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Brawl in the Family

"The Fighter" is based on the true story of Micky Ward, the former welterweight champion from Lowell, Massachusetts who defied personal demons to win the title against Arturo Gatti in 2002. Those demons take the form of a family for whom the word dysfunctional is, judging from David O. Russell's adequate biopic, far too kind. Micky has seven judgmental half-sisters, a hellion of a mother who doubles as his manager, and a father who just tries to keep his head down. But as over-the-top as they all are, they don't hold a candle to Micky's brother, Dicky, an ex-boxer himself (and Micky's trainer) who also happens to be a crack addict.

Dicky is played by Christian Bale, in full "Machinist", Method-actor mode. The performance is showy - particularly for this notoriously reticent actor - but not until the closing credits, when the real Dicky is featured in all his glory, do you realize how spot-on Mr. Bale's work is. Melissa Leo also transforms herself, behind a bad dye-job and thick Massachusetts accent, as the Ward matriarch. Ms. Leo's performance is equally showy - though in her case there's no appearance by the real-life Alice to determine how accurate she is. Regardless, the script by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson, makes Alice so hateful and self-obsessed, it's hard to care either way. Her brood of screaming, hair-sprayed daughters play less like a family and more like Furies in some Greek tragedy.

In the middle of that grotesquery, however, is a surprisingly sweet love story. The object of Micky's affection is a local bartender named Charlene, played by Amy Adams. In an achingly real, un-Hollywood turn, Ms. Adams amps up Charlene's less admirable qualities: she's not in the best shape, she drinks too much, and she tends bar because she never followed her own dreams. But she's not going to let Micky succumb to his family's negativity.

The film is a passion project for Mark Wahlberg, who plays Micky. For his part, the actor falls back on what has become his typical character: the soft-spoken bruiser. And yes, it's hard not to hear him saying, "Say hi to your mother for me" during the film. He wears the role comfortably, though it doesn't show much range.

Mr. Russell may have the toughest role. Any film about a boxing comeback has to go toe-to-toe with "Rocky" for heart and "Raging Bull" for brutality. Compared to either film, "The Fighter" isn't a contender (the boxing scenes are average, and Micky's family woes only remind you of the subtle brilliance of the first "Rocky" movie). But in the middle of all the familial screaming and flying fists, it's Ms. Adams performance that - come Oscar night - could be a TKO.