Price of Glory

The blood, sweat, and tears of Rocky have been resurrected in Price of Glory, sort of. Based on a play by New York Times sports columnist Phil Berger, Carlos Avila's film stars Jimmy Smits (of NYPD Blue fame) as Arturo Ortega, a former star boxer from a border town in Arizona whose career was cut short by a devastating knockout. Unfortunately for his children, he never recovered from the final blow, and after a series of flash-forwards we find a middle-aged Ortega inflicting his dream upon his three sons: Jimmy (Clifton Collins Jr.), Johnny (Ernesto Hernandez), and Sonny (former Golden Gloves champ Jon Seda). His wife, Rita (Maria Del Mar), is concerned that he might be pushing too hard, and her fear proves prophetic (albeit obvious) as the film goes the rounds of the agonizing and predictable boxing careers of Ortega's sons. Of course, no dysfunctional family would be complete without death, drug use, and rebellion -- which as this film proves are the true prices of glory.

Glory climaxes in squabbling between father and sons as each offspring tries to impress with his ring prowess. A final title fight decides which son will become champion, but long before then the film has hit the canvas.

-- Shannon Coyle