The Wrestler

DramaRomance
Overview : Aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson is long past his prime but still ready and rarin' to go on the pro-wrestling circuit. After a particularly brutal beating, however, Randy hangs up his tights, pursues a serious relationship with a long-in-the-tooth stripper, and tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. But he can't resist the lure of the ring and readies himself for a comeback.
Budget : 6000000USD
language : en
Runtime : 109 min
Release Date : 2008-09-07
Imdb ID : tt1125849
Status : Released

Cast

Mickey Rourke
Randy

Marisa Tomei
Cassidy

Evan Rachel Wood
Stephanie

Mark Margolis
Lenny

Todd Barry
Wayne

Wass Stevens
Nick Volpe

Judah Friedlander
Scott Brumberg

Ernest Miller
The Ayatollah

Dylan Keith Summers
Necro Butcher

Tommy Farra
Tommy Rotten

Mike Miller
Lex Lethal

Marcia Jean Kurtz
Admissions Desk Woman

John D'Leo
Adam

Ajay Naidu
Medic

Gregg Bello
JAPW Promoter Larry Cohen

Scott Siegel
Greg

Maurizio Ferrigno
Spotter

Donnetta Lavinia Grays
Jen

Andrea Langi
Alyssa

Armin Amiri
Dr. Moayedizadeh

Lynn Tovale Anoa'i
Pharmacist

Ryan Lynn
Strip Club Best Man

Michael Drayer
Strip Club Bachelor

Alyssa Bresnahan
Cheeques Bartender

Jeff Chena
Hotel Bartender

Vernon Campbell
Big Chris

Felice Choi
Beautician

Bernadette Penotti
Tanning Salon Owner

John L. Sullivan
The Legend Johnny Valiant

Ron Killings
Ron "The Truth" Killings

Giovanni Roselli
Romeo Roselli

Robert D. Siegel
Autograph Fan #1

Scott Franklin
Autograph Fan #2

Sylvia Kauders
Hudson Acres Lady at Deli Counter

Alissa Reisler
Young Housewife at Deli Counter

Willy Rosner
Touchdown Man at Deli Counter

Rebecca Darke
German Potato Salad Lady at Deli Counter

E.J. Carroll
Teamster at Deli Counter

Abraham Aronofsky
Annoyed Man at Deli Counter

Charlotte Aronofsky
Annoyed Woman at Deli Counter

TJ Kedzieerski
Jameson

Jen Cohn
Get a Room Lady

Tyrone Scott
WXW Announcer

Douglas Crosby
WXW Referee

Larry Mercer
CZW Announcer

Nick Papagerio
CZW Referee

Kevin Foote
ROH Announcer

Jon Trosky
ROH Referee

Andrew Anderson
Wrestler

Daniel Solwold Jr.
Wrestler

Brian Heffron
Wrestler

Nicholas K. Berk
Wrestler

Brolly
Wrestler

Lamar Braxton Porter
Wrestler

Claudio Castagnoli
Wrestler

Cobian
Wrestler

Doc Daniels
Wrestler

Bobby Dempsey
Wrestler

Billy Dream
Wrestler

Rob Strauss
Wrestler

Nate Hatred
Wrestler

Kristopher Cope
Wrestler

David John Markland
Wrestler

Inferno
Wrestler

Jess Liaudin
Wrestler

Judas
Wrestler

Kid U.S.A.
Wrestler

Lloyd Anoa'i
Wrestler

Toa Mairie
Wrestler

Kevin Matthews
Wrestler

Charles Renner
Wrestler

Pete Nixon
Wrestler

Paul E. Normous
Wrestler

Papadon
Wrestler

Darnell Kittrell
Wrestler

Jay Santana
Wrestler

Sugga
Wrestler

Alex Whybrow
Wrestler

Whacks
Wrestler

Ryan Tygh
Fan (uncredited)

Olivia Baseman
Alyssa's Roommate (uncredited)

Brandon DiCamillo
Audience Member (uncredited)

Sakinah Bingham
Ring Girl (uncredited)

Matt Cannon
Crazy Fan (uncredited)

Peter Conboy
Fans at Table (uncredited)

Evan Ginzburg
Fan at Convention (uncredited)

Anna-Karin Eskilsson
Girl in Supermarket (uncredited)

Cory Kastle
Wrestler (uncredited)

Robert Oppel
Wrestler (uncredited)

Piper Kenny
DJ (uncredited)

Mike Marino
Medic #2 (uncredited)

Rafaela Ochoa
Wrestling Fan (uncredited)

Bill Walters
Wrestling Fan (uncredited)

Eric Santamaria
Vendor (uncredited)

Erika Smith
Dancer (uncredited)

Henry Kwan
Strip Club Patron (uncredited)

Ben Van Bergen
Deli Customer (uncredited)

Emmanuel Yarborough
Sumo Wrestler (uncredited)

John Corson
Wrestler (uncredited)

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Reviews

Wuchak
“The Wrestler” (2008) Twenty years past his glory days in the mid/late 80s, a wrestler (Mickey Rourke) struggles to make ends meet in New Jersey while wrestling on the weekends, taking illegal pain-meds, pursuing a dancer at the local strip club (Marisa Tomei) and trying to reestablish a relationship with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). This is an engrossing, but gloomy drama about the grim reality of celebrities from practically any field who are long past their prime; it just happens to be a wrestler in this case. People mock how fake wrestling is, but those talented guys bend over backwards to entertain the audience with incredibly painful stunts. The film was shot in the winter in New Jersey and this augments the bleak pall. On the female front, Marisa is absolutely stunning as Cassidy (aka Pam) and Wood is convincing as the embittered daughter. Their relationships with the protagonist are a mixture of sweet, agonizing and moving. The soundtrack features several quality songs from the 80s: "Bang Your Head," "Round and Round," "Balls to the Wall," "Animal Magnetism," "Dangerous," "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)," "Sweet Child o' Mine" and more. The movie reminded me of 80’s metal star Jon Mikl Thor and the excellent documentary “I Am Thor” (2015) and, to a lesser extent, “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” (2008). While neither of these is as melancholic as “The Wrestler,” and “I Am Thor” is sometimes laugh-out-loud amusing, they both effectively show the grey reality of former real-life celebs well past their halcyon days. The film runs 1 hour, 49 minutes. GRADE: A-
Geronimo1967
Mickey Rourke is on top-form in this depiction of fading wrestling star "Randy". Once the talk of the tour, he has fallen on hard times. His body hasn't the strength or stamina it once had and after one fairly convincing pasting in the ring he decides it is time to hang up his loincloth. Whilst his professional life was full of glamour, testosterone and showbiz, his retirement is much less so. Still needing to work, he takes a job in a supermarket and all so he can eek out a living and hopefully establish a relationship with his long estranged daughter "Stephanie" (Evan Rachel Wood). When we are in the ring, this is an action-packed and entertaining film that illustrates well just how brief these folks' moment's in the sun can be, at how fickle the audiences can be and at just how little a dilapidated body (and soul) can be left with when injury and age impose themselves. I was much less interested in the slightly contrived, and predictable, familial melodrama into which this sinks in the middle, though. I found myself really disinterested in his love life - with the unconvinced "Cassidy" (Marisa Tomei), or in his attempts to repair his torrid relationship with "Stephanie". Luckily, that is but an intermission before the grand denouement that sees him in the ultimate grudge match against his equally aged foe "the Ayatollah" (Ernest Miller). The script is lively and frequently quite witty, the direction of the fight scenes captures well the physical endurance required by these athletes, but it also shows us that their job is to entertain us - not to actually kill each other! Rourke flips from the wrestler to the tortured father well here, and the film is well worth a watch.
griggs79
What a film. It’s raw, heartfelt, and unexpectedly tender. Mickey Rourke's character, all battered pride and broken dreams, is a reflection of our own struggles, clinging to past glory while life keeps kicking him in the ribs. The themes of faded stardom, loneliness, and defiance really hit home. It’s not flashy, but it’s utterly gripping. Quietly devastating. I loved it.

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