Cinderella Man

Cinderella Man is a 2005 American drama film titled after the nickname and inspired by the real life story of former Heavyweight boxing champion, James J. Braddock. The film was produced by Ron Howard, Penny Marshall, Brian Grazer.

Reaction

Although the movie received very good reviews from most critics (many described it as "Oscar-worthy") and audiences, it fared relatively poorly at the box office during its first several weeks. During its North American theatrical run, the movie (which cost $88 million) had earned only approximately $60 million. (Movies released the U.S. and Canada are generally considered failures if their domestic release does not recover their cost of production, as international releases will then be gravy.) There are several theories as to why ticket sales were so low:

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• Timing

:The film was released in summer, the season of the "blockbuster". Would-be Oscar nominees are usually released from autumn onwards, culminating around the Christmas holidays. It is likely that the movie would’ve been more successful if its North American release had been during that period, or at least recover its budget. However, as of July 2005, it was expected that the movie’s worldwide theatrical releases would begin in September, at the onset of the Oscar race, so it is expected that the movie will be a success outside the U.S. and Canada and turn a profit for its owners.

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• Crowe’s eruption

:During the morning of 6 June 2005, Russell Crowe, the lead actor of Cinderella Man, threw a telephone at a clerk at the Mercer Hotel in New York during a dispute. The attack left the hotel employee injured and dealt a blow to both Crowe's and Cinderella Man’s public image, thanks to negative publicity by the entertainment media and the hotel employees' union.

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6 June - 2005 - New York

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• Depiction of Max Baer

:Max Baer is portrayed as a complete villain who behaves inappropriately outside the ring and viciously inside (to the point of killing two opponents in the ring). Boxing historians and Baer's relatives have disputed the film's version and have also contributed to the negative publicity.

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As the box-office continued to disappoint, Universal began a series of increasingly desperate marketing measures to get audiences into theatres, culminating with a deal with AMC Theatres, wherein a viewer could get his or her money back if he or she didn't like the film.

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