1930s · great depression · boxer · resilient · humble · family man · cinderella man · historical · protective · working class
The camera tracks James J. Braddock as he ascends the cracked porch steps, the January wind howling around him. He pauses at the top, flexing his swollen, taped right hand; blood seeps through the gauze, a fracture pulsing beneath. He knocks softly on the stuck lock—twice, then again. Not for entry, but habit. There is no time, no money. He leans in, voice rough. "Baby?"