Against the Ropes

Against the Ropes is a 2004 American sports drama film directed by Charles S. Dutton (in his directorial debut) and starring Meg Ryan and Omar Epps. The story is a fictionalized account of boxing manager Jackie Kallen, who was the first woman to become a success in the sport. Kallen has a bit part in the film playing a reporter, and a few lines in the scene where the press interviews the principal characters.

The film was shot primarily at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, United States and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada at the Copps Coliseum. Against the Ropes grossed less than $6 million in the US and was panned by critics for its resemblance to other boxing films.

Plot
At a young age, Jackie Kallen learns about boxing with her father and uncle in a small gym. Later, she becomes the assistant to a Cleveland boxing promoter. Her boss then begins doing business with Sam LaRocca, a sports manager, during a middleweight championship fight.

LaRocca asks afterward what she thought of the fight. Obviously unimpressed with Jackie's knowledge of boxing, LaRocca offers her the loser's contract for a dollar. She goes to visit the fighter at home, only to find him addicted to drugs.

Enter Luther Shaw, a small-time hood. Kallen watches in horror and fascination as Shaw pummels the former middleweight champ. She offers to manage him professionally. Shaw is at first hesitant, but he eventually signs on with her.

Because of LaRocca's influence, Kallen can't find Shaw a fight anywhere in Ohio, so the two are forced to go on the road until Shaw makes a name for himself. Jackie begins to get swept up in all the attention she gets for being the first female boxing manager. Her attention eventually shifts from Shaw to her own media persona as her fighter's number of wins continues to climb.

Finally realizing that she is not paying enough attention to her only client, Kallen agrees to sell Shaw's contract to LaRocca on the condition that he be given a championship fight. LaRocca agrees, setting Shaw up for a shot at the title before he could be ready. Kallen arrives at the fight and stands in Shaw's corner as he pulls off an upset and wins the championship.

Main cast

 * Meg Ryan - Jackie Kallen
 * Omar Epps - Luther Shaw
 * Charles S. Dutton - Felix Reynolds
 * Tony Shalhoub - Sam LaRocca
 * Timothy Daly - Gavin Reese (as Tim Daly)
 * Joseph Cortese - Abel (as Joe Cortese)
 * Kerry Washington - Renee
 * Sean Bell - Ray Kallen
 * Dean McDermott - Pete Kallen
 * Skye McCole Bartusiak - Little Jackie
 * Juan Carlos Hernández- Pedro Hernandez (Credited as Juan Hernandez)
 * Holt McCallany - Dorsett
 * Tory Kittles - Devon Green
 * Gene Mack - Kevin Keyes
 * Beau Starr - Corcoran
 * Jared Durand - Young Crisco
 * Diego Fuentes - Car Attendant
 * Angelo Tucci - Rex
 * Reg Dreger - Lonnie
 * Arturo Fresolone - Hernandez' Manager

Supporting cast

 * James Jardine - Ring Announcer
 * Big Daddy Wayne - Stormy
 * Merwin Mondesir - Street Crony
 * Doug Lennox - Barrel Chested Man
 * Hayley Verlyn - Beauty with LaRocca
 * Moses Nyarko - Mouketendi
 * Aidan Devine - Crisco
 * Joel Harris - Mathias
 * Michael Rhoades - Mathias' Manager
 * Bruce Gooch - Pawn Shop Clerk
 * Arnold Pinnock - Heavyweight
 * Neven Pajkic - Heavyweight
 * Adrianne Keshock - Janey
 * Dov Tiefenbach - Organic Clerk
 * Jackie Kallen - Female Reporter (for 'Detroit Times')
 * Mike Kraft - Jacobs
 * John Christopher Terry - USA Today Reporter
 * Tamara Hickey - Megan the Reporter
 * Karen Robinson - Kimberly Insurance
 * Noah Danby - LaRocca Henchman
 * Rocky Zolnierczyk - Sands Fight Referee
 * Tracy Waterhouse - Receptionist
 * Michael Buffer - Ring Announcer
 * Neil Crone - HBO Commentator
 * Ray Marsh - Final Fight Referee
 * Jeff Ironi - Security Guard

Reception
Against the Ropes was a box office bomb, grossing only $6,614,280, with an estimated budget of $39,000,000. It opened up at No. 8 at the box office, grossing $3,038,546 in the opening weekend. The film was released on February 20, 2004 to 1,601 theaters (widest release) gathering an average of $1,897 per theater. The film closed its box office run after seven weeks, gathering a total of $5,884,190 from the domestic market and $730,090 from overseas for an international total of $6,614,280.

Critical reception of the film was largely negative. Rotten Tomatoes reports a "Rotten" rating of 12% based on 132 reviews and an average rating of 4.22/10, summarizing it as "a bland, dumbed-down package of sports cliches." However, the film did receive some positive reviews; Roger Ebert gave it 3 stars out of 4, remarking:
 * "It works near the end of "Against the Ropes," a biopic about Jackie Kallen, who was (and is) the first female fight promoter in the all-male world of professional boxing. It works, and another cliche works, too: the Big Fight scene, right out of "Rocky" and every other boxing movie, in which the hero gets pounded silly but then somehow, after becoming inspired between rounds, comes back and is filled with skill and fury."