I guess it goes without saying that I am not a fan of Wresting. In fact, I barley understand it. However, my late father was a big fan of it, and he would talk endlessly about these characters to anyone who would listen. I would gloss my eyes, of course, but deep inside, the sport had a soft spot in my heart because of my father’s affection for it. I was resisting watching ‘Fighting With My Family’ because of the subject matter, but I am glad I did. I’s a very poignant piece of narrative, and yes, it made me cry. I am not ashamed to admit that a wrestling movie made me cry.

The story revolves around the Knight family of Norwich, England, which i am assuming is some sort of working class neighborhood outside of London. The family business is wrestling, and everyone in the family is in it. They have been sending tapes to the WWE about the kids, and one day they get a call that they are being invited to audition when the show comes to the UK. And I guess we can all guess what happens after.  Britani (Florence Pugh) gets picked, and her brother (Jack Lowden) get left behind. The movie is part sibling rivalry, and part fish-out-of-water for Paige (she had to change her name) and all family drama. Pugh is great here, all vulnerable and touch, while she gets tougher.

Produced by Dwayne Johnson, it is a little bit of a commercial for the WWE (they had a hand in the production as well) It made me appreciate what goes on in the showmanship of wrestling, and while I wasn’t really converted to a fan, it made me respect the craft of it more. And is wrestling fake? Who cares, because the emotions essayed here are very real.