Randy Ryan is an American actor, known for his role in Public Enemies, Salvation Boulevard, Joshua, The Forgotten, 20th Century Women, and The Things We've Seen. In one scene, Randy hides a small razor in his costume and, down for the count, slices open his face to make the gore even splashier. The Ayatollah enters the ring, and the crowd without John McCain sings Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran. The berserk patriots cheer Randys entrance. Years active. The phony fights hurt like hell. He also tries to mend his relationship with his estranged daughter and to find romance with a woman who works as a stripper. I resigned from the movie because I didn't think I had enough time to achieve the look of the wrestler who was on steroids, which I would never do. After pretending to suffer excruciating pain they would return heroically moments later to the skating procession. But as tragic as Roberts' biography is, it's far from unique, Blaustein says. "It was total improv. Not only did he die doing something he loved, but the most important thing to take away was that he died with his family around him. After he suffers a post-fight heart attack, the doctors forbid him to keep wrestling. But in this movie his ravaged appearance works. He goes to her house to apologize, but she angrily tells him she hates him and never wants to see him again. Randy Thom. Answer (1 of 3): Several years ago when the movie first came out, Hulk hogan was close friends with radio shock jock "Bubba The Love Sponge" . "What if the 1980s legends of the professional wrestling business told the tale of what it was like to live a sex, drugs, and rock & roll lifestyle 350 days a year on the road and the toll it took on them?". 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. The supermarkets, trailer parks, VFW halls and run-down amphitheaters of New Jersey are convincingly drab, and the grain of the celluloid carries a sour and salty aura of weariness and defeat. (A monologue eulogizing that decade and cursing the one that followed has an obvious and piquant double meaning; that the speech is addressed to the character played by Marisa Tomei, whose career hit some snags of its own in the later 90s, makes it all the more touching.). Aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson is long past his prime but still ready and rarin' to go on the pro-wrestling circuit. Check out his Facebook page Evan Ginzburgs Old School Wrestling Memories and his new radio show Wrestling and Everything Coast to Coast with Buddy Sotello. Robinson finds comfort in the arms Cassidy, a stripper who is past her prime, played by Marisa Tomei. It's as if he's saying, "I bleed, therefore I am. No Holds Barred: Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) looks like battered lion in the ring. "Bus Stop", Bo Decker - Co-Lead. Occupation. While helping Randy buy a gift for Stephanie, Cassidy reveals that she has a son. Shooting his battered hero mainly in trudging, hand-held tracking shots, Aronofsky, whose earlier movies include the brain-teasing Pi and the swooning, fantastical, unwatchable Fountain, here makes a convincing show of brute realism. The Hulkster never specifically . Rating: R (violence, sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use)Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel WoodDirector: Darren AronofskyWriters: Aronofsky and Robert D. SiegelRunning time: 1 hour, 45 minutes, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Draymond Green ejected; Warriors drop Game 2 against Kings. The critical consensus states that "Mickey Rourke gives a performance for the ages in The Wrestler, a richly affecting, heart-wrenching yet ultimately rewarding drama. Lonely and in pain, we see him downing pills with his beer, steroids, painkillers, uppers and downers that allow him to keep getting chairs smashed on his head and staples sunk into his flesh. He sees no relief from the pain in his body even when hundreds cheer for him. 'The Wrestler' Director: Fake Sport, Real Pathos. He had to settle for a lesser amount because Mickey Rourkes name wasnt as prominent anymore in the film business at the time. No matter how sweet and attractive she finds him, its too risky for a woman who has obviously paid a heavy price for her earlier romantic risks: a single mom having to risk her dignity to support her kid. After a show, a promoter proposes a 20th anniversary rematch with his most notable opponent, the Ayatollah (Ernest Miller), who now owns a used car . Everyone knows professional wrestling is fake. Randy intensifies his training, which includes steroid injections. It happened a week ago. The customer persists, which agitates Randy, who then cuts his own hand on the slicer and promptly quits on the spot, going into a rampage in the store while insulting Wayne and the customers. directed by Michelle Ouellet as well as a role in Roland Emmerich's "Moonfall" and a supporting lead To add more realism, the locker room scenes were improvised for Rourke and others to look as if they were actually socializing. That is, of course, until after The Wrestler became a hit. I resigned because I didnt think I had enough time to achieve the look of the wrestler who was on steroids, which I would never do.". 8 Randy "The Ram" Robinson - The Wrestler. His television roles include Sex and the City, Law & Order, Law & Order . The wrestling industry grew from a hokey TV show into extravaganzas with major advertisers and large, raucous crowds. Randys artificially muscled and much scarred hulk offers a similar temptation to those who lust after vicarious violence. "The movie was written for Mickey," Cage explained. Evan Ginzburg was an Associate Producer on The Wrestler and 350 Days starring Bret Hart and Superstar Billy Graham. According to Aronofsky, Cage pulled out of the movie because Aronofsky wanted Rourke as the lead character. It made about $40 million domestic. Film critic Roger Ebert called it one of the year's best films, while Rotten Tomatoes reported that 98% of critics gave the film positive reviews. Having his support meant a lot to us, especially Mickey. No Holds Barred: Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) looks like battered lion in the ring. [38], Former WWE and TNA world champion Mick Foley enjoyed the film, saying: "Within five [minutes], I had completely forgotten I was looking at Mickey Rourke. The basic rule is laid out succinctly by an old nemesis of Randys: Im the heel, and youre the face.. Nicolas Cage, who Evan says is a "super nice, down to earth guy," didnt know what he was walking into, and when he saw ROH, he thought it was real, thinking it was something like UFC! "[32] Le Monde praised the film for melding European film style with an American plot, and stated that "Mickey Rourke's performance in 'The Wrestler' is a continuous celebration of the burdens and splendors of the profession of performance. At one point Nicolas Cage was set to star in the movie. Hulk Hogan became a national icon, albeit not necessarily beloved. Hogan claims he turned down the role because he felt he wasn't the right man to portray the character. In fact, in a 2009 interview with a film blogger, director Darren Aronofsky agrees with his interlocutors suggestion that Randy does die in this matchadding his own observation: if not now, when?, [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61-GFxjTyV0]. "[39] WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was said to have been highly emotional after watching a screening of the film. Nothing about Roberts' life was sugary or sweet. Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: I'll tell you somethin', I hate the fuckin' 90's. Cassidy: Fuckin' 90's sucked. At Cassidy's suggestion, Randy visits his estranged daughter Stephanie, whom he had abandoned when she was a child, but she rebuffs him. That guy on the screen simply was Randy 'the Ram' Robinson. In the film, his character Randy even mocks one of Axl Rose's biggest rivals in the early 1990s popular music scene, Kurt Cobain. He was seen at a Ring of Honor wrestling event in NYC doing research for the part. Punishment in the ring is one thing, but the lengths they went just to be able to get up every morning are looked at in-depth in this eye-opening documentary; you wont want to miss it. Of course, those who cavort with snakes sometimes feel the bite themselves. Anoai brought his two main trainers, Jon Trosky and Tom Farra, to work with Rourke for eight weeks and both appear in the film. Randy has an estranged daughter and he lives alone in a dilapidated trailer which is often locked up until he pays the rent. The Wrestler, like much of low income America, remains uncomplaining in distress. There were Oscar nominations, critical acclaim, and a standing ovation at a sold-out New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center. At the time, he was in his early-to-mid-40s and in good physical shape, and thats when it was agreed that Mickey Rourke would be a better fit for the role. Like Randy, she sells her body to clients. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Randy the Ram is a fictional character from the children's book "The Tale of Peter Rabbit.". The Ayatollah wrestling character's persona had developed more than 20 years before but, in part through this musical moment and its connection with the character, came to still feel appropriate to Aronofsky in 2008. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 98% of critics gave the film positive reviews based upon a sample of 233 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10, and gave it a Golden Tomato for best drama of 2008. Randy goes to Cassidy's strip club to thank her, but she once more rejects him, resulting in a heated exchange. It just didn't work out like that. "Its an unbelievable performance. When he became a star in 1982 in Diner, he was lean and self-contained and perpetually amused, as if smiling at some private dirty joke; his voice was soft and seductive. He fights for them an abstraction. As it turns out, the movie was done on a relatively small budget of $6 million, even though Aronofsky asked for $18 million. The two Ratt tunes are actually recordings by Rat Attack, a project featuring Ratt lead singer Stephen Pearcy and guitarists George Lynch (Dokken) and Tracii Guns (L.A. As Randy "The Ram" Robinson, Mickey Rourke struggles with issues many real-world wrestlers notably Jake "The Snake" Roberts have faced over the years. In each case, those who pay want the sensation of sensational sex and violence. His body is ravaged, but he'll continue to fight even if it kills him. Some of the deli scenes were improvised because Aronofsky was filming Rourke actually working there. Noticing this, The Ayatollah urges him to initiate the pin and end the match. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. In the final scene, Randywho over the course of the film has suffered a heart attack and been told by his doctors to stop wrestlingis back in the ring for a match with an old rival, the Ayatollah. Hollywood Mystery, Solved: 29 Movie Head-Scratchers Explained, adding his own observation: if not now, when?, Kiss and Tell: Melissa Joan Harts Scandalous 90s Memories, The Anniversary You Cant Refuse: 40 Things You Didnt Know About, This Terrifying Animatronic Baby Freaked Out the Cast and Crew of. and our A drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit, trying to get back in the game for one final showdown with his former rival. Even though the wrestlers are friendly backstage and clue one another in on the abuse to come, the pounding they take is ferocious, and we see the world through Randy's swimming perceptions we see that smashing other peoples' heads and getting his own smashed back really does complete him. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. And I left. It wasnt The Avengers or Spiderman, but critically, its something that were all very proud of. Like Ram, she earns her living from her body and like the giant wrestler time has worn away her unlined face. But the local kids adore him. "[40] Insights on the film from Roddy Piper and other former pro wrestlers can be seen in Fox Searchlight Pictures's "Wrestler Round Table", which was included on the Blu-ray release of the film. The Wrestler, directed by Darren Aronofsky, brings to the screen a hero and heroine from both garish sports. Randy The Ram Robinson (Mickey Rourke) knows his career peaked more than a decade earlier. "[28] At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 80, based on 36 reviews, signifying "generally favorable reviews". Exhausted, he sleeps the entire day and misses his dinner with Stephanie. Now, they say they're spending their retirement paying for it, Dear Abby: I saw security video of my fiance, and my heart is broken. So I was just thinking, What would I say to a famous wrestler who I loved as a kid? I just start, I loved you as a kid, I saw you at The Garden- can I have your autograph?. But like its hero, the movie has a blunt, exuberant honesty, pulling off even its false moves with conviction and flair. "[Director Darren Aronofsky] actually went with the less marketable actor because he wanted to create the movie that he envisioned, and he stuck to his guns and much respect. 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