I wanted to see Resurrecting the Champ, but I never expected it to be good. Seriously, hasn't Samuel L. Jackson already done the homeless guy thing? And when am I ever going to take Josh Hartnett seriously after seeing Hollywood Homicide? But the shocker is, like an overmatched boxer, the movie swings its "based on a true story" weight, and delivers a knockout.

"A writer, like a boxer, stands alone. Having your words published, like entering the ring, puts your work on display. The truth is revealed and sometimes the results can be disastrous."—Erik Kernan

In a chance meeting, budding reporter Kernan (Hartnett) meets the Champ (Jackson,) currently the subject of ridicule and abuse in downtown Denver, Colorado. Having suffered various tragedies over recent months, like the death of his famed sports-radio father, the separation from his wife and loss of his son, and the humiliation of being "buried" deeper and deeper in the paper, Kernan sees this as an opportunity to tell the story of Battling Bob Satterfield as the Champ tells his story.

Early on, the audience is provided with various "homilies," life lessons as it were. The Champ doesn't believe anyone would want to hear his story, and we see that Kernan has dug a dangerous trench around himself, embellishing himself to his son, Teddy, and others. Kernan wants to examine the Champ's things, carried from spot to spot in the grocery cart, and the Champ says that will be fine—once Kernan lets the Champ inspect all of his own earthly possessions. The Raging Bull tells Kernan that "but by the grace of God, [there] go I" in regards to The Champ's situation, in an interesting commentary on homelessness and poverty. Kernan's wife tells him that he needs to make decisions as if Teddy was watching, and every parent watching the movie gets a cold shiver&ellips;

Throughout the whole movie, there's a conversation interloping and woven in the fabric of the movie about truth, as some people want it and some people don't care. The message of the movie is tied up in it, and acts of forgiveness and admission of guilt are required to uncover it. But to use the clichèd truth of it, it all comes down to fathers and sons.

Kernan wants Teddy to love and respect him, and he has to come to a point where he realizes that Teddy does love and respect him—no matter what. Satterfield's son wants to remember his dad well, and Kernan becomes someone who can make that happen. Every man wants his son to be proud of him—and yes, that conversation is the one that finally reduced me to tears.

At the end of the day, who will you be? Will you sacrifice everything for glory, your family, friends, and faith to rise above the crowd? Or will you pursue truth so dearly, having faith in yourself and something greater than yourself, and realize that you've risen above the crowd through that pursuit?

I've revealed no punchlines, no ending to Resurrecting the Champ. The ring is prepared, the truth of the story stands in one corner. To be fulfilled, to have a fair fight, you'll need to enter, and judge yourself: are you worthy of the fight?