The premise for "Fighting With My Family" sounds more like a joke than a legitimate idea for a movie. A sports drama set in the over-the-top environment of the WWE doesn't exactly scream "safe bet." But, hey, I've seen good movies made out of dumber ideas than this and if you were going to make a sports drama in the mold of the "Rocky" movies, then there's way worse material you could be working with.
The film tells the story of Saraya "Paige" Bevis (Florence Pugh), the daughter of two retired professional wrestlers who grows up with a passion for the sport. As a young woman, she enters the WWE to compete for the 2014 Divas Championship. In doing so, however, she leaves her rejected brother Zak (Jack Lowden) behind back home, leaving him to go through a crisis of purpose now that his dream of becoming a professional wrestler has come to an abrupt end.
What's most pleasantly surprising about the film is that it totally leans in to the absurdity of its setting. It blatantly admits that what the WWE does is basically melodrama, a story of heroes and villains to raise the stakes of the game. The reason it works so well beyond just being a WWE "look, we finally admit this is staged" disclaimer is because it becomes a core part of the drama. In order for Paige to ultimately join the WWE and win over the crowd, she must overcome her stage fright and become a compelling presence.
This fits in well with the rest of her arc. Having finally gotten a chance to fulfill her dreams, Paige must now learn that it's not what she assumed it would be. She isn't the best wrestler in the ring. She's not somehow morally superior to the other contestants because she's an outsider. And she has to discover whether or not this dream she's always wanted was even hers to begin with. This mirrors Zak's arc really well; since it turns out he wasn't good enough to follow his dream, he must either learn to find a new one or continue to let his life spiral down into ruin. Even their parents (Nick Frost and Lena Headey) have their own arcs involving dreams; can they stand that their children won't fulfill the dream they passed on to them?
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All of this is compelling because the characters are so likable and portrayed by excellent actors. Pugh has a lot of energy, Lowden is good at making us hate and feel sorry for Zak at the same time and Frost and Headey are a riot as the parents. The biggest surprise, however, is Vince Vaughn, who doesn't necessarily steal the movie but is a highlight nonetheless. I can sort of see why Vaughn was a comedy star in the first place and why he's having a career revival now in drama. His deadpan sincere delivery somehow works for both dramatic scenes and jokes.
It was surprising just how funny this film is. Even though it was written and directed by British comedian Stephen Merchant, I never expected to laugh as hard and as often as I did. The jokes arrive with the frequency of at least one hearty chuckle every couple of minutes and what's amazing is that they never compromise the drama. The humor and sincerity mix together so well that it never feels like tonal whiplash to go from existential crisis to sexual humor.
As good as the film is, however, it's not without its faults. The direction and cinematography are mostly average, with not much visual storytelling done with angles or lighting. The music is also pretty bland; strings and piano for the dramatic moments and guitars for the montage scenes. However, these are minor nitpicks in the face of what is an undeniably entertaining movie.
"Fighting With My Family" is a prime example of how to make a good movie out of a stupid idea. This many weird ingredients shouldn't yield anything close to a good result. And yet it manages to come out as the first truly great film of the whole year. It's an inspiring sports movie, an intense wrestling film, a heartwarming family drama and a hilarious comedy with only minor stumbles. It's not perfect or a modern masterpiece, but what it is is a damn good movie.
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