(110 mins., not rated)
The story of a young high school girl (Michelle Rodriguez) with minimal direction and no purpose yet somehow managing to come of age through all things: boxing. Initially she longs to be like her brother (and can throw a better punch) but “she can train but she can’t fight cuz’ she’s a girl” says the trainer. Eventually, despite her dad’s resistance, she begins a grueling routine to become the first woman champion. Of course somewhere in the story just as everything is going according to plan, she s thrown off by Adrian, a promising newcomer who just might steal her heart. Sharing the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival the story was intriguing with an unusual growing pains twist, but didn’t send me overboard.
