“Hey, have you seen this movie? What did you think about THAT SCENE?!” We have all used that phrase at one point during our discussions of movies with the other person’s eyebrows raising, “Oh yea, THAT SCENE!” You go on to pick that memorable scene apart by listing what you loved or didn’t like, how it made you feel and the impression it left on you.
In this series, we will do just that. We will take a scene from a movie and discuss its impact on us. Some of these scenes may be frightening, weird, iconic, controversial, hilarious, and everything in between. Let us know your impression of the scene and the impact it left on you the first time you watched it down below in the comments. Enjoy!
*Warning: May Contain Spoilers*
Movie: The Wrestler (2008)
Scene: The Boardwalk
THE PLAYERS
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Characters: Ram (Mickey Rourke) and Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood)
THE SETUP
Randy “The Ram” Robinson is a broken-down, way past his prime wrestler who is living in the shadow of his former fame back in the 80s. Once a main eventer and popular professional wrestler, Ram is suffering from years of putting his body through the rigors of the sport along with other personal demons that come along with the territory. He is barely able to make ends meet between his day job at the local grocery store and still trying to hang on to his past glory by performing in local rec centers for peanuts.
After nearly dying from a heart attack and being told to stop wrestling, Randy decides he doesn’t want to die alone after alienating everyone in his life by pursuing his wrestling dreams. He decides to reach out to his estranged daughter who he abandoned when she was young. He brings her a gift and asks her to just talk. Reluctantly, she agrees and they head to the boardwalk where he used to take her as a child. That brings us to our scene.
THAT SCENE
THE EXECUTION
Mickey Rourke owns this scene and firmly cemented his comeback with several acting accolades flooding his way during award season. Randy “The Ram” was Mickey and Mickey was Randy “The Ram”. Both reached heights in the 80s to only come crashing down and lose that shine through bad decisions of their own. It felt like Mickey put all of that pain into this scene and it shows. In less than two minutes, you feel so much sadness and remorse but at the same time an incredible release that it is difficult not to get caught in the emotions of it all.
With only the wind whistling and the waves crashing in the background, Aronofsky just focuses on the actor’s faces and lets them work. Evan Rachel Wood doesn’t say a word but she does a fantastic job taking it all in and playing it just right. Also, Aronofsky’s choice for location is a subtle but haunting addition to the scene. An abandoned boardwalk that used to be full of life and vibrance is now a run down hollow shell of its former self. Sound familiar?
What do you think of this scene? Did you like The Wrestler and Mickey Rourke’s performance?
