I was on a date night with my husband a few nights ago, and we decided to see "The Wrestler" with Mickey Rourke. I had no idea that the movie I was about to see was going to stick with me. Wow. I even cried at the end, and had to sort out my feelings why.

I don't want to ruin it for anyone who has not seen it and eventually wants to, so, if you are in this category, please stop reading this blog now. I don't want to be a kill-joy....

Okay, you have been forewarned. I will continue.



Mickey Rourke was brilliant. He managed to literally absorb the character into his core. If I had to describle his character's personality, he was the guy you went to high school with, that was good at _________(insert a sport), said hello to everyone, and drank a beer or two on a Saturday night. He occasionally forgot to pick up his date because he got a little wild with the boys, and felt terrible about it afterwards. He was amiable to all, and had enough humility to apologize when needed. He was genuine, and the kind of guy you wanted as your rock solid friend, but not as a boyfriend or a husband. I have known so many guys like this, and maybe this is why the movie left me in a pool of tears. m

I will say that watching the movie was difficult at times. The violence and blood made me squeamish, but a necessary componet to tell the story. A brilliant Rourke acting manuever that needs to be mentioned is his ability for the audience to experience his day-to-day trials, physically and mentally. He lumbers about, probably from arthritis, as well as aging, and not to mention the obvious aches and pains from being pummelled every day. After his heart attack, the laborious breathing is a constant backdrop reminding you of what he endures daily.

The Ending
While he departs his life on his terms, there is still so much unfinished business. Yes, he gets to "go out" in a manner which he deems to be respectable, there are still loose ends, like his relationship with his daughter. While I appreciated the non-Hollywood wrapping up their relationship, it still hurt to the core. I couldn't help but cry for them both. He was an absentee parent, and deserved her angst, but he was so likeable, contrite, uncomplicated and uncalculating. I was hopeful that his mature daughter would see beyond his irresponsible behavior and accept him, fake tan and all.

Moreover, the stripper that shows up at the ninth hour (Marisa Tomei) didn't bother me as much. Unlike his daughter, she was finished business and he managed to put that together before he departed.

The overall irony but part of the character development is that he views his fans as the only people who have unconditionally accepted him, and obviously, we all know how fickle the public can be. In the end, you feel so sorry for the one-trick pony that sees himself as not good at anything else but this sport. I disagree. He could have coached, or used his likeable personality to do something else. Or maybe I am wrong. Maybe he just reminded me of a good buddy that I would miss if he ever took himself out.