The Wrestler (2008)
91%RT Audience Score: 88%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
58 wins & 93 nominations total
Mickey Rourke gives a performance for the ages in The Wrestler, a richly affecting, heart-wrenching yet ultimately rewarding drama.
The Wrestler is a knockout film that packs a punch with its great performances and powerful story. Mickey Rourke delivers a performance that’s both aggressive and vulnerable, making us root for his character’s redemption. Director Darren Aronofsky brings humanity and artistry to the story, making it a gritty and oftentimes humorous look into the life of a tragic man. By the end of the film, even the toughest and most cynical of viewers will find themselves shedding a tear for the battered dignity of Rourke’s character. It’s a film that demands to be seen and will leave you feeling emotionally moved.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Natant Stanley Kubrick Productions,
Distributor
Fox
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Stiletto Club, Carlstadt, New Jersey, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use
Year of Release
2009
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTSS DDS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 50m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 21, 2009
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Margolis, Todd Barry, Wass Stevens, directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by Robert D Siegel, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Candice Frederick, Hank Sartin, Joshua Rothkopf, Eddie Cockrell, David Stratton, Mike Massie, Jason Best, Richard Propes, Felicia Feaster, Nikki Baughan, MPAA rating R, pro-wrestling circuit, stripper, estranged daughter, comeback
Worldwide gross: $44,734,660
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $61,828,253
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,241
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 6,742,449
US/Canada gross: $26,238,243
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $36,264,157
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,207
US/Canada opening weekend: $202,714
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $280,173
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,560
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $6,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $8,292,664
Production budget ranking: 1,741
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $4,465,600
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $49,069,989
ROI to date (est.): 385%
ROI ranking: 350
Marisa Tomei – Cassidy, Pam
Evan Rachel Wood – Stephanie
Mark Margolis – Lenny
Todd Barry – Wayne
Wass Stevens – Nick Volpe
Director(s)
Darren Aronofsky
Writer(s)
Robert D. Siegel
Producer(s)
Scott Franklin, Darren Aronofsky
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
58 wins & 93 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (230) | Top Critics (65) | Fresh (226) | Rotten (4)
A story of personal ruin and while it certainly does echo Mickey’s own life, it wouldn’t be fair to say he is playing himself. Sure, Rourke’s performance must have been informed by his own past, but that is different, as well as peculiarly powerful.
August 29, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
Great performances, great story.
March 21, 2017 | Rating: A
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Who better than Rourke to sell the idea of a battered, yet proud pugilist in search of redemption?
January 22, 2009 | Rating: 4.5/5
Eddie Cockrell
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
The film demands to be seen, thanks to the deceptively simple artistry and humanity Aronofsky brings to the story and to the indelible performances.
January 22, 2009
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
A grittily stark and oftentimes sadly humorous look into the life of a lamentable man and his tragic profession.
November 28, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The battered dignity of Rourke’s performance is so touching that by the time he makes his big statement of faith to his fans even the toughest and most cynical of viewers will find their eyes going moist.
November 15, 2020
Jason Best
What’s On TV
It is powerful, yet it is graceful.
September 27, 2020 | Rating: 4.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
The Wrestler is an astounding portrait of a broken man.
January 27, 2020
Felicia Feaster
Charleston City Paper
But this is, of course, [Mickey] Rourke’s moment. As the increasingly desperate and bewildered Ram he is aggressive and vulnerable, frightening and sympathetic as he struggles to find a place in a world that’s leaving him behind.
November 4, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Nikki Baughan
Roll Credits
Rourke has risen again and delivered a performance for the ages.
June 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)…
Plot
This is a drama about an aging professional wrestler, decades past his prime, who now barely gets by working small wrestling shows in VFW halls and as a part-time grocery store employee. As he faces health problems that may end his wrestling career for good he attempts to come to terms with his life outside the ring: by working full time at the grocery store, trying to reconcile with the daughter he abandoned in childhood and forming a closer bond with a stripper he has romantic feelings for. He struggles with his new life and an offer of a high-profile rematch with his 1980s arch-nemesis, The Ayatollah, which may be his ticket back to stardom.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Mickey Rourke’s performance in The Wrestler is described as “a performance for the ages” and “the performance of his life” by critics.
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