It was with deliberate ignorance that I went to see Cinderella Man, determined to be surprised at the path that boxer James J. Braddock (Russell) had to walk. In 1929, Braddock’s boxing career crashed just as the nation’s economy did the same. He and his wife Mae (Renee) were forced to move from their comfortable New Jersey home to a basement hovel barely large enough for them and their three children – Rosie, Jay and Howard. With a broken hand and a wilting soul, Braddock was only able to get occasional work on the docks and was forced to take government aid and even beg for money to keep his family together. Things were very bleak. There was little food and at one point no electricity. Additionally, Braddock’s boxing license had been revoked.

Then, just as life sometimes turns, an opportunity was offered through Braddock’s friend and manager Joe Gould (Paul, who did a superb acting job) in the form of a one-time fight. Yet unexpectedly, the fight turned out to be a spark for the boxer’s second chance in life and Ron Howard holds your heart in his hands for the duration of our experience.

The events leading up to the famous 1935 World Championship match between Braddock and Max Baer (Craig) inspired thousands, even millions of people who had nothing else to believe in. Men were leaving their families ashamed of their inability to support their loved ones. Children were dying from hunger and a lack of health care. Spirits were scrapping the bottom of life’s barrel. And Braddock stood for hope that America was indeed capable of revival and recognizing its own potential for greatness.

The cast that also included Bruce McGill and Paddy Considine was fantastic. As Braddock, Russell Crowe again demonstrates the strength of subtlety and minimalism. Cinderella Man is a powerfully moving film that transcends its time period as a symbol of faith in the presence of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.