Southpaw is a drama movie released on July 24, 2015. For this film, director Antoine Fuqua worked alongside actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Oona Laurence, Forest Whitaker, Miguel Gomez, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Rachel McAdams. When an undefeated boxer suffers his first loss outside the ring, he must fight for legacy and respect.
Billy “The Great” Hope (played by Gyllenhaal) is the undefeated boxing champion. And he is at the top of the world having an impeccable career and an amazing family. His wife Maureen (McAdams) has been by his side since a teenager. Their relationship has gifted them Leila (Laurence), their beautiful daughter.
After one of his fights, Hope ends up severely bruised and in tremendous pain. Therefore, Maureen brings up the idea of retirement and wants him to think about his future. At the pace that he is going, he won’t be able to attend his daughter’s graduation.
However, he keeps evading such a topic and convinces her he will be all right. And that is the mentality of a fighter. After one match, you already start planning your next one. And every opponent wanted that next slot, including “Magic” Escobar (Gomez).
At a charity event, after Escobar throws some verbal jabs at him, an altercation ensues and a gun goes off. Unfortunately, the victim is Maureen. Indeed, his world collapses and he relapses to drugs.
Consequently, his daughter is taken by Child Services. To regain custody, he must adjust to changes in his life and come up with a plan for his recovery.
Thus, he joins a local gym, owned by Tick Wills (Whitaker). But does he have what it takes to reclaim his legacy and respect?
Southpaw took years to develop. Writer Kurt Sutter originally penned the script for Eminem, using boxing as a metaphor. The role eventually landed to Gyllenhaal, who didn’t disappoint at all. His relationship with his on-screen daughter Laurence is truly amazing to watch.
“Southpaw is a metaphor for the things you have to do to switch up when life hits you with blows you didn’t expect.”
Jake Gyllenhaal, The Southpaw Sessions (2015)
Despite respectfully declining the role, Eminem wanted to be a part of the film. Therefore, alongside James Horner (R.I.P.), he produced the soundtrack, which boasts appearances from Bad Meets Evil, Slaughterhouse, 50 Cent, Denaun, Logic, KXNG Crooked, and many more.
Watch the next interview and listen to the “Southpaw” soundtrack in the link below.
- “Southpaw” movie. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (TWC, 2015). ↩︎
