied; asking “that’s it?” but you won’t feel ripped off or cheated. The final scene is what makes The Wrestler unforgettable.
The Wrestler isn’t a wrestling movie. The Wrestler is a movie about life. It is a film about our human nature of desiring the spotlight and a film about the joy and heartbreak brought on to us by the ones we love the most. Don’t let the wrestling ring fool you- The Wrestler is a movie for everybody.
