It was the prime of the 1920s.
Jim Braddock was returning home from a successful boxing match. His coat pockets were overflowing with money and there was a spreading wide grin on his face, not because of what he came from, but what he was coming to.
He pulled up to his 2-story elegant house, a loving wife, and 3 adorable children.
He pulled up to his 2-story elegant house, a loving wife, and 3 adorable children.
He swooped his wife up in his arms, and you
could tell he loved her. He loved her. And she loved him.
And then the era of the depression came,
and Jim and his wife almost lost everything.
Almost.
You may recognize the story. You may recognize
the name. It’s the true life story of renowned boxer Jim Braddock,
portrayed so well in the movie Cinderella
Man.
But in light of the depression (was there any?), Jim Braddock portrayed the most beautiful depiction of manliness I think I’ve ever seen on the screen.
There’s 3 points I think we can take away from the most honorable manliness in Jim Braddock’s character.
1. Jim Braddock was in love with his wife
He could have had many girls, but she was the only one for him.When Braddock came home to his wife after his successful boxing match, he swooped her up in his arms and she jokingly asked him, “So, who were the girls?” He gazed into her brown eyes, almost hidden by her dark brown locks. “Well, there was this one brunette.”
He honored her companionship in his life.When facing a dangerous opponent, a man who killed 2 people in the ring, he tells Mae, “I can’t win without you behind me.” (It wasn’t his muscles that won his matches. It was his home, his wife, and his heart.)
2. Jim Braddock loved his children (more than himself)
No matter how difficult of a day it was finding work in the streets, Braddock came home to his children, swooped them up in his arms and laughed and played with them as if nothing was wrong.
Braddock’s daughter wakes up early in the morning and joins Jim and Mae for breakfast. She eats her piece of baloney, and innocently asks for more, unaware that they are rationing the food. Braddock gives her his baloney.
3. Jim Braddock had courage and perseverance in the midst of despair
No one was rooting for the wealthy, prideful, stuck up, buff guy in the ring. Everyone cheered for Braddock, as he was struggling to earn money for his family. They were trying to do the same thing. He became the city hero. Everyone looked up to him.
When the press asked him what he was fighting for, he left the crowd silenced when he replied, “milk.”
I said earlier that the Braddock family almost lost everything. The depression broke the heart and bond of many families, destroying their hope and their foundation.
The Braddock family may have lost their house and their possessions, but they held together IN SPITE OF hardship of the depression. Why? Because of love, and a fearless leader.
What a beautiful picture of leadership and manliness (which should go hand in hand) portrayed by Jim Braddock.
And so I’m a girl, why would I write about manliness?
Because it’s almost a forgotten image in the media and in our culture.
But it’s movies like this that inspire me, light a fire in my heart and remind me that manhood exists. And it can get a whole town riled up.
And my heart too.
Thanks Jim Braddock for being an example of a real man, not just one Hollywood made up. Thank you for being real.
If you’re looking for a good movie, this is a good one. One of my favorites!
(And THANKS THOMAS NEWMAN FOR breathing LIFE into the movie by creating such a beautiful soundtrack. Listen to it. Cause I did while I was writing this. Just sayin.)
Julian
But in light of the depression (was there any?), Jim Braddock portrayed the most beautiful depiction of manliness I think I’ve ever seen on the screen.
There’s 3 points I think we can take away from the most honorable manliness in Jim Braddock’s character.
1. Jim Braddock was in love with his wife
He could have had many girls, but she was the only one for him.When Braddock came home to his wife after his successful boxing match, he swooped her up in his arms and she jokingly asked him, “So, who were the girls?” He gazed into her brown eyes, almost hidden by her dark brown locks. “Well, there was this one brunette.”
He honored her companionship in his life.When facing a dangerous opponent, a man who killed 2 people in the ring, he tells Mae, “I can’t win without you behind me.” (It wasn’t his muscles that won his matches. It was his home, his wife, and his heart.)
2. Jim Braddock loved his children (more than himself)
No matter how difficult of a day it was finding work in the streets, Braddock came home to his children, swooped them up in his arms and laughed and played with them as if nothing was wrong.
Braddock’s daughter wakes up early in the morning and joins Jim and Mae for breakfast. She eats her piece of baloney, and innocently asks for more, unaware that they are rationing the food. Braddock gives her his baloney.
3. Jim Braddock had courage and perseverance in the midst of despair
No one was rooting for the wealthy, prideful, stuck up, buff guy in the ring. Everyone cheered for Braddock, as he was struggling to earn money for his family. They were trying to do the same thing. He became the city hero. Everyone looked up to him.
When the press asked him what he was fighting for, he left the crowd silenced when he replied, “milk.”
I said earlier that the Braddock family almost lost everything. The depression broke the heart and bond of many families, destroying their hope and their foundation.
The Braddock family may have lost their house and their possessions, but they held together IN SPITE OF hardship of the depression. Why? Because of love, and a fearless leader.
What a beautiful picture of leadership and manliness (which should go hand in hand) portrayed by Jim Braddock.
And so I’m a girl, why would I write about manliness?
Because it’s almost a forgotten image in the media and in our culture.
But it’s movies like this that inspire me, light a fire in my heart and remind me that manhood exists. And it can get a whole town riled up.
And my heart too.
Thanks Jim Braddock for being an example of a real man, not just one Hollywood made up. Thank you for being real.
If you’re looking for a good movie, this is a good one. One of my favorites!
(And THANKS THOMAS NEWMAN FOR breathing LIFE into the movie by creating such a beautiful soundtrack. Listen to it. Cause I did while I was writing this. Just sayin.)
Julian
No comments:
Post a Comment