Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak are ecstatic when they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try out for the WWE. But when only Paige earns a spot in the comp...
Fighting with My Family is a heartwarming, inspiring story of chasing one's dreams. While the film's central narrative thread rarely falls away from the typical story structure of comedies such as this, the film is entertaining, genuinely funny and does attempt to break away from stereotypes at times.
Written and directed by Stephen Merchant, one of my favourite British comedians, the script and direction are brimming with enthusiasm. What could easily be a piece of Hollywood cattle fodder becomes a story told with real love behind it. The script falls into cliche at times, particularly during intimate conversations, but makes up for it with sharp dialogue and emotionally charged bursts of outrage.
While Florence Pugh was fantastic, as she is constantly proving herself to be, I thought Jack Lowden gave a terrific performance which was full of pathos. When Saraya flies to Florida, leaving her family in Norridge, I was dreading that the film would leave them behind. Yet, it stayed, focusing on Zak's broken dreams. This allowed Lowden to shine through in moments of real pain with one particular Christmas sequence leaving me wincing in pain. Meanwhile, Nick Frost and Lena Headey provide comic relief in their parental roles al the while maintaining themselves as pillars in the family dynamic.
My main quandary with the film is the role of women. When Saraya flies to Florida, she meets three fellow contestants (played by Aqueela Zoll, Ellie Gonsalves, and Leah Harvey) who Saraya pins as 'cheerleaders and models who want to shake their tits and ass around.' She quickly realises that they are more than these shallow stereotypes. This, coupled with Saraya's unique image, seemed to fight against stereotyping and sexualization of women, complimenting the gritty aesthetic of the Norridge set. Yet, when it came to the WWE, and the matches in general, the female outfits were sexualised and the belt was for 'Divas Champion', a title which seems almost belittling. I know that this is just how WWE is, it's how it has always been done. But, in a film with such a progressive protagonist, I would've liked to have seen this issue tackled head-on rather than simply smacked. The film itself is in no way offensive but the industry certainly has issues that the film could've tackled.
Saying that, for his first feature debut, Merchant creates a fun family comedy that is endearing and humorous. While he does go the extra mile in some areas, showcasing his talent for writing, it is far from a perfect film, just pushing the mark past good but not quite getting that grand slam trophy.
