Support the Free Press | Facts matter. Truth matters. Journalism matters
Salt Lake City Weekly has been Utah's source of independent news and in-depth journalism since 1984. Donate today to ensure the legacy continues.
Film Search
click to enlarge
Fighting With My Family
Biography, Comedy drama
This would be nothing more than a routine underdog sports story if it hadn’t been written and directed by Stephen Merchant, the gangly Englishman responsible for most of the funny things Ricky Gervais has ever said on TV. In Merchant’s unlikely hands, this fact-based account of a working-class Norwich family obsessed with American pro wrestling is sharp and funny, with amiable performances and an interesting look behind the scenes at WWE. Teenagers Zak (Jack Lowden) and Raya (Florence Pugh), raised by one-time amateur wrestlers (Nick Frost and Lena Headey), both jump at the chance to audition for WWE, but only Raya is selected by coach Hutch (Vince Vaughn) to go to Florida and train with other hopefuls. (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who encouraged Raya in real life, appears as himself.) Raya, whose Goth persona is at odds with the bubbly blondes she’s teamed with, experiences self-doubt and flirts with the idea of changing herself to be more “normal”—familiar believe-in-yourself sports stuff. But if the film’s dramatic elements are generic, the humor—especially in the first half—is buoyant enough to make it worthwhile even for non-fans.
Director: Stephen Merchant
Producer: Kevin Misher, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Stephen Merchant, Michael Luisi, Andy Berman, Hiram Garcia, Daniel Battsek, Tracey Josephs, David Kosse and Rhodri Thomas
Cast: Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, Dwayne Johnson, Mohammad Amiri, Hannah Rae, Julia Davis, Stephen Merchant, Ellie Gonsalves, Aqueela Zoll, Kimberly Matula and Thea Trinidad
Producer: Kevin Misher, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Stephen Merchant, Michael Luisi, Andy Berman, Hiram Garcia, Daniel Battsek, Tracey Josephs, David Kosse and Rhodri Thomas
Cast: Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, Dwayne Johnson, Mohammad Amiri, Hannah Rae, Julia Davis, Stephen Merchant, Ellie Gonsalves, Aqueela Zoll, Kimberly Matula and Thea Trinidad
