Russell Crowe And Cinderella Man

Monthly Column on Entertainment Actor, Russell Crowe

July 2002

[The script] "beautifully portrays the relationship Braddock had to his family." It's "more than a boxing film." --Russell Crowe  Expressen (Sweden, 12/01)  (Thanks to Una and Ninnie)  (Thanks to Maximum Russell Crowe)

I look forward to this movie because of the teaming up of Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger.  Both have proven their acting prowess and it will be exciting to see their work together. 

I am not going to predict anything, but there is a good chance Renee Zellweger, as Crowe's leading lady, will be going home with Oscar in her hands because of this collaboration.  Why?  Because two other leading ladies, Jennifer Connelly and Kim Basinger, have both won their Oscars playing as the leading woman next to Crowe.  That is, if the movie hopefully ends up being cut not only as a "boxing" story but more as a family story as Crowe has quoted above.  Oscar or not, this movie should prove time worthwhile.

If history should be broken with Cinderella Man, then whoever wins best actress in a leading role must be outstanding to have beaten out Renee Zellweger.  She has already won the Golden Globes.  It’s her turn to win an Oscar.  Thanks to the fact she will be working next to Crowe.  This fact of working with one of today’s great actors cannot be denied and Renee Zellweger is fortunate.  For sure she will at least get an Oscar nomination.  The win is up to Hollywood.

I don’t mean to label this kind of pressure on these two, great actors, but they must be used to pressure by now.  They’ve found some way to rise above the “war zone,” what David Franzoni, screenwriter for Gladiator, calls Hollywood.  Future biographies will tell me whether I’m right or wrong on this.

Any actress today would be insane not to accept a role next to Russell.  Still, a good script, a visionary director, all the other designers, composers, etc., all provide the success of a movie, but it cannot be denied that the stars are what will give a movie the extra edge.

So when Cinderella Man explodes into the theaters in 2003 with the familiar, deliberate, marketing strategies I still am not tired of, support Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger.

The “ballroom“ to your local multi-plex will be open.  And this includes the royally-priced popcorn and pop combo. 

As Crowe fans, we hope he will leave a “glass slipper” in our minds that will lead to bigger and better things, to all those things that “Cinderella” or Crowe would have portrayed on the screen.

Take a break in your day with incredible Russell Crowe!

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