The story begins in the late 1920s, with James J. Braddock enjoying a successful light heavyweight career. However, the 1929 stock market crash and a string of hand injuries leave him destitute.
It is here that the film earns its title. Journalists of the era, drawing on the famous fairy tale, dubbed Braddock "Cinderella Man" because his life resembled a rags-to-riches fairy tale. However, Ron Howard wisely avoids turning this into a sugar-coated fantasy. The fights in the film are ugly, bloody, and desperate. Braddock doesn’t win with style; he wins with grit. He famously adopts the strategy of keeping his left hand high, protecting his broken right, and wearing his opponents down.
Nearly two decades after its release, James J. Braddock’s left hook still lands, and Ron Howard’s masterpiece remains a heavyweight champion of cinema.