Watch Going to the Mat

Going to the Mat is a heart-warming and inspirational sports drama film from 2004, directed by Stuart Gillard, and starring Andrew Lawrence, Khleo Thomas, and Alessandra Torresani.
The movie follows the journey of Jace Newfield (Andrew Lawrence), a visually-impaired teenager who moves to a new town with his mother after his father's death. Jace has always been passionate about wrestling, but his disability makes it difficult for him to join the school's wrestling team. However, he finds an unexpected ally in a group of misfits who convince Jace to challenge the school's wrestling star, who also happens to be the school bully, Nick "The Stick" Donahue (Khleo Thomas).

Jace's mother is apprehensive about him risking further injury, but Jace's determination is unwavering, and he takes on the challenge. The local wrestling coach, Ken Willard (D.B. Sweeney), becomes Jace's mentor and helps him refine his technique, while Nick's coach Calvin (Wayne Brady) is confident that his star wrestler will easily defeat Jace. When the day of the wrestling match arrives, Jace is faced with not only his opponent but also his own fears and insecurities.

The film tackles the themes of friendship, bullying, perseverance, and overcoming adversity, making it an excellent family-friendly movie. The performances by the young cast are impressive, especially Andrew Lawrence's portrayal of Jace, who captures both the physical and emotional challenges of a disabled wrestler. Khleo Thomas also delivers a convincing performance as the antagonistic Nick, who learns valuable lessons about humility, friendship, and compassion.

The film's supporting cast is equally impressive, with appearances from Luke Benward as Jace's new friend and wrestling teammates, and Alessandra Torresani as Jace's love interest, Mary Beth Rice. Torresani brings a fresh and genuine energy to the film, adding to its feel-good nature without distracting from the story's weightier themes.

Going to the Mat is a movie about not letting circumstances stand in the way of dreams and aspirations, no matter how difficult they may seem. It teaches viewers about the values of teamwork, perseverance, and courage, and should inspire anyone, no matter their age, to follow their passions and reach their full potential.

The film's high school wrestling scenes are impressively choreographed and realistic, and the cinematography captures the intensity and drama of the sport. The soundtrack adds an extra layer of emotions to the film, with songs from pop-punk band Simple Plan and contemporary Christian singer-songwriter FFH. Properly incorporating music provides an extra layer of emotions to the film.

Overall, Going to the Mat is a classic, must-see sports movie that will appeal to anyone who loves a good underdog story. It is a timeless film whose themes will never grow old, inspiring audiences to be true to themselves and pursue their dreams, no matter what obstacles they may face.

Going to the Mat is a 2004 tv movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7.