The Wrestler (2008 film)

2008 film by Darren Aronofsky

The Wrestler

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Darren Aronofsky
Written by| Robert Siegel
Produced by|

* Darren Aronofsky
* Scott Franklin

Starring|

* Mickey Rourke
* Marisa Tomei
* Evan Rachel Wood

Cinematography| Maryse Alberti
Edited by| Andrew Weisblum
Music by| Clint Mansell

Production
companies

* Wild Bunch
* Protozoa Pictures

Distributed by|

* Fox Searchlight Pictures (United States)
* Wild Bunch (International)

Release dates

* September 5, 2008 (2008-09-05) (Venice)
* December 17, 2008 (2008-12-17) (United States)

Running time

| 109 minutes[1]
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $6 million[2]
Box office| $44.7 million[2]

The Wrestler is a 2008 American sports drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Robert Siegel. The film stars Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood. Rourke plays an aging professional wrestler who, despite his failing health and waning fame, continues to wrestle due to financial hardship and in an attempt to cling to the success of his 1980s heyday. He also tries to mend his relationship with his estranged daughter and to find romance with a woman who works as a stripper.[3]

The film received critical acclaim and won the Golden Lion Award at the 65th Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered. The success of the film revitalized the career of Mickey Rourke, who went on to receive a BAFTA award, a Golden Globe Award, an Independent Spirit Award and an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Tomei also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

## Plot

[edit]

Professional wrestler Robin Ramzinski, better known by his ring name Randy "The Ram" Robinson, rose to fame in the 1980s. Now past his prime, Randy wrestles on weekends for independent promotions in New Jersey while living in a trailer park and working part-time at a supermarket under Wayne, a demeaning manager who mocks Randy's wrestling background. As a regular at a strip club, Randy befriends a stripper named Cassidy who, like Randy, is too old for her job. After winning a local match, Randy agrees to a proposed 20th-anniversary rematch with his most notable opponent, "The Ayatollah", which Randy hopes could return him to stardom.

Randy intensifies his training, which includes steroid injections. After wrestling in a hardcore match, Randy suffers a heart attack backstage and undergoes coronary artery bypass surgery. His doctor informs him that he nearly died and has to stop taking steroids, and also warns Randy not to wrestle anymore, as his heart can no longer handle the exertion. Reluctantly, Randy decides to retire and begins working a full-time shift at the supermarket's deli counter.

At Cassidy's suggestion, Randy visits his estranged daughter Stephanie, whom he had abandoned when she was a child, but she rebuffs him. While helping Randy buy a gift for Stephanie, Cassidy reveals that she has a son. Randy makes romantic advances toward her, which she rejects on the grounds of her job. Later, Randy gives the gift to his daughter and apologizes for abandoning her. The two bond over a visit to a beachfront boardwalk, where he often took her as a child, and agree to meet for dinner on the coming Saturday.

Randy goes to Cassidy's strip club to thank her, but she once more rejects him, resulting in a heated exchange. Upset, Randy goes to see a wrestling match and finds solace in his wrestling friends. While at a bar with them, he gets drunk, snorts cocaine, has sex with a prostitute in the women's restroom, then wakes up in her bedroom the next morning. Exhausted, he sleeps the entire day and misses his dinner with Stephanie. He goes to her house to apologize, but she angrily tells him that she never wants to see him again.

At the deli counter, a patron recognizes Randy as the wrestler, though he denies it. 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. Spurred by the fan's recognition of him and with nothing left to lose, Randy decides to return to wrestling and reschedules the rematch with The Ayatollah. He meets up with Cassidy along the way, who has also just walked out on her job, and reconciles with her though she begs him not to wrestle because of his heart condition and pleads with him to cancel the match to give the outside world a second chance. However, Randy disregards her advice; explaining to her that the only place he belongs is in the ring with his fellow wrestlers and fans who love and respect him.

As he wrestles, Randy begins to feel chest pain and becomes unsteady. Noticing this, The Ayatollah urges him to initiate the pin and end the match. Randy refuses, however, and climbs the top rope for his signature finishing move; a diving headbutt called the "Ram Jam". He looks over and sees Cassidy has left. As the crowd cheers his name, Randy, with tears in his eyes and smiling from his fans' cheers, leaps from the top rope.

## Cast

[edit]

Rourke's performance in the film gave renewed interest to his career.

* Mickey Rourke as Robin Ramzinski / Randy 'The Ram' Robinson
* Marisa Tomei as Pam / Cassidy
* Evan Rachel Wood as Stephanie Ramzinski
* Mark Margolis as Lenny
* Todd Barry as Wayne
* Judah Friedlander as Scott Brumberg
* Ernest Miller as Bob / 'The Ayatollah'
* Ajay Naidu as Medic
* Wass Stevens as Nick Volpe
* John D'Leo as Adam
* Gregg Bello as JAPW Promoter Larry Cohen
* Armin Amiri as Dr. Moayedizadeh
* Andrea Langi as Alyssa

Professional wrestlers who appeared in the film include: Robbie E, Necro Butcher, Nick Berk, The Blue Meanie, Sabian, Nate Hatred, Ron Killings, L.A. Smooth, Jay Lethal, Johnny Valiant, Jim Powers, Austin Aries, Claudio Castagnoli, Larry Sweeney, Paul E. Normous, Romeo Roselli, John Zandig, Chuck Taylor, Nigel McGuinness, D. J. Hyde, Kit Cope, Drew Gulak, Bobby Dempsey, Judas Young, Pappadon, and Jay Santana.

## Production

[edit]

### Development

[edit]

Scenes where Rourke and Wood's characters try to bond were filmed on the Asbury Park boardwalk.

The Wrestler was written by Robert D. Siegel, a former writer for The Onion, and entered development at director Darren Aronofsky's company Protozoa Pictures. Nicolas Cage entered talks to star in October 2007.[4] He left the project a month later, with Mickey Rourke replacing him. According to Aronofsky, Cage pulled out of the movie because Aronofsky wanted Rourke as the lead character. He said in a 2008 interview with /Film, "[Cage] was a complete gentleman, and he understood that my heart was with Mickey and he stepped aside. I have so much respect for Nic Cage as an actor and I think it really could have worked with Nic but [...] Nic was incredibly supportive of Mickey and he is old friends with Mickey and really wanted to help with this opportunity, so he pulled himself out of the race."[5] However, Cage denied Aronofsky's account in a 2009 interview with Access Hollywood and explained, "I wasn't 'dropped' from the movie. 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."[6]

Rourke was initially reluctant when first approached for the lead role, later stating, "I didn't really care for the script, but I wanted to work with Darren and I kind of thought that whoever wrote the script hadn't spent as much time as I had around these kind of people and he wouldn't have spoken the way the dude was speaking. And so Darren let me rewrite all my parts and he put the periods in and crossed the T's. So once we made that change, I was okay with it."[7]

Wrestler Hulk Hogan claimed in 2012 on The Howard Stern Show that he was also offered the lead role, and that he turned down the role because he felt he was not the right man to portray the character.[8] Aronofsky disputed these claims and tweeted that "the role of the Wrestler was always [Rourke's]; it was never Hulk Hogan's as he claims on [The Howard Stern Show]".[9]

### Filming

[edit]

The film's shoot began in January 2008 and lasted approximately 40 days,[10] with filming taking place on 16mm film[11] using some areas of New York City but primarily New Jersey locations such as Asbury Park, Bayonne (in a supermarket where Rourke served and improvised with real customers),[12] Dover, Elizabeth, Garfield, Hasbrouck Heights, Linden, Rahway, and Roselle Park.[13] Scenes were also shot at The Arena in Philadelphia.[14]

Afa Anoa'i, a former professional wrestler, was hired to train Rourke for his role. He brought his two main trainers, Jon Trosky and Tom Farra, to work with Rourke for eight weeks. Both trainers also have parts in the film.[15]

One scene features a fictional Nintendo Entertainment System video game called Wrestle Jam '88, featuring the characters of Robinson and The Ayatollah. Aronofsky requested a fully functioning game for the actors to play. Programmer Randall Furino and the film's title designer Kristyn Hume created a playable demo with a working interface and AI routines that also featured 1980s era-appropriate graphics and music.[16]

To add more realism, the locker room scenes were improvised for Rourke and others to look as if they were actually socializing. Some of the supermarket deli scenes were also improvised because Aronofsky was filming Rourke actually working there.

Marisa Tomei was made to do 36 takes to get her pole dancing right.[17]

### Music

[edit]

Main article: The Wrestler (soundtrack)

Unlike Aronofsky's previous films—which featured original scores by Clint Mansell—The Wrestler has a soundtrack of pre-recorded pop music, most of it glam metal acts such as Ratt.

Clint Mansell, the composer for Aronofsky's previous films, π, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain, reprised his role as composer for The Wrestler. Slash played the guitars on the score. A new Bruce Springsteen song, also titled "The Wrestler", plays over the film's closing credits.[18] Springsteen wrote the song while on tour in Europe after receiving a letter and a copy of the script from Rourke.

The Guns N' Roses song "Sweet Child o' Mine" is played during Randy's entrance at the end of the film. In his Golden Globe Award acceptance speech, Rourke mentioned that Axl Rose donated the song for free due to the film's modest budget, and the film's closing credits thank Rose for this.[19] Rourke had also used the same song as his intro music during his stint as a boxer in the early 1990s. In the film, Randy mocks Kurt Cobain, one of Rose's biggest rivals during the early 1990s.

Also featured in the film are the Ratt songs "Round and Round" and "I'm Insane", the Quiet Riot song "Metal Health" (which is Randy's entrance song except for the last match), the FireHouse song "Don't Walk Away", the Slaughter song "Dangerous", the Scorpions song "Animal Magnetism", the Accept song "Balls to the Wall", the Rhino Bucket song "Soundtrack to a War", and the Cinderella song "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)". The two Ratt tunes are actually recordings by Rat Attack, a project featuring Ratt lead singer Stephen Pearcy and guitarists George Lynch and Tracii Guns. The Madonna song "Jump" is played in the bar scene. The Birdman and Lil Wayne song "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" can be heard in the strip club. Also in the film is a song called "Let Your Freak Out" by Deesha, which can be heard during the strip club scene where Pam rebuffs Randy at the club after their date at the thrift shop.

In the Toronto International Film Festival interview conducted by James Rocchi, Aronofsky credited the 1957 Charles Mingus song "The Clown" (an instrumental piece with a poem read over the music about a clown who accidentally discovers the bloodlust of the crowds and eventually kills himself in performance) as a major source of inspiration for the movie. Aronofsky also said the brief reprise of U.S. senator and one-time presidential candidate John McCain's "Bomb bomb Iran" to the tune of The Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann" in the movie evolved as improvisation on the set. 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.[20]

## Release

[edit]

Darren Aronofsky, Mickey Rourke, and Evan Rachel Wood discussing The Wrestler

On September 8, 2008, around 11:00 a.m., Fox Searchlight Pictures closed a deal for U.S. distribution rights to the film worth about $4 million in a competitive situation that reportedly also included Lionsgate, Overture Films, Sony Pictures Classics and the Weinstein Company;[21] it received a limited release on December 17, 2008, and was released nationwide on January 23, 2009. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on April 21, 2009, in the United States.

Wild Bunch handled the film's international sales. Remstar Media Partners acquired Canadian rights to the movie in September 2008[22] while Optimum Releasing acquired British distribution rights.[23] The company released the film in the UK on January 16, 2009.[24]

### Promotion

[edit]

Rourke with Ric Flair during an appearance at WrestleMania 25 to promote The Wrestler.

WWE helped promote the film through an on-screen angle (a fictional storyline used in wrestling). This involved the heel Chris Jericho criticizing legendary retired wrestlers such as Ric Flair, who he felt were embarrassing themselves, as well as Mickey Rourke for his portrayal in The Wrestler. At the 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards, Rourke announced he would be competing at WrestleMania 25, specifically targeting Jericho.[25] The announcement led to a confrontation between the two on Larry King Live, which showed signs of second thoughts from Rourke.[26] On January 28, it was announced through Rourke's spokesperson that the actor would not compete at WrestleMania,[27] and he was soon after announced instead as a guest.[28]

Rourke was also invited to the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony the night before WrestleMania. The angle culminated the following night where Jericho faced Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, and Jimmy Snuka in a handicap match. After his victory, Jericho dismantled Flair and challenged Rourke, who finally entered the ring and punched him out. Flair then congratulated Rourke.

## Reception

[edit]

### Film critics

[edit]

The Wrestler received critical acclaim. 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. The critical consensus states, "Mickey Rourke gives a performance for the ages in The Wrestler, a richly affecting, heart-wrenching yet ultimately rewarding drama."[29] 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".[30] Alonso Duralde, of MSNBC, said, "Rourke's work transcends mere stunt-casting; his performance is a howl of pain that seems to come from a very real place."[31]

Todd McCarthy, of Variety, said, "Rourke creates a galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances."[32] Ben Mankiewicz, from At the Movies, said, "To put it simply, this is the best film I've seen this year."[33] 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."[34] One other French film critic, Philippe Azoury, praised its portrayal of "the American heartland" as what he viewed as a bleak wasteland.[35]

Although The Wrestler was not technically in Roger Ebert's "Best Films" list, he includes a note at the bottom of his review: "'The Wrestler' is one of the year's best films. It wasn't on my 'best films' list for complicated and boring reasons."[36]

### Professional wrestling industry

[edit]

Roddy Piper was one of several professional wrestlers to voice his approval for the film and was later featured on a Blu-ray extra commenting on its authenticity.

Prominent wrestling figures have commented on the film. During an NPR interview, Aronofsky remarked on WWE chairman Vince McMahon's feelings on The Wrestler:

> Vince McMahon saw the film and he called both me and Mickey (Rourke) and he was really, really touched by it. It happened a week ago. We were very nervous wondering what he would think, but he really, really felt the film was special. Having his support meant a lot to us, especially Mickey.[37]

WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart, who was a multi-time world champion in both WWE and WCW, enjoyed The Wrestler and applauded Rourke's "clairvoyant" performance, but called the film a "dark misinterpretation" of the business. He asserted: "Randy 'The Ram' Robinson was a main-eventer who sold out Madison Square Garden. So was I ... Although the film speaks superbly to the speed bumps all pro wrestlers navigate, I'm happy to report most of us don't swerve off the road quite so severely."[38] WWE play-by-play commentator Jim Ross called it a "really strong, dramatic film that depicts how people who are obsessed with their own lives and their careers can self-destruct".[39]

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. That guy on the screen simply was Randy 'the Ram' Robinson."[40] WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was said to have been highly emotional after watching a screening of the film. Aronofsky said of Piper: "He loved it. He broke down and cried in Mickey's arms, so he was psyched that this story was finally told."[41] 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.[42]

### Controversy in Iran

[edit]

In March 2009, Javad Shamaqdari, cultural adviser to the-then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, demanded an apology from a delegation of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences actors and producers visiting Iran for what he characterized as negative and unfair portrayals of Iran in The Wrestler and other Hollywood films.[43]

### Top ten lists

[edit]

The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008.[44][45]

* 1st – Matt Cale, Ruthless Reviews[46]
* 1st – Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
* 1st – Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out
* 1st – Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
* 2nd – Marc Doyle, Metacritic
* 2nd – Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
* 3rd – Anthony Lane, The New Yorker
* 3rd – Marc Savlov, The Austin Chronicle
* 3rd – Peter Vonder Haar, Film Threat
* 4th – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
* 4th – Ben Lyons, At the Movies
* 4th – David Denby, The New Yorker
* 5th – James Berardinelli, ReelViews

* 5th – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
* 6th – Ty Burr, The Boston Globe
* 7th – David Ansen, Newsweek
* 7th – Ray Bennett, The Hollywood Reporter
* 7th – V.A. Musetto, New York Post
* 8th – Premiere
* 8th – Nathan Rabin, The A.V. Club
* 9th – Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
* 9th – Josh Rosenblatt, The Austin Chronicle
* 10th – Dana Stevens, Slate
* 10th – Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal
* 10th – Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

|

### Accolades

[edit]

Award  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

Academy Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Mickey Rourke | Nominated  | [47]
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | Marisa Tomei | Nominated
BAFTA Film Awards | Best Leading Actor | Mickey Rourke  | Won  | [48]
Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei  | Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke  | Won  | [49]
Broadcast Film Critics Association[50][51] | Best Song  | Bruce Springsteen | Won
Best Picture | Nominated
Best Actor | Mickey Rourke  | Nominated
Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei  | Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke  | Won  | [52]
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke  | 2nd Place  | [53]
Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei  | 3rd Place
David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Film | Darren Aronofsky | Nominated
Detroit Film Critics Society[54] | Best Actor  | Mickey Rourke  | Won
Best Supporting Actress  | Marisa Tomei  | Won
Best Film  | Nominated
Best Director  | Darren Aronofsky  | Nominated
ESPY Awards | Best Sports Movie | Darren Aronofsky  | Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle[55] | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke  | Won
Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei  | Won
Golden Globes[56] | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama | Mickey Rourke  | Won
Best Original Song - Motion Picture | Bruce Springsteen  | Won
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | Marisa Tomei  | Nominated
Grammy Awards | Best Song Written for a Motion Picture | Bruce Springsteen  | Nominated  | [57]
Independent Spirit Awards | Best Feature | Darren Aronofsky
Scott Franklin | Won
Best Male Lead | Mickey Rourke  | Won
Best Cinematography | Maryse Alberti | Won
London Film Critics Circle | Film of the Year | Won
Actor of the Year | Mickey Rourke  | Won
Director of the Year | Darren Aronofsky  | Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Actor  | Mickey Rourke  | 2nd Place
MTV Movie Awards[58] | Best Song from a Movie  | Bruce Springsteen  | Nominated
National Society of Film Critics | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke  | 2nd Place  | [59]
New York Film Critics Circle | Best Actor  | Mickey Rourke  | 2nd Place
Online Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke  | Won
Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei  | Won
Best Picture | Nominated
Best Director | Darren Aronofsky  | Nominated
Best Original Screenplay | Robert D. Siegel  | Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society[60] | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke  | Won
Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei  | Won
San Francisco Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Mickey Rourke  | Won
Best Supporting Actress | Marisa Tomei  | Won
Satellite Awards[61] | Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama | Mickey Rourke  | Nominated
Best Original Song | Bruce Springsteen  | Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | Mickey Rourke  | Nominated  | [62]
Toronto Film Critics Association | Best Performance, Male | Mickey Rourke  | Won
Venice Film Festival | Golden Lion | Darren Aronofsky  | Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Actor  | Mickey Rourke  | Won  | [63]
Writers Guild of America | Best Original Screenplay | Robert D. Siegel  | Nominated  | [64]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "THE WRESTLER (15)". Optimum Releasing. British Board of Film Classification. October 31, 2008. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
2. ^ a b The Wrestler at Box Office Mojo Retrieved September 9, 2013
3. ^ Skorin-Kapov, Jadranka (2015), "Darren Aronofsky's Films and the Fragility of Hope, " Bloomsbury Academic, ISBN 978-1501306976
4. ^ Gregg Goldstein (October 12, 2007). "Cage makes some moves on 'Wrestler'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
5. ^ Peter Sciretta (October 9, 2008). "Interview: Darren Aronofsky". slashfilm.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2008.
6. ^ "Nicolas Cage: I Wasn't 'Dropped' From 'The Wrestler'". Access Hollywood. March 9, 2009. Archived from the original on April 5, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
7. ^ "Rourke didn't 'care for' 'Wrestler' script". Upi.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
8. ^ Lussier, Germain (October 11, 2012). "Hulk Hogan Wants In 'Expendables 3,' Reportedly Lies About Being Cast In 'The Wrestler'". www.slashfilm.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
9. ^ Paglino, Nick (October 14, 2012). "Director of "The Wrestler" Shoots Down Hogan's Claim That He Was Offered the Lead Role in the Film". www.wrestlezone.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
10. ^ Michael Fleming (November 10, 2007). "Mickey Rourke wires 'Wrestler'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
11. ^ "History of 16mm Film". ScanCafe. August 4, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
12. ^ "'The Wrestler' Director Darren Aronofsky" downloaded interview/no transcript Archived April 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine "TIFF Interview" by James Rocchi, Cinematical.com, 9 September 2008. Retrieved 1-26-09.
13. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (February 11, 2008). "Tomei joins Aronofsky's 'Wrestler'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2008.
14. ^ There Will Be Blood ... and Weed Whackers. :: Naked City :: Article :: Philadelphia City Paper Archived February 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Citypaper.net. Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
15. ^ "Afa to Train Mickey Rourke for Wrestling Movie Role". Pulse Wrestling. December 28, 2007. Archived from the original on January 5, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
16. ^ "The Making of Wrestle Jam: The Wrestler's Unsung Hero". Kotaku. February 24, 2009. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
17. ^ "Marisa Tomei's pole dance in The Wrestler". www.filmibeat.com. December 22, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
18. ^ Aronofsky, Darren. "the boss". Darren Aronofsky (blog). Darren Aronofsky. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
19. ^ Golden Globes – All Videos – Newest – Video Archived January 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. NBC.com (2010-07-19). Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
20. ^ "'The Wrestler' Director Darren Aronofsky" downloaded interview/no transcript Archived April 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine "TIFF Interview" by James Rocchi, Cinematical.com, Sep 9th 2008 10:02PM. Retrieved 1-26-09.
21. ^ Fox Searchlight Wins The Wrestler | /Film Archived October 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Slashfilm.com (2008-09-08). Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
22. ^ REMSTAR MEDIA PARTNERS | Remstar Media Partners acquires canadian distribution rights for the movie "The Wrestler" Archived September 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Newswire.ca. Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
23. ^ "Optimum prime".
24. ^ "阿莉彩票平台可靠吗,阿莉彩票平台官网,阿莉彩票官网,阿莉彩票客户端下载,阿莉彩票的网址,阿莉彩票APP". www.pwnewsnow.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021.
25. ^ "'Wrestler' star Rourke to get in WWE ring". Access Hollywood. Today.com. January 25, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2009.
26. ^ Medalis, Kara A. (April 5, 2009). "Mickey Rourke speaks out before WrestleMania". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 8, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
27. ^ "Rourke won't rumble with WWE superstar". Associated Press. January 28, 2009. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
28. ^ ""Wrestler" indeed 'Mania-bound". World Wrestling Entertainment. January 30, 2009. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
29. ^ "The Wrestler Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
30. ^ "The Wrestler (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2008.
31. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes Reviews for The Wrestler". Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
32. ^ McCarthy, Todd (September 4, 2008). "The Wrestler Movie Review". Variety. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
33. ^ "At the Movies". Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved December 26, 2008.
34. ^ Le Monde review Archived February 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, the quoted translation from this article Archived April 30, 2014, at the Wayback Machine on The New Yorker website
35. ^ ""The Wrestler" à Paris". The New Yorker. February 19, 2009. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018 - via www.newyorker.com.
36. ^ "The Wrestler". RogerEbert.com. December 23, 2008. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
37. ^ Darren Aronofsky On 'The Wrestler' Archived January 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. NPR. Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
38. ^ The Hitman versus 'The Wrestler' – Arts & Culture – Macleans.ca[permanent dead link]. Blog.macleans.ca (2009-02-16). Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
39. ^ [1] Archived March 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
40. ^ Foley, Mick (December 18, 2008). "The Wrestler Is Good". Slate. The Slate Group. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2008. "Within five [minutes], I had completely forgotten I was looking at Mickey Rourke. That guy on the screen simply was Randy 'the Ram' Robinson ..."
41. ^ WWE News, Rumors, Results & InformationWWE Signs Repo Man's Son, "The Wrestler" Makes WWE Hall of Famer Cry, More Archived February 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Rajah.com. Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
42. ^ "The Wrestler DVD Features".[permanent dead link]
43. ^ Mostaghim, Ramin (March 2, 2009). "Iranian official demands apology from visiting Hollywood delegation". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
44. ^ "Metacritic: 2008 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 2, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
45. ^ "Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. January 2, 2009. Archived from the original on January 2, 2009.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
46. ^ "CALE'S 10 BEST FILMS OF 2008". Ruthless Reviews. January 4, 2009. Archived from the original on January 18, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
47. ^ "The 81st Academy Awards (2009) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
48. ^ "Film Awards Winners in 2009". bafta.org. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
49. ^ "Boston critics hand out honors". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
50. ^ "BFCA names 'Slumdog' best picture". United Press International, Inc. January 8, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
51. ^ Kilday, Gregg (December 9, 2008). "'Button,' Milk' top Critics Choice list". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, AZ: Gannett Company. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
52. ^ "WALL-E Cleans Up Chicago Film Critics Awards". Chicago Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
53. ^ "Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Name "Slumdog Millionaire" Best Picture of 2008" (PDF). Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association. December 17, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
54. ^ "Happenings & 'Round The Town". Detroit Film Critics Society. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
55. ^ "FFCC Award Winners". Florida Film Critics Circle. Archived from the original on December 9, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
56. ^ Elsworth, Catherine (January 12, 2009). "Golden Globes 2009: British stars sweep awards". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
57. ^ "India's A.R. Rahman strikes Grammys gold". Agence France-Presse. January 31, 2010. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
58. ^ "2009 MTV Movie Awards". MTV Networks. Archived from the original on April 15, 2009. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
59. ^ King, Susan (January 4, 2009). "'Bashir' takes top honors from National Society of Film Critics". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
60. ^ "2008 Awards". San Diego Film Critics Society. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
61. ^ "Nominees and Winners; 2008 13th Annual SATELLITE Awards". The International Press Academy. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
62. ^ Elsworth, Catherine (January 26, 2009). "Screen Actors Guild Awards 2009: wins for Kate Winslet and Slumdog Millionaire". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
63. ^ "WAFCA: Awards – 2008". Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
64. ^ King, Susan (February 8, 2009). "Writers Guild honors 'Slumdog Millionaire,' 'Milk'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 13, 2010.

## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Wrestler (2008 film).

* The Wrestler at IMDb
* The Wrestler at Box Office Mojo
* The Wrestler at Rotten Tomatoes
* The Wrestler at Metacritic

* v
* t
* e

Films of Darren Aronofsky

Films directed|

* Pi (1998)
* Requiem for a Dream (2000)
* The Fountain (2006)
* The Wrestler (2008)
* Black Swan (2010)
* Noah (2014)
* Mother! (2017)
* The Whale (2022)
* Postcard from Earth (2023)

Films written only|

* Below (2002)

Other articles|

* Soldier Boyz (1997 video game)
* One Strange Rock (2018 TV series, produced)
* Welcome to Earth (2021 TV series, produced)
* Unrealized projects

* v
* t
* e

Clint Mansell

Soundtracks|

* Pi
* Requiem for a Dream
* "Lux Aeterna"
* Sonny
* Doom
* The Fountain
* Smokin' Aces
* The Wrestler
* Faster
* Black Swan
* Last Night
* Mass Effect 3
* Stoker
* Noah

Related|

* Pop Will Eat Itself
* MIA/NYC NonStop

Awards for The Wrestler

* v
* t
* e

Independent Spirit Award for Best Film

* After Hours (1985)
* Platoon (1986)
* River's Edge (1987)
* Stand and Deliver (1988)
* Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
* The Grifters (1990)
* Rambling Rose (1991)
* The Player (1992)
* Short Cuts (1993)
* Pulp Fiction (1994)
* Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
* Fargo (1996)
* The Apostle (1997)
* Gods and Monsters (1998)
* Election (1999)
* Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
* Memento (2001)
* Far from Heaven (2002)
* Lost in Translation (2003)
* Sideways (2004)
* Brokeback Mountain (2005)
* Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
* Juno (2007)
* The Wrestler (2008)
* Precious (2009)
* Black Swan (2010)
* The Artist (2011)
* Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
* 12 Years a Slave (2013)
* Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
* Spotlight (2015)
* Moonlight (2016)
* Get Out (2017)
* If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
* The Farewell (2019)
* Nomadland (2020)
* The Lost Daughter (2021)
* Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
* Past Lives (2023)

* v
* t
* e

London Film Critics' Circle Award for Film of the Year

* Apocalypse Now (1980)
* Chariots of Fire (1981)
* Missing (1982)
* The King of Comedy (1983)
* Paris, Texas (1984)
* The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
* A Room with a View (1986)
* Hope and Glory (1987)
* House of Games (1988)
* Distant Voices, Still Lives (1989)
* Crimes and Misdemeanors (1990)
* Thelma & Louise (1991)
* Unforgiven (1992)
* The Piano (1993)
* Schindler's List (1994)
* Babe (1995)
* Fargo (1996)
* L.A. Confidential (1997)
* Saving Private Ryan (1998)
* American Beauty (1999)
* Being John Malkovich (2000)
* Moulin Rouge! (2001)
* About Schmidt (2002)
* Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
* Sideways (2004)
* Brokeback Mountain (2005)
* United 93 (2006)
* No Country for Old Men (2007)
* The Wrestler (2008)
* A Prophet (2009)
* The Social Network (2010)
* The Artist (2011)
* Amour (2012)
* 12 Years a Slave (2013)
* Boyhood (2014)
* Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
* La La Land (2016)
* Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
* Roma (2018)
* Parasite (2019)
* Nomadland (2020)
* The Power of the Dog (2021)
* Tár (2022)
* The Zone of Interest (2023)

* v
* t
* e

Venice Film Festival Golden Lion

1946–1968|

* The Southerner (1946)
* The Strike (1947)
* Hamlet (1948)
* Manon (1949)
* Justice Is Done (1950)
* Rashomon (1951)
* Forbidden Games (1952)
* Romeo and Juliet (1954)
* Ordet (1955)
* Aparajito (1957)
* Rickshaw Man (1958)
* General Della Rovere (1959)
* The Great War (1959)
* Tomorrow Is My Turn (1960)
* Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
* Family Diary (1962)
* Ivan's Childhood (1962)
* Hands over the City (1963)
* Red Desert (1964)
* Sandra (1965)
* The Battle of Algiers (1966)
* Belle de Jour (1967)
* Artists Under the Big Top: Perplexed (1968)

1980–2000|

* Atlantic City (1980)
* Gloria (1980)
* Marianne and Juliane (1981)
* The State of Things (1982)
* First Name: Carmen (1983)
* A Year of the Quiet Sun (1984)
* Vagabond (1985)
* The Green Ray (1986)
* Au revoir les enfants (1987)
* The Legend of the Holy Drinker (1988)
* A City of Sadness (1989)
* Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)
* Close to Eden (1991)
* The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
* Short Cuts (1993)
* Three Colours: Blue (1993)
* Before the Rain (1994)
* Vive L'Amour (1994)
* Cyclo (1995)
* Michael Collins (1996)
* Hana-bi (1997)
* The Way We Laughed (1998)
* Not One Less (1999)
* The Circle (2000)

2001–present|

* Monsoon Wedding (2001)
* The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
* The Return (2003)
* Vera Drake (2004)
* Brokeback Mountain (2005)
* Still Life (2006)
* Lust, Caution (2007)
* The Wrestler (2008)
* Lebanon (2009)
* Somewhere (2010)
* Faust (2011)
* Pietà (2012)
* Sacro GRA (2013)
* A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2014)
* From Afar (2015)
* The Woman Who Left (2016)
* The Shape of Water (2017)
* Roma (2018)
* Joker (2019)
* Nomadland (2020)
* Happening (2021)
* All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)
* Poor Things (2023)

Portals:

* Film
* United States

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

Other|

* IdRef

*[Ref.]: Reference(s)
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template