Christy is Full of Heart and Grit
The “Coal Miner’s Daughter’s” legendary boxing biopic makes her a standout amongst the greats
Black Bear
I caught an early screening of Christy at the 34th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival and I was so grateful that the actual Christy Martin also attended to do a Q&A after the film. Wow…I am so baffled that I was unaware of who Christy Martin actually was before watching this film.
I went into this movie because I simply love boxing films. I’m a Philly girl so Rocky is the MVP to me, always. Beyond this, I have family members who have been boxers and Fight Night used to be one of my favorite video games before the UFC took over. I’m actually not too much of a fan of UFC, which is probably why I connected with Christy more than I did The Smashing Machine (still a good movie.) Needless to say, I have a deep respect and fascination for the sport.
Christy Martin’s story is quite unique amongst the boxing tales that I have already known. A woman from a small town in West Virginia made her way to the big leagues. She was considered the female Mike Tyson by many for her powerful knockouts. She worked with Don King, and her husband was her coach. It is truly a life tale like no other.
Courtesy of A. Monique
How Was the Movie?
Although I wouldn’t consider Christy my favorite boxing movie, I do appreciate it as a solid watch. This is a good film, and a lot of hard work and dedication went into it.
The pacing of the film did feel a bit fast in the beginning, but it evened out pretty quickly. I was confused as to how old Christy was at the start, but then I understood that she began boxing in college and that this is where the story begins.
There is a good balance between Christy's boxing and her personal life, and the film doesn’t shy away from her personal battles beyond the ring.
As a warning, there is domestic violence in this film, which gets very brutal at moments. I audibly gasped at one point, and was in disbelief at the horrors that she had gone through at the hands of someone who was supposed to be her life partner. If you already know some background to Christy’s story, then you probably are already aware of what I’m talking about. Either way, please tread carefully
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Best Parts About the Movie?
The Personal Touches:
This film feels very personal and genuine. Sydney Sweeney embodies Christy’s bold strength and resilience gracefully. Like Michael B.Jordan did for Creed, Sweeney underwent vigorous physical training and gained 35 lbs of muscle. Much respect to her.
The story also does not shy away from topics that Martin could’ve chosen to leave out. Her sexuality, her relationships with her family members, and the various ways that her husband manipulated and abused her are laid out in the forefront shamelessly.
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Sweeney and Foster :
Sydney Sweeney and Ben Foster did great in their roles. There were times when the actors completely disappeared, and all that I could see was Christy Martin and her husband Jim. Sweeney and Foster each went out of their typical acting realms, and really became dedicated to the people that they were portraying.
During the Q&A that I attended, the real Christy Martin even stated that she was uncomfortable around Ben Foster at times because of how much he resembled the real Jim.
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Is This Movie for You?
If you like sports dramas full of passion and personal journeys, then you will appreciate Christy. This one is really special, as there aren’t many films surrounding women boxers. In addition, Christy is a pioneer for bringing women’s boxing mainstream and is the first woman boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Let’s give Christy her flowers and honor this living legend.
