Mom Does Meta

Synopsis

You probably know George Foreman as “the grill guy.” Sports fans may know him as a former professional boxer. Big George Foreman, however, looks at the spiritual crisis of Foreman’s life as he begins life as an angry young man, looking for fame, money and glory. When he gets those things, however, his life doesn’t get better. The film looks at the impact of Foreman’s spiritual awakening on his life and career and how he left the boxing world in order to become a preacher. 10 years after his conversion, finding his church and community center are facing a financial crisis, an older (and heavier) Foreman has to decide whether he can get back into boxing and whether he can become the world champion again.

Language

Foreman is picked on as a boy and called “poor man.” The occasional sniping and disrespect from Foreman as his anger takes over, but nothing profane.

Sexual Content

Foreman ogles an attractive woman who wears a low cut shirt. Some sexual innuendo is implied between he and his girlfriend but nothing is shown. There is kissing. It is told in the story that Foreman is unfaithful to his first wife and a woman is shown suggestively in his bedroom, but nothing is shown.

Violence

This is a movie about boxing, so there is quite a lot of punching. However, the scenes aren’t overly gratuitous, although there is blood shown from the punches and people being knocked out.

Spiritual/ Cultural Messaging

• Spiritual Content- The film shows the impact Christ can have on a life. Before he comes to Christ, Foreman is hotheaded, selfish, adulterous, and angry. After he comes to Christ, he states he no longer feels the anger he used to and makes amends with people he hurt or mistreated, including his ex-wife and fellow boxer Muhammed Ali.

• Masculinity- The film also shows the positive impact of fatherhood and father figures. Foreman is without a father but does have a father figure that invests in him and encourages him to be a better man. Foreman himself is shown as a father who tries to make things right with his children impacted by his divorce.
• Race- Foreman is criticized for waving the American flag after he wins the Gold medals and is implied to be a race traitor. The film does not take a specific stand on those issues but simply mentions them within their historical context.

Conclusion

Big George Foreman is an inspiring and interesting film about a popular American icon. More than the greatly lauded American Underdog, the film shows the impact Christianity can have on a person’s life rather than some sort of sidelined attribute that barely makes an appearance. It’s a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family, although those with younger children will want to take into consideration the film’s portrayal of typical boxing violence. With that in mind, Big George Foreman in a knockout.