From NetFlix:

After a string of defeats, Mickey Ward rediscovers his fighting will with help from trainer and half-brother Dicky (Oscar winner Christian Bale) — a once-talented pugilist and small-town hero now battling drug addiction.

What makes this film so amazing are the performances of Christian Bale as the drug-addicted self-deceiving brother and of Melissa Leo as Alice Ward, the mother of the boxer Mickey Ward.

What shocked me at first was how Amy Adams presented Charlene Fleming as such a “tough broad”. But then, almost all the Lowell women were portrayed in exactly the same way. Throughout the film the F-word was ever present as were all the other usual swear words. Mickey’s sisters were a sight to behold.

Manipulative in the extreme, Alice Ward struck me as repellent. But true to her character she fights to the end to maintain control over her 9 children and her long-suffering husband. Only when Dicky goes to prison will Alice admit to his addiction.

Did Dicky really ever admit to himself that he was not God’s gift to Lowell ? According to the film he finally sees the light. But I could not find any information (such as a Wikipedia article) on just how historically accurate this film was. If you find something, let me know.

The real Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund are shown during the end credits.

Well worth the watch.