The new drama “Southpaw” would seem to come in a long tradition of boxing movies and underdog sports films generally. But ask director Antoine Fuqua what he sees as the throughline in this weekend's release, and he has a slightly different answer.
“I didn't really see it as a boxing movie -- I saw it about a man who's grieving and has to learn to be a father," Fuqua said in a phone interview.
The Weinstein Co. drama stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Billy Hope, a prizefighter who at the start of the film has it all but sees his life upended when his wife (Rachel McAdams) is accidentally killed during a spat between Hope and another boxer that turns violent.