''Beautiful Boxer'' ( th, บิวตี้ฟูล บ๊อกเซอร์) is a 2003 Thai biographical

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the sp ...

produced, directed and co-written by

Ekachai Uekrongtham Ekachai Uekrongtham ( th, เอกชัย เอื้อครองธรรม; ; zh, 吕翼谋) is a Thai theatre and film director. Based in Singapore, Ekachai is the founding artistic director of ACTION Theatre, a Singapore professional ...

. It tells the life story of Parinya Charoenphol, a famous kathoey,

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterise ...

fighter, actress and model. Charoenphol was portrayed by male kickboxer Asanee Suwan.

Cast

* Asanee Suwan as Nong Toom / Parinya Charoenphol *

Sorapong Chatree Sorapong Chatree ( th, สรพงษ์ ชาตรี; born Pittaya Tiamswate; 8 December 1950 – 10 March 2022) was a Thai film actor. He had frequently starred in the films of Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol, as well as in Cherd Songsri's cla ...

as Pi Chart * Orn-Anong Panyawong as Parinya Charoenphol's mother * Nukkid Boonthong as Parinya Charoenphol's father * Sitiporn Niyom as Nat *

Kyoko Inoue is a Japanese female professional wrestler. She has held the WWWA World Single Championship three times, and is the first woman to win a men's title in Japan. Inoue performed in the World Wrestling Federation at Survivor Series 1995 in an ...

as herself (female Japanese wrestler) * Sarawuth Tangchit as Parinya Charoenphol (as a child) *

Keagan Kang Keagan Kang (born 5 May 1976) is an Australian actor living and working in Singapore. Kang's first professional acting role was in '' Sweat''. Soon after, a theatre director invited him to star in the stage play '' Rosencrantz and Guildenste ...

as Jack the reporter

Reception

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, the film has an approval rating of 81% based on 36 critics. The website's critical consensus reads: "''Beautiful Boxer'' blends boxing and identity politics to create a striking, if overdrawn, portrait of self discovery." There was controversy in Thailand about the full frontal nudity in this film. For the Thai release, the nudity was cut.

Awards and nominations

;Won * Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival – Best Feature Film *

Thailand National Film Association Awards The Suphannahong National Film Awards ( th, รางวัลภาพยนตร์แห่งชาติ สุพรรณหงส์, also known as the Thailand National Film Association Awards) is the primary film award of the Thai fil ...

– Best Actor (Asanee Suwan), Best Makeup ( Kraisorn Sampethchareon) *

San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in ...

– Sebastian Award * Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival – Best Film *

Outfest Outfest is an LGBTQ-oriented nonprofit that produces two film festivals, operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in Los Angeles. Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the Frameline Film Festival ...

– Achievement Award – Outstanding Emerging Talent (

) ;Nominated *

GLAAD Media Awards The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their li ...

– Outstanding Film

References

External links

*
Official U.S. Site
*

by Susan Aldous and Pornchai Sereemongkonpol published 2008 by Maverick House Publishers 2003 films 2003 biographical drama films 2000s sports drama films Thai biographical films Thai LGBT-related films Thai-language films 2000s English-language films 2000s Japanese-language films Biographical films about sportspeople Boxing films Films about trans women Sports films based on actual events LGBT-related sports drama films Muay Thai films Thai Muay Thai films Here TV original programming Kathoey Cultural depictions of Thai people Cultural depictions of boxers Cultural depictions of transgender people 2003 LGBT-related films 2003 drama films Biographical films about LGBT people 2000s American films Films set in Thailand {{sport-film-stub