Southpaw soared to #5 in the box office its opening weekend at $16,701,294. Although mainly a movie about boxing, the director, Antoine Fuqua, incorporates a capturing story line that goes beyond the simple punch to appeal to a wider audience. This may include incorporating women in the film and individuals who do not find much interest in the sport (like myself). “I didn’t know how to box and I was just terrified that I’d look like an idiot in the ring,” said Gyllenhaal to The Telegraph during an interview. It’s extremely hard to believe this statement due to the fact that Gyllenhaal portrayed the role of a serious, determined boxer fantastically in all aspects throughout the film.
When Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) loses his wife (Rachel McAdams), his life as the reigning Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World is turned upside down in the worst possible way. Gyllenhaal plays his role as Billy Hope phenomenally, as he effortlessly conveys to the audience the pain and depression his wife’s death caused him. This climactic event leads to constant struggles for Hope: his career as a boxer and his relationship with his daughter, which are depicted in the remainder of the film.
Billy Hope states, “A fighter knows only one way to work.” Hope’s wife showed concern about his health and told him he should take a break from boxing before she died. Hope now realizes that boxing is all he’s ever known and without it, he doesn’t know how to proceed in life. Most importantly, he doesn’t know how to act as a responsible father, as seen through multiple immature and selfish acts— a result of not thinking rationally. Unfortunately, Hope doesn’t realize the severity of his depression
and is in denial about the situation at hand until his daughter is put under the care of Child Protective Services.
Fuqua, in his clever directing, decided not to focus on the art of boxing as much as the story of a pro boxer’s life. This appealed much more to me, because the story line of Hope living his dream, which dramatically changed when he lost what mattered most to him, was extremely captivating. Southpaw was meant to develop a plot beyond more than just physical fighting, but also a story of a man fighting to rebuild from obstacles. This is a point that most people can relate to. “A physical transformation was key to making the character credible,” says Gyllenhaal. “I didn’t spend much time doing anything else or socializing in any other way.” Gyllenhaal displayed his dedication to the film, which was evident through his incredible acting in Southpaw: a must-see film.
