Fighting with My Family (Review)

Fighting with My Family is a Biopic with Flair!

Honestly, I’ve never been much of a fan of wrestling. So I had no idea what to expect walking into Fighting with My Family. I had a vague idea of who Paige was, but no idea what the story was behind the wrestler. Fortunately, Hollywood decided to make a biopic so that guys like me could actually see her mind-boggling tale on the big screen. I have to say, I’m glad they did.

Fighting With My Family is a movie that embraces what I imagine draws people to the wonderful world of wrestling. It’s filled with cliches and melodrama. However, it’s a film that has heart more than anything else and a keen sense of humor. That’s probably because it’s the brainchild of Stephan Merchant, the man who has tons of experience writing some of the better comedic series that have come out over the past few years. He brings his dry sense of humor to the film and together with producer Dwayne Johnson gathers together some incredible actors who bring Fighting with My Family to life in the best possible way.

It goes without saying that Fighting with My Family tells the story of Paige the wrestler, but as the title suggests it’s more about her family that helped her rise to fame and fortune. Unlike so many other WWE wrestlers out there, Paige doesn’t appear in a leading role in this film. Instead, she’s played by Florence Pugh who is electrifying in the part. As good as she is though, I have to say the rest of her family is impeccably cast with the likes of Nick Frost, Lena Headly, and Jack Lowden (who you might recognize from Mary Queen of Scots or Dunkirk) rounding them out. Paige grew up wrestling with her family in England and helped her brother train kids to be future wrestling champions. Of course, that all changed for her when the WWE took notice of her talent and recruited her to step into the big ring.

At the core of Fighting with My Family is a story about a girl trying to discover what really drives her and find the confidence to succeed. Paige grew up in a wrestling family, but bodyslamming your brother is a far cry from winning over a crowd of 20,000 people. Anyone would be nervous trying to do something like that, and Paige is far from what one might traditionally expect a “Diva” to look like. Because of that, she struggles when she’s given her big chance and starts to lose faith and confidence in herself. It might sound like any other sports story about the big fish who finds there way to the pond, but that’s what makes it so relatable. It’s a cliche for a reason. We’ve all been there (though probably not to the same degree), standing filled with doubt thinking that at any moment people will discover that we don’t truly belong. That thought becomes the cornerstone of who she is. She becomes a champion for the disenfranchised and all those searching for a place to belong. It’s who she is, and it’s the main reason that Fighting with My Family is such a joy to watch.

Of course, a sentimental story isn’t the only reason I found myself enjoying this movie as much as I did. Merchant brings out heartfelt and hilarious performances from the entire cast. Frost has always been side-splittingly funny, but I was genuinely surprised to find Headly so funny. After all, the character she plays in Game of Thrones isn’t known for her sense of humor. The same can be said for the rest of the cast, especially Vince Vaughn who plays a WWE recruiter and coach in the film. It’s a return to form for him and while he still plays a jerk in there it’s a role that doesn’t force him to be completely obnoxious. Needless to say, it’s the humor and raw energy of the cast that won me over from the moment Fighting with My Family lit up the screen. Even Dwayne Johnson gets in on the fun with a few inspiring speeches and cameos in the movie (don’t expect to see too much of him though).

I don’t know if I’ll consider becoming a fan of wrestling after seeing Fighting with My Family, but it’s a film that has filled me with a lot more respect for the men and women who make up the industry. It’s an inspiring story that will leave audiences rooting for the young Norwich wrestler to succeed even when she’s at her lowest. 2019 has managed to catch me off guard a few times with some of the films that have hit theaters and I’m really glad that Fighting with My Family was so much better than I hoped it would be. It’s not exactly a masterpiece but it’s a movie that will make you want to cheer by the end of it. If I liked it this much, I can’t imagine how much actual wrestling fans are going to love it.