''Chuck'' (released as ''The Bleeder'' in the UK and Ireland) is a 2016 American

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curric ...

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

film directed by

Philippe Falardeau Philippe Falardeau (; born February 1, 1968, in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. Early life Falardeau was born and raised in Hull, Quebec. He later studied political science at the University of Ottawa, before trave ...

and written by

Jeff Feuerzeig Jeff Feuerzeig (born 1964) is an American film director and screenwriter best known for ''The Devil and Daniel Johnston'', his profile of cult musician and outsider artist Daniel Johnston, for which he was awarded the Directing prize for Document ...

Jerry Stahl Jerry Stahl (born September 28, 1953) is an American novelist and screenwriter. His works include the 1995 memoir of addiction ''Permanent Midnight''. A 1998 film adaptation followed with Ben Stiller in the lead role. His works include memoirs, ...

Michael Cristofer Michael Cristofer (born January 22, 1945) is an American actor, playwright, and filmmaker. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for '' The Shadow Box'' in 1977. From 2015 to 2019, he played the role of Phillip ...

and

Liev Schreiber Isaac Liev Schreiber ( ; born October 4, 1967) is an American actor. He has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award as well as nominations for nine Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. Schreiber's early film roles incl ...

, who also stars in the title role. The cast includes

Elisabeth Moss Elisabeth Singleton Moss (born July 24, 1982) is an American actor and director. The recipient of several accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a nomination for a Tony Award, she was named the "Queen of P ...

Ron Perlman Ronald N. Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose (film), The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in th ...

Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. Known for her work predominantly in independent films with dark or tragic themes, she has received various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, a Primetime ...

Jim Gaffigan James Christopher Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. His material often addresses fatherhood, laziness, food, religion, and general observations. He is regarded as a "clean" comic, using l ...

Michael Rapaport Michael David Rapaport (born March 20, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and podcast host. Beginning his career in the early 1990s, he has made over 100 appearances in film and television. His film roles include ''Zebrahead'' (1992), '' ...

Pooch Hall Marion "Pooch" Hall, Jr. (born February 8, 1976) is an American television and film actor known for his role as Derwin Davis, the football player on the sitcom '' The Game'', and as Ricky in the 2011 film '' Jumping the Broom''. He also played t ...

Morgan Spector Morgan Spector (born 4 October 1980) is an American actor. Spector has appeared in the TV series ''Allegiance'' (2015), ''The Mist'' (2017), ''Homeland'' (2018), and '' Pearson'' (2019), as well as the films '' The Drop'' (2014), '' Christine'' ...

, Jason Jones and Catherine Corcoran. The film depicts the life of heavyweight boxer

Chuck Wepner Charles Wepner (born February 26, 1939) is an American former professional boxer. He fell just nineteen seconds short of a full fifteen rounds against world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in a 1975 championship fight. Wepner also scored notab ...

and his 1975 title fight with the heavyweight champion,

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

, which inspired

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

's character and screenplay for the 1976 film ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent film, independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky (film series), ''Rocky'' franchise and also star ...

''.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began on October 26, 2015, in Suffern,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. ''Chuck'' received its world premiere at the 2016 Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2016. It was released May 5, 2017, by

IFC Films Independent Film Company (formerly IFC Films) is an American film production and distribution company based in New York City, New York. It is an offshoot of IFC (U.S. TV channel), IFC, owned by AMC Networks. It mainly distributes independent fil ...

Plot

Chuck Wepner, known as the 'Bayonne Bleeder', is a heavyweight boxer known for his iron chin and reckless behavior. He lives with his second wife Phyllis and daughter Kimberly in New Jersey. By 1974, he was rising up the boxing ranks hopeful for an eventual fight with the champion

George Foreman George Edward Foreman (January 10, 1949 – March 21, 2025) was an American professional boxer, businessman, minister, and author. In boxing, he competed between 1967 and 1997, and was nicknamed "Big George". He was a two-time world heavyweig ...

, defeating Terry "The Stormin' Mormon" Hinke in the process. Chuck's trainer and manager

Al Braverman Al Braverman (March 22, 1919 – July 5, 1997), also known as Big Al, was an American boxing manager, promoter, and trainer. Early life and education Al Braverman was born on March 22, 1919, in Bronx, New York, United States. He was the son of R ...

receives a call from

Don King Donald King (born August 20, 1931) is an American boxing promoter, known for his involvement in several historic boxing matchups. King's career highlights include, among multiple other enterprises, promoting "The Rumble in the Jungle" and the ...

stating that he will receive a title shot after George presumably beats

Muhammed Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

. However, much to Chuck's shock and disappointment, Ali defeats Foreman in

The Rumble in the Jungle George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as ''The Rumble in the Jungle'', was a heavyweight championship boxing match on October 30, 1974, at the 20th of May Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), between undefeated ...

. After witnessing Chuck flirting with another woman in a coffee shop, Phyllis leaves Chuck. Al later calls Chuck and says that Don King wants him to fight Ali under the pretences of a "race thing", as Chuck was the only white boxer in the top 10 heavyweight rankings. Al subsequently takes Chuck to the Grand Hotel in upstate New York to train professionally. However, following the one-sided press conferences with Ali and negative press the fight receives, Chuck feels nervous. Phyllis eventually comes to see Chuck, and she forgives and comforts him. Although the fight is largely one-sided, Chuck defies predictions of being knocked out in the third round, almost going the full distance against the champion and even knocking him down. Despite the loss, Wepner becomes a local hero. Though he is irritated to hear claims from Ali that Wepner's knockdown of him was due to a foot stomp, Chuck enjoys his newfound celebrity and becomes the basis of

's film ''

''. However, Chuck becomes increasingly addicted to his fame and begins taking cocaine. He subsequently becomes infatuated with female bartender Linda. Phyllis soon catches on to Wepner's unfaithful behavior and kicks him out of the house. After engaging in a mixed wrestling/boxing match with Andre the Giant at

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Rocky II ''Rocky II'' is a 1979 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the direct sequel to ''Rocky'' (1976) and the second installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, ...

''. However, he botches his audition for a role as Rocky's sparring partner, leaving him devastated. Three years later, Chuck's psyche worsens, and he is increasingly disheveled, arriving to Kimberly's parent-teacher conference on cocaine. He is later arrested and imprisoned for possession of drugs with intent to sell. During his time in prison, he sees Stallone filming for his movie '' Lock Up''. Chuck soon humbles himself and realizes that he was trying too hard to live up to his superstardom as the "real Rocky", when he should be appreciative with who he has in his life. After being released from prison for good behavior, he is given an unsanctioned charity bout with Victor the Wrestling Bear to make ends meet. Afterwards, he is visited by Linda, and the two become a couple. End credits reveal that Chuck and Linda still live in

Bayonne Bayonne () is a city in southwestern France near the France–Spain border, Spanish border. It is a communes of France, commune and one of two subprefectures in France, subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments of France, departm ...

and that he and his daughter have reconciled and speak daily.

Cast

Production

On May 10, 2011, it was announced that

would direct the boxing drama ''The Bleeder'' based on the script he co-wrote with

, about a true story of the heavyweight boxer

Michael Tollin Michael Tollin is an American film and television producer/director who served as executive producer of the Emmy award-winning ''The Last Dance'', a 10-part documentary series on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty. The series received ...

and Carl Hampe were attached as producers, while Linda Zander's Maxar Pictures was attached to finance the film.

Christina Hendricks Christina Rene Hendricks (born May 3, 1975) is an American actress and former model. With an extensive career on screen and stage, she has received various accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Critics' Choice Awards, as ...

was previously cast in the film to play one of the lead roles. In October 2015,

was confirmed to play Wepner, who always wanted to portray the role, and had been attached with the project for the last five years, and

was cast to play his third wife Linda Wepner. Schreiber would also produce the film along with Tollin, Hampe,

Christa Campbell Christa Campbell is an American actress and producer. Campbell is best known for her roles in ''2001 Maniacs'', ''Mozart and the Whale'', ''Lonely Hearts (2006 film), Lonely Hearts'', ''The Wicker Man (2006 film), The Wicker Man'', ''Cleaner' ...

, and Lati Grobman, with banners Mandalay Sports Media and Campbell-Grobman Films. On October 22, 2015,

was cast in the film to play his second wife, Phyllis Wepner, who was with him when Wepner fought

. On October 30, 2015, additional cast was announced, including

as John Stoehr, Wepner's loyal friend;

as Wepner's estranged brother;

as boxer Ali, whose 1975 fight with Wepner led to Wepner's sudden fame; and

as actor-screenwriter

, who wrote ''

'' soon after the 1975 fight. Wepner claimed he had inspired that film's title character

Rocky Balboa Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name the Italian Stallion) is a fictional character and the titular protagonist of the ''Rocky'' franchise. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in eight of ...

but Stallone has never confirmed it. On November 11, 2015,

signed on to play Al Braverman, Wepner's manager and trainer who guided him to the title fight with Ali. On November 11, 2015, Remstar Films acquired the Canadian distribution rights to the film.

on the film began on October 26, 2015, in Suffern,

, where some scenes were shot at the Lafayette Theatre. Filming ended on December 4, 2015.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

on September 2, 2016. It went onto screen at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

on September 10, 2016. In September 2016,

and

Showtime Networks Showtime Networks, Inc. is a subsidiary of American media conglomerate Paramount Global under its networks division that oversees the company's premium cable television channels, including its flagship namesake service. Overview The compan ...

acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, beating out bidders including

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

Sony Pictures Classics Sony Pictures Classics Inc. is an American arthouse film production and distribution company that is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Marcie Bloo ...

and

A24 A24 Films LLC, commonly referred to as A24, is an American Privately held company, independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. The studio is based in Manhattan. The company ...

. It will also screen at the

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...

in April 2017. It was released on May 5, 2017.

Critical response

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, 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 ...

, the film has an approval rating of 81%, based on 84 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "''Chuck'' is hit with a handful of sports biopic clichés but ultimately punches above its weight, largely thanks to a muscular performance from Liev Schreiber." On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

the film has a score of 68 out of 100 score, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Glenn Kenny of the NY Times found the performances favorable writing, "Liev Schreiber has almost no physical resemblance to the boxer Chuck Wepner, but he is a terrific actor who pulls off that portrayal, partly through understatement."

References

External links

* {{Rocky 2016 films Films directed by Philippe Falardeau Films shot in New York (state) Films set in New York (state) Films set in Hudson County, New Jersey Films set in Ohio Films set in Philadelphia American boxing films American biographical drama films American sports drama films Biographical films about sportspeople British boxing films 2010s sports drama films 2016 biographical drama films Sports drama films based on actual events IFC Films films Cultural depictions of boxers Cultural depictions of American people Cultural depictions of Muhammad Ali Cultural depictions of Sylvester Stallone Films with screenplays by Michael Cristofer 2010s English-language films 2010s American films 2010s British films English-language biographical drama films English-language sports drama films