A Drama About Father and Son "The Champ" caught my attention because it won two Academy Awards — Best Actor and Best Story. Watching it was interesting, but to be honest, I didn’t find the emotional depth or strong drama I was expecting. The film tells the story of a broken family. Andy Purcell, a former boxing champion, now leads a rough life with his young son, Dink. His glory days are long behind him, and he spends most of his time lost in gambling and alcohol. It’s a meager existence, but it’s all he knows. Still, he tries his best to raise his son right, to turn him into a good man. Things slowly start to settle — until the boy’s mother, who had abandoned them, reappears in their lives. The story itself is decent, and the script is solid. However, director King Vidor struggles to properly highlight the emotional complexity of the father-son dynamic. The film leans into bleakness and monotony, and while that may be intentional, it ultimately comes across as flat. The emotional weight is simply not there. What stood out most to me was Wallace Beery’s performance. He convincingly portrayed the washed-up boxer — a physically imposing man gradually succumbing to despair. Yet throughout the film, you can feel an internal struggle: he knows he’s past his prime, but he’s still trying to prove to himself, his son, and the world that he’s worth something. He doesn’t want his child to live in misery and tries to fight for a better future. Beery’s performance was certainly worthy of an Oscar that year. Though it’s worth noting that there were only three nominees in the category, and he shared the win with Fredric March for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". A double win like that would be hard to imagine today, but back then, it happened — and during a difficult time in the country’s history, when the Oscars themselves were far less prominent than they are now. Despite Beery’s strong performance, the film as a whole felt somewhat superficial. I personally found it lacking in drama — which could have given the story much more impact. As it stands, the film feels like just another narrative drama, the kind you see plenty of. In the end, "The Champ" is a middling film that I wouldn’t be eager to rewatch. A solid script is held back by weak direction. Wallace Beery shines, but the story around him doesn’t offer enough emotional resonance. 6 out of 10