My nephew had his third birthday in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. Fortunately my sister managed to get his cake baked before their power went out, and decorated it despite the lack of power/lights. It was "Daddy Pig" from Peppa Pig which, I confess, I have never watched but from what I can see, she did a good job: I kept to my traditional nephew/niece gift of a fun pillowcase and a good book, in this case Something From Nothing, the 1992 story by Phoebe Gilman which is based on the Yiddish folktale Joseph's Overcoat.
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Last Sunday night we watched the 1931 movie The Champ, which stars Wallace Beery as washed up, boozy former boxing champion Andy Purcell and Jackie Cooper as his young son, Dink. The Champ has an offer for a comeback fight and, wanting to be able to afford to send Dink to school, he vows to train and get back into shape. But despite Dink's best efforts to keep him focused, the Champ keeps falling back into drinking and his other vice, compulsive gambling. Dink's mother, who divorced Champ because of his drinking, is now married to a wealthy man and wants to take custody of Dink but Champ refuses, though he's not above borrowing money from his ex-wife. Dink's life is a series of highs and lows: for example, Champ wins a horse for him in a card game, but some time later- after Dink is attached- gambles him away. No matter what happens though, Dink adopts a facade of toughness, unwilling to let his father see how hurt he is by the things he does. Champ gets a wake up call when, after a drunken brawl, he ends up in jail and his ex-wife takes Dink. Dink runs away and returns to Champ, who sobers up and starts training seriously for his comeback fight, despite his doctor's warning that he's putting a big strain on his heart. When the fight takes place, the Champ has Dink in his corner and the scene is tense as we wonder if determination- and desperation- can win out over a younger, fitter opponent. I had seen this film once before, a number of years ago, and quite enjoyed it. Wallace Beery is convincing as a well-meaning has-been fighter, brought low by his own weaknesses. Jackie Cooper is also quite good playing Dink, who worships his father but isn't blind to his faults and often tries to protect him from himself. His usual veneer of toughness and confidence occasionally cracks and we catch a glimpse of the scared, vulnerable kid underneath. What I also like about this movie is that there are-refreshingly- no villains. The Champ's former wife and her husband are decent and kind, their young daughter eager to accept Dink as her brother. They also behave very well to Champ- better than he deserves, frankly. Champ isn't a good father, but he does love his son and, in the end, it is this love which motivates him to pull himself out of the drunken stupor he's been wasting his life in. The only part of the film which I don't particularly like is the very end, which people generally either love or hate. I personally find it a bit overwrought and over-the-top, but that's just my opinion and in any case, the rest of the movie is good enough to forgive a somewhat flawed ending.
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About MeI'm a lover of good books, classic movies, and well-written shows (as well as some pretty cheesy ones, to be completely honest). Categories
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