Drama,Family
United States of America
The Champ is a 1979 drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Jon Voight, Faye Dunaway, and Ricky Schroder. It tells the story of a former boxer named Billy Flynn who is struggling to make ends meet and maintain custody of his son TJ while battling alcoholism and gambling addiction. Despite his flaws, Billy deeply loves his son and wants to be a good father to him.
As the film begins, Billy is living in a rundown hotel in Florida with TJ, who is 8 years old. Billy is desperate for money and decides to make a comeback in the boxing ring, even though he knows it could be dangerous for him. Meanwhile, TJ becomes friends with a wealthy horse trainer named Annie who takes an interest in him and tries to help him.
As the film progresses, Billy's relationship with TJ becomes strained as his addiction and mental health issues worsen. He loses a fight and ends up in the hospital, and TJ is taken away from him by child welfare services. Despite his setbacks, Billy refuses to give up on his son and eventually regains custody. In a heartbreaking and emotional finale, Billy must face the ultimate sacrifice to prove his love for TJ.
The Champ was a critical and commercial success, earning two Academy Award nominations for Best Actor (Voight) and Best Supporting Actor (Schroder), and winning Schroder a Golden Globe for Best New Star of the Year. It is a poignant and powerful story about the complexities of love and the struggles of fatherhood.
