When it comes to feel-good family movies there are quite a few recent releases that fit the bill. But when it comes to a coming of age story that shares the reality of sibling rivalry, the cost of fame and other not-so-glamorous topics, Fighting With My Family is a film that can’t be missed.
Based on the true story of WWE’s Paige’s rise to fame and her family’s plight to make their passion pay off, Fighting With My Family follows Paige, her brother Zak and their family’s highs and lows. Produced by Dwayne Johnson, the film is from Annapurna Pictures and has created quite the buzz, and for good reason.
After screening the film last week, together with a group of fellow bloggers, I participated in a press junket for Fighting With My Family. At the junket that was held at the Essex Hotel in NYC, we had the chance to interview some of the stars of the film including: Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Stephen Merchant and WWE Divas Champ, Paige.
Obviously, we all had so many questions about the story itself, so it was great to hear Paige’s perspective firsthand. When asked what it was like to go through so many hurdles and challenges and then experience success, Paige shared her thoughts on what it was like to view from this new lens.
It’s bizarre because at the time you don’t realize how many obstacles you’re going through until it is being told on the big screen and Stephen did such an amazing job trying to capture everything as accurate as possible.
But yeah, it’s like very bizarre and very surreal and then sometimes I have to sit back and she’s so good at what she does that I forget that she’s playing me and I forget that it’s my story.
But, yeah, every single one of the cast did an incredible job and it’s just thank you all every single one of you by the way. She gets to meet my mom today. I’m very excited.
Fighting With My Family isn’t just a movie about wrestling. In fact, when asked if the movie would translate for people who are not wrestling fans, the cast answered:
I don’t think people need to know all of wrestling to like the film because everyone has a family so I think it’s a film about families and wrestling could be pottery or you could swap out for anything.
Above all, Fighting with My Family is about relationships and how to triumph above all. This key messaging resonated with all of us in the room, and the cast validated these thoughts during the interview. Lena Headey, who plays Paige’s mom, admitted that she studied Julia.
Lena Headey: I mean we watched the documentary, I watched the documentary years ago and sort of fell in love with them because so completely honest and there’s no nonsense. I mean they all say how they feel, there is nothing whispered behind any doors and I think that their authenticity is why you fall in love with them. And I haven’t met Julia yet, I’m meeting her today. Hopefully, she’s pleased.
One of the key messages of the film for me was that life isn’t always going to be easy. It’s going to be hard and messy and unforgiving. When life throws you adversity and tough times, it’s not how you fall, but how you get back up and react. It’s all about moving forward.
And I think part of the message of the film is that nothing is easy whether it’s wrestling or anything else. Doors will be closed in your face, people will sometimes say no, sometimes you won’t fit in, sometimes you will be rejected and you just have to keep moving forward. You know you have to keep taking the punches and if you are passionate about it you just keep plowing on and eventually the doors will open and that is certainly true of all of us in our careers. I’m sure we could all have individual stories of the times where it didn’t pan out so. It’s hard sometimes to remember that and you could give up, you could get depressed but I think it’s all of us and I think certainly Paige’s story is that just keep moving forward.
Fighting With My Family is a heartwarming comedy based on the true story of WWE Superstar Paige. Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak are ecstatic when they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try out for WWE. But when only Paige earns a spot in the competitive training program, she must leave her family and face this new, cut-throat world alone. Paige’s journey pushes her to dig deep, fight for her family, and ultimately prove to the world that what makes her different is the very thing that can make her a star.
Fighting With My Family is out in select theaters on February 14 and nationwide on February 22.
Full Disclosure: This junket was hosted by Annapurna Pictures. All opinions are my own. As always, thanks for supporting NKT.
Even though some of the concepts were way over my 6 year old’s head, we thought this exhibit was so well done. It was definitely an immersive experience that older kids, teens and adults can enjoy unlocking clues together. I’d say some parts were borderline suspenseful and creepy! This exhibit is a Premium Exhibition and can be enjoyed as part of a combination pass ($29.95 for adults and $24.95 for kids.)
As part of the media event, we were treated to a taste of the Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Show, where the presenters made ice cream out of liquid nitrogen, vanilla and cream.
A treat for me was getting to see some of my best blogging buddies! A big thanks to LSC and Momtrends for hosting us and showing us a great time!
reminders, mechanics hotline, vehicle location, boundary alerts, speed alerts, driving history, navigation, discounts and can act as a hotspot. This cool gadget does a little bit of everything and is ideal for vehicles that don’t have connectivity on their own. The device is around $100 and requires a monthly subscription.
The Pride Limited Edition power bank features convenient fold-out wall prongs so it can be plugged directly into a wall outlet for recharging, no extra cable needed. The Pride charger only weighs 0.42 lbs., making it the perfect light weight power bank to stash in a bag or pocket for extra battery life while attending Pride festivities, traveling or everyday use.In honor of Pride Month in June and to help support LGBTQ initiatives, myCharge introduced a Limited Edition power bank and committed 5% of sales from the charger to The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
I thought this was a really unique gadget, that is sure to turn heads in the airport. Goodness knows, I could use one of these to transport my slow-going kids!
These headphones are a great alternative to conventional earbuds allowing for more mobility either on the go or for workouts. Fully charged, the headphones give you up to three hours of music playback. While the compact charging case not only keep your headphones secure, but holds a further two full three hour charges letting you power up on the go. That’s up to 9 hours of music playback, so you can keep listening all day.
A couple of things to note for those in Northern NJ like me, Phillipsburg is about an hour drive. July is typically super hot and there isn’t AC on the trains, so bring plenty of water to drink and to stay cool! Definitely plan to arrive early to enjoy all of the activities as it does get crowded for certain times AND to figure out parking. I found parking to be somewhat tricky. It’s cheaper to park further away, but there are shuttles available. Be sure to take all of these things into consideration. 
