When the teaser trailer came out last December we posted a brief report on the filming of a few CM scenes at our home. We are excited that some additional shots appear in the theatrical trailer.

Renee’s voice-over at the start of the trailer was filmed in our back yard. It is early in the film (but was actually done in August near the end of principal photography), when Braddock is at the top of his game. It is a wonderful scene where Braddock and Mae share a private moment in the back garden. The rest of the scene (which is not shown in the trailer) called for Russell to lift Renee into his arms as he is rising from a wicker garden chair. Let me assure you that Mr. Crowe, a.k.a. Mr. Fitness, had no trouble doing that take after take.

Later in the trailer there is another scene where Crowe, dressed in a suit, spins with the children in his arms as he walks into the house. This was filmed on our front porch. Crowe beams like the proud father he now is. (You have to wonder if his love for Charlie made that scene a touch easier.)

And a bit further in the trailer there is a split second scene where Renee (in a white dress) leaps from the front porch into Crowe’s arms. This same scene appears in the teaser trailer but is now shown from a more distant, side angle in the theatrical trailer.

Over the two nights there was one other scene filmed that is not in the trailers. I won’t spoil anything but it is a dramatic shot of just Crowe with no dialogue in the upstairs bedroom. Like the 1920’s, our home has no air conditioning. Add the movie lights and a fairly small room and well, it had to be an oven in there. But no complaints from the pro – just another perfect take.

Ron Howard’s experience as a child actor was quite useful. There was an audio-only take where one of the children exclaims “Daddy did you win?” Ron was not quite satisfied with how the clip sounded so after a few takes he personally went up to the little guy and recited the line in the way he wanted it performed. One take later we were done for the night. Takes one to know one perhaps?

It was a Friday evening and, I understand, as was Crowe’s practice on this film, he gathered the crew in the driveway and awarded a cash prize to the crew member with the worst (best?) shirt that day. Then there was an end of the week party for the cast and crew at the base camp that had set up at a nearby school parking lot. We could have attended but didn’t (too shy I think and it was already pretty late although my 14yr old daughter did not seem tired for some reason!) The base camp included the muscle truck that had been spotted at other locations by Crowe fans. (Remember those great posts from Church Lady?) I heard from a crew member that Russell used the truck to work out before the scenes at our home. I thought that was pretty clever as the setting for that night’s scenes was Braddock returning home after a hard-fought match.

A few days later the 2nd unit arrived with the children actors to do some family homestead scenes. I did not see much of that day’s filming, but the props included a Christmas tree, a house for-sale sign (presumably when the Braddock’s lose the house), a chalked out hopscotch on the driveway, and kid’s tricycles. The production designers completely dressed our living room, dining room, upper and lower hallways and two bedrooms. They installed new wallpaper (hand silk screened reproducing a vintage design), full furnishings, even a children’s illustrated book from the era. As mentioned in my December report, the detail was incredible. They had mail with the period correct stamps and postmarks on them! And the vintage table and floor lamps were fitted with twisted cloth electrical cords to be authentic. They strived for this incredibly accurate detail even though the 1st unit only shot one interior scene (bedroom shot mentioned above). You can only imagine how accurate the boxing scenes will be.

One item of note is they dressed the living room with a display case showing a number of Braddock’s trophies. In watching the trailer closely I noticed the same display case in the tenement apartment scenes. These guys think of everything.

Naturally I have watched the theatrical trailer frame by frame like any obsessive home owner. But the scene in the trailer I like best has nothing to do with our house. It is the astonished look on Crowe’s face when he wins is first comeback match. If you are familiar with the plot, that image captures it perfectly, don’t you think?

We are fortunate to be attending a pre-screening in mid May and will pass on a fan review to Murph shortly after that.

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