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Girlfight is a 2000 independent movie directed and written by Karyn Kusama. It stars Michelle Rodriguez, in her debut film role, as Diana, a teenager from Brooklyn living with her brother Tiny and father Sandro, who is an alcoholic. Diana is restless, angry, and has a rebel personality. The movie portrays Diana's journey as she discovers her passion for boxing and decides to compete in a male-dominated sport. She starts training with Hector, a grumpy boxing coach who initially dismisses her as he believes women do not belong in the boxing ring. As the story progresses, Hector notices Diana's dedication, discipline, and love for the sport, and starts to train her.

Throughout the film, Diana faces several personal and social hurdles. She struggles to balance her boxing ambitions with her family obligations and academic responsibilities. She also faces rejection, ridicule, and sexism from her peers and opponents in the boxing world.

One of the most significant challenges Diana faces is her strained relationship with her father, Sandro. He disapproves of her boxing aspirations, and their relationship becomes even more strained when Diana starts to excel in the sport. Sandro, who is dealing with his own personal issues, becomes increasingly cynical and verbally abusive towards Diana.

Despite the obstacles, Diana persists, working hard to prove herself both in and out of the ring. She faces off against male boxers in local matches and takes on a talented female boxer, Adrian, as she works towards competing in the Golden Gloves tournament. Along the way, Diana learns to control her anger and channel it towards her goals, ultimately discovering her inner strength and resilience.

The movie's intense and realistic portrayal of boxing, combined with Michelle Rodriguez's powerful performance, earned it critical acclaim and several awards. Rodriguez's raw portrayal of Diana, a character who is both vulnerable and fierce, helped launch her career and make her a symbol of female strength and empowerment.

Overall, Girlfight is a compelling coming-of-age story that highlights not only the struggles of a young woman trying to make her way in a male-dominated sport but also the universal struggle to find oneself and pursue one's passions in the face of adversity. It is a film that speaks to the power of perseverance and resilience and inspires viewers to fight for their dreams.

Girlfight is a 2000 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7 and a MetaScore of 70.