Fighting with My Family Dvd

Fighting with My Family is a 2019 British-American biographical sports comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephen Merchant. Based on the 2012 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family by Max Fisher, it depicts the career of English professional wrestler Paige as she makes her way up WWE, while also following her brother Zak Zodiac, as he struggles with his failure to achieve similar success. Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden star as Paige and Zodiac respectively, alongside Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne Johnson, with the latter also acting as producer.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 28 January 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on 14 February 2019. It received positive reviews from critics, particularly for the performances of Pugh and Vaughn. It was also a commercial success, grossing $41.5 million worldwide against a budget of $11 million.

Plot

Rick and Julia and their kids Saraya and “Zak Zodiac” are a family of wrestlers, who also train other wrestlers. When they grow up, Saraya and Zak apply to join the WWE. Trainer Hutch Morgan agrees to let them try out before a SmackDown taping at The O2 Arena, where they meet Dwayne Johnson. Saraya adopts the stage name Paige.

Morgan chooses Paige to train for the WWE, but not Zak, despite Paige’s protests. Arriving at NXT in Florida, Paige has difficulty with the training, especially given that the other girls there are models and cheerleaders with no wrestling experience. Paige struggles with performing promos and Morgan’s constant belittlement. Morgan makes it clear to Zak that he will never be signed to WWE, and Zak falls into a depression.

At an NXT live event and her in-ring debut, Paige is heckled by the crowd and freezes, leaving the ring in tears. She decides to bleach her hair and spray tan to look more like other trainees. After failing an obstacle course, Paige lashes out at the trainees for gossiping about her when they weren’t.

Morgan tells Paige that her brother’s future in WWE would only have been as a jobber and signing would have ruined his life, implying that it did the same to him. Morgan encourages Paige to quit and return to her family for a happier life. She travels home for the Christmas break, and tells her family she is leaving WWE. Angry that she is giving up the dream he failed to achieve, Zak attacks Paige during a wrestling match, then gets in a drunken bar fight. Paige changes her mind after Zak berates her for abandoning their shared dream, and she returns to Florida, resuming her original hair color and skin tone.

She drastically improves in training, befriending and encouraging her fellow trainees. Zak returns to training his parents’ students. Morgan brings the trainees to WrestleMania XXX, where The Rock greets Paige and tells her she will make her Raw debut the following night against WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee. Paige makes her Raw debut and again freezes at first, but ends up winning the match.

Cast

Florence Pugh as Saraya “Paige” Knight, Zak’s little sister and Patrick and Julia’s daughter. Her stunts during wrestling scenes were performed by Tessa Blanchard.
Tori Ellen Ross as young Paige
Lena Headey as Julia “Sweet Saraya” Knight, Paige and Zak’s mother and Patrick’s wife.
Nick Frost as Patrick “Rowdy Ricky” Knight, Paige and Zak’s father and Julia’s husband.
Jack Lowden as Zak “Zodiac” Knight, Paige’s older brother and Patrick and Julia’s son.
Vince Vaughn as Hutch Morgan, a recruiter and coach for the WWE.
The Rock as himself
James Burrows as Roy Knight, Patrick’s son, Julia’s stepson and Zak and Paige’s older half-brother.
Hannah Rae as Courtney, Zak’s girlfriend and mother of his son, Caden.
Thea Trinidad as AJ Lee
Kim Matula as Jeri-Lynn
Aqueela Zoll as Kirsten
Ellie Gonsalves as Maddison
Stephen Merchant as Hugh, Courtney’s father.
Julia Davis as Daphne, Courtney’s mother.
Additionally, WWE wrestlers Big Show, Sheamus and The Miz make appearances as themselves, while an uncredited actor played John Cena. Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and John Layfield provide commentary on the Paige vs. AJ Lee match. Several other WWE wrestlers (including Cena himself), as well as the real Knight family, appear in archival footage throughout the film.