Cinderella Man, a Movie That Deeply Inspired Me

Of course, it isn't a new movie anymore, but maybe that is a testimony in itself, that it has remained one of the best movies since it was made in 2005. It stars Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger who performed extraordinarily well throughout the 145 minutes of the film and tells the true story of a famous boxer named Jim Braddock.

It's funny really, because we hadn't intended to see Cinderella Man. Our intention was to see another movie, but as there were no seats left, we decided to see this instead. I was a bit pessimistic about it as I've never been a fan of boxing. However we did and I don't ever remember crying so much during a movie. I was so glad that it was dark in there and I had plenty of tissues.

The Great Depression

It was a time when my husband and I were trying to follow our dream of running a successful company. However, it wasn't easy and we were having to invest and sacrifice a great deal and overcome many obstacles along the way.

In Cinderella Man, Jim Braddock also had to struggle to make ends meet for his family, during the great depression in the 1920s, but he was also trying to fulfill his own dream of becoming a successful boxer. I could identify with Mae his wife in her struggles to stand with her husband, even when there was no food in the house and their children had to go away because they could no longer pay the bills to feed and keep them warm. I saw the agonizing decisions Jim Braddock had to make as to whether to carry on with boxing, even when he was losing fights and sustained a debiltating injury, or to give it all up as Mae wanted him to. Unable to bring in money he joined the queue for work and then to claim the little benefits they could get, like everyone else. The humility of having to beg for money was followed by the loyalty of a friend, who believed in him enough to help him get back in the ring and win a huge comeback.

It made me feel that I could understand a little of how it must have felt for my husband, as a man struggling to provide for his family and yet keep his head up and follow his dreams at the same time.

Cinderella Man showed me how love, commitment, perseverance, patience, faith and trust in each other helped them overcome obstacles and experience the sweet victory that eventually enabled them to come out of the poverty, that circumstances had thrust upon them. They fought for what they believed in and won, at a time when the country desperately needed a hero, someone who would lift their spirits and give them hope.

It was so lovely seeing this family holding together through thick and thin. We all go through hard times. Like Jim Braddock, we have been blessed with a happy marriage and healthy children, but our testing times have been in providing for the family that God has given us. However, our boys have grown up knowing that love and trust have been worth far more than anything money could buy.