The Fire Inside
The Fire Inside is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 13+.
The story of Claressa 'T-Rex' Shields (Ryan Destiny), a boxer from Flint, Michigan who trained to become the first woman in her country's history to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
STORY: A-
A captivating extension of the typical sports story.
In general, traditional sports movies (and those sappy network Olympic segments) begin with a survey of an athlete’s difficult circumstances and end with their crowning glory. Rarely do they follow the athletes back to the “real world” once the joyous screams and accolades have faded away.
Exploring that leg of the journey is a fascinating decision, evolving into a fascinating meditation on why we pursue greatness.
PEOPLE: B
Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry make an unbeatable team.
Theirs is a relationship containing many dynamics: coach-athlete, father figure-mentee, what might have been-what might be.
Destiny always leads with fire in her eyes and shoulders forged from sledgehammers. Henry’s eyes are somehow able to convey both his weariness and resolute determination to never give up. The two actors demand, and certainly earn, your emotional investment.
FILM NERD STUFF: B+
The film’s swift pace sizzles and allows the narrative room to expand.
The film cuts away from its scenes much more quickly than most, as if their endings have been lopped off with a machete. They haven’t. The editor (Harry Yoon) always provides enough information, either in that scene or the next, to follow along easily.
The story never lingers. It never spoon-feeds us. That does more than imbue the film with its crackling energy. It provides more space to explore interesting ideas than one typically gets in a movie with a sub-two hour runtime.
ONE BIG LESSON: A-
The fire that keeps you warm will come from within, not without.
The movie believes (rightly, I may add) that in life the journey is more important than the destination. But what makes this film resonate so thoroughly is that (rightly again, I may add) it doesn’t downplay the importance of the destination.
Being less important doesn’t make it unimportant. Especially when different people are treated differently once they’ve arrived.
FINAL COMMENTS:
The Fire Inside is an inspiring, raise-your-fist-in-the-air kind of sports movie, and more. It renders marginalized communities (specifically Flint, Michigan) with tender respect that finds and amplifies their inherent beauty.
Lovers of well-told underdog tales will find everything they need here. Acclaimed cinematographer turned debut director Rachel Morrison doesn’t subvert the sports-movie genre. She simply extends the story’s scope to follow Claressa’s journey past the podium with an extended, powerful coda that reminds us that “one shining moment” isn’t always enough to always keep the heat on.