Jimmy Smits' punchout

Family drama revolving around the boxing ring is more than just another 'Rocky'

By Heather Wadowski
Staff Writer

It's a common problem in today's society - parents who force their children into a career in order to vicariously live the dream they never got to live themselves. New Line Cinema's newest film, "Price of Glory," tries to dig deep into this problem and focus on what can happen to a family when a parent pushes their child too far.

Jimmy Smits stars as Arturo Ortega, a father who only "wants what is best" for his three sons. When his own boxing career is cut short, Smits begins to focus on his sons' boxing abilities, searching for the one that will make it to the top. While at first he balances being a father and a trainer, as his sons grow older their relationships grow further apart. The audience witnesses what Smits' character can't see - how as the father-son relationship strengthens in one son's life, it lessens in those of the other two.

As his sons hit the big time, Arturo soon discovers that he failed as both a father and a trainer. It isn't until a fatal accident opens Arturo's eyes to what he has done to his sons' lives that he realizes it isn't important whether or not he raised champions, but instead whether or not he was there for his sons.

Although the movie's plot runs thin at times, the story is entertaining. As the audience watches the sons grow from boyhood to manhood, from elementary school to their wedding day, the audience feels as though they understand them - feels their loneliness, experiences their hopes and watches as they attempt to live up to their father's expectations.

Although the film may look like it is geared toward Latinos, the film will appeal to people of any culture. With its family-orientated plot, great sport shots and wonderfully rounded characters, "Price of Glory" will appeal to both boxing and non-boxing fans alike.

The three sons, played by Homicide's Jon Seda, "Light It Up"'s Clifton Collins Jr. and newcomer Ernesto Hernandez, do their best in the film, each having their own moments in the spotlight. Hernandez shines as the youngest of the three sons, who, unlike his brothers, believes in his father and sticks by his side though the good and the bad.

While the acting runs thin at times from the younger actors in the film, Smits holds the film together. His acting experience shows greatly in the film, as well as his range as a peformer. He transforms from a work-driven, unemotional, winning-means-everything trainer to a father who loves and cares for his family with ease.

Additionally, Smits shows compassion even when he is training his sons so that the audience feels for him. His character could easily be hated, especially when his sons' losses results in abuse, but Smits is careful and shows that deep inside, his character really does love his boys.

The cinematography in the film steers away from the overused boxing shots so frequently seen in films such as "Rocky" and, more recently, "Play It to the Bone." The cinematographer avoids slow-motion punches and knockouts in order to keep the action quick and the film real. This helps keep the film rolling along since the audience will feel as though they are watching a real boxing match, especially since not all of the punches are fake. Seda, who plays the eldest son in the film, was an amateur boxer in real life and many of the fights in the film with him weren't staged.

Even with the fast action and great storyline, "Price of Glory" has its dull moments. The storyline runs long in spots, spending too much time on fights that don't matter in the characters' careers. Additionally, subplots focusing on the consequences on the family because of Smits' actions run too often. About half of those scenes could be cut out without making a difference in the outcome of the film. Although the scenes are important, the director and editors should have been more focused on the father-son and the following-your-dream plots than anything else.

Another problem with "Price of Glory" is the overly predictable storyline. The audience can foresee what will happen before events occur, leaving no surprise to the film. The son that actually will make it all the way can be predicted about halfway into the film, and the character development Smits undergoes is foreseen at the beginning of each scene. It almost seems as though the script was written out with each scene's goals that had to be accomplished outlined. This would explain why the actors stress certain lines more than they should, giving away what is going to happen next.

Still, great cinematography, well-developed characters and a remarkable performance by Smits makes "Price of Glory" shine among the numerous other films just like it. Although it is no "Rocky," sports fans that want an entertaining boxing film will not be disappointed.

Copyright 2000 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 139, No. 49 (Monday, April 3, 2000), beginning on page 7 and ending on page 8.