Metrograph

Wynn Thomas’s production design makes palpable the air of desperation in the Depression-era United States, where New Jersey boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe, exuding gentle decency in the role of the former light heavyweight champ) inspires a nation with his hardscrabble rise from the depths of poverty to a shot at a title belt. A willful throwback to old-fashioned, red-blooded, meat-and-potatoes Hollywood melodrama, anchored by exceptional performances from Crowe; from Renée Zellweger, as Braddock’s squeamish but devoted wife; and from Paul Giamatti as Braddock’s friend and manager, Joe Gould.

“Cinderella Man is the story of James Braddock, a boxer, and his family. It takes place during the height of the Depression. It’s a very dramatic and emotional story. I decided to design the emotion in the story, not the reality. I wanted to take the viewer on an emotional journey, not a realistic one.” —Wynn Thomas

Distributor: Universal

Q&A by production designer Wynn Thomas on Sunday, October 26th