100. Fighting With My Family; movie review

FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY
Cert 12A
108 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate bad language, sex references, violence

A wrestling film which stars Nick Frost, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Vince Vaughn? I confess my expectations of Fighting With My family weren't high.
So, I am pleased to report that Stephen Merchant's movie is uplifting and funny. I surprised myself by grinning as I left Nottingham Cineworld.
This is the true story of WWE wrestler Paige (Florence Pugh), alias Norwich lass Saraya Bevis, who grew up in a small-time wrestling family and made it big in America.
If that is a spoiler, I apologise, but all of the publicity material surrounding the film leads down this road.
Anyway, the film is much more focused on her incredibly unlikely ascent to the big time.
Saraya's parents (Nick Frost and Lena Headey) met after he came off an eight-year prison stretch for violence and she had tried to commit suicide.
They found a common love for wrestling which they passed on to their son, Zac (Jack Lowden) and daughter.
The film picks up the story as the family try to earn a crust by touring East Anglia to put on grapple and grunt shows.
Frost cuts a comic figure as the head of the household who calls a spade a shovel and can't comprehend life outside of wrestling and family.
His wife sees a slightly bigger picture but can be equally forthright.
The meeting of them and the parents of their son's girlfriend is one of the movie's funniest moments.
Meanwhile, Lowden's Zac is another young wrestler whose dream is to make it big in the ring.
However, it is Pugh's character on which the film's spotlight falls and her battle, under the tutelage of a tough WWE coach (Vaughn), to make her mark.
Pugh brings the audience right on to her side portraying Paige as tough in the ring but vulnerable outside of it.
She has huge obstacles, both physically and mentally, to overcome while 4,000 miles away from home.
But she has the tenacity to keep bouncing back up and consequently brings the audience onside.
Meanwhile, there is an intriguingly low-key turn from Vaughn as the coach who sees a spark which sometimes she doesn't and a funny cameo from Johnson in which he plays himself.
And I have to say I particularly fell for Frost's he-man with a heart and a Mohican haircut.
It adds up to a genuinely feelgood British movie.


Reasons to watch: Feelgood British movie which has funny moments
Reasons to avoid: A little bit twee in parts

Laughs: Four
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? In December 2017, Paige launched an online clothing store under her real name, Saraya, at TheSarayaStore.com. In February 2018, she held the grand opening of The Saraya Store in Anaheim, California. Soon after, Saraya Jade Cosmetics, a makeup line, was introduced. 

The final word. Stephen Merchant: "I realised this is not really about wrestling at all, it’s about a young woman, her family and their struggles – which are funny, sad, tough, tender and ultimately inspiring. And just happen to involve people in Spandex throwing each other about. I love that it’s a true story about a working-class girl who, against the odds, climbed to the very top of her unusual profession. As with Rocky and boxing, even if you don’t like her sport, you’ll love her journey.” Film 4

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