4 Things I Learned Screening Fighting with My Family That Have Nothing to do with Wrestling

So I’m not gonna lie to you guys, when I was given the opportunity to screen Fighting with my Family, I opened my email with confusion. It has been a LONG time since I watched anything wrestling related and I was not familiar with Paige, nor her rise to fame at all. Still, the trailer intrigued me and I decided to give it a shot, and of course the fact that Dwayne Johnson stars in the film also may have been a persuading factor.

FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY is a heartwarming comedy based on the incredible 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.

When I finished watching the movie I was so glad that I took a chance. Fighting with My Family is so much more than a wrestling movie. You will laugh, you may cry, and you will fall in love with the “Knights”. No spoilers ahead, I’m going to tell you a few lessons that rang true when I viewed this film, and during my interview with the cast, Paige herself, and director Stephen Merchant.

Family is everything.

In case you cant tell from the title, family is a huge theme in this movie. When we got to chat with the cast over the weekend, another blogger amazingly brought up “this isn’t a wrestling movie, this is a family movie. It’s about these relationships which are incredible”. You really get to see Saraya’s journey and how it effects not only her, but her entire family dynamic.

Sometimes the biggest fight is with yourself.

Saraya’s journey wasn’t easy, and throughout the movie we get to see how she grows not only as a wrestler, but as a person. It’s a great transition to watch.

Not everyone in England know’s the Queen.

Haha! This is basically for laughs but there was a moment during our cast interview where someone mentioned how amazing it was to see a different side of England. Norwich is not painted in the elaborate glamorous way that we’re used to seeing from movies based in the U.K. Director Stephen Merchant emphasized that he really wanted the film to feel “authentic and natural” so that it would resonate with people from all over.

“Being yourself is your superpower.”

When I asked Paige, what advice she would give to young girls who felt “out of place” or like they were trying to find their way, that was the direct quote that she gave me. So much of this movie is about embracing who you are, what makes you different, and using it to become the best version of yourself. That resonated with me a lot because even at (nearly) 29, I feel like I’m just learning to embrace who I truly am.