TOUGH ENOUGH

US, 1982, 101 minutes, Colour.
Dennis Quaid, Carlene Watkins, Warren Oates, Wilford Brimley, Stan Shaw, Pam Grier, Bruce McGill?.
Directed by Richard Fleischer.

Tough Enough is a pleasant Rocky derivative. It even acknowledges this in the training sequence. Denis Quaid (who sang in The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia) is an ambitious singer who has a capacity for fighting (and even a liking for it). Supported by a hesitant wife and by a black couple who befriend him, he enters the American Tough Man contest. Warren Oates in his final role portrays the organiser of the tough man contest.

The film, in many ways, has its cake and eats it. It portrays the fights fairly strongly, at times brutally, yet raises criticisms of the contest. The film has the touch of the fairy tale, echoing Rocky, where the simple young man eventually, through determination, becomes the champion and finishes what he undertook. Direction is by Richard Fleischer, a veteran of many genres of films from Tora! Toral Tora!, Dr. Doolittle, Fantastic Voyage, The Boston Strangler. A folksy film aimed at a wide audience, but pleasing in its way.

1. The title, the focus on boxing, the derivation from Rocky? The quality of the film in itself?

2. The authentic contemporary backgrounds: life in Fort Worth, Texas countryside, Detroit? The atmosphere of the cities? The musical score, the songs?

3. The boxing and the choreography for the bouts? Boxing skills, amateurs? Violence and brutality? Sport and talent? The circus atmosphere of the Tough Man contest ? and exploitation? visual impact, sound, editing?

4. The Texas country & western style? The variety of songs. Denis Quaid’s singing? Their TV presentation? The background score?

5. The title, the Tough Man contest, the point behind the contest, fans, contestants proving themselves, masculinity and macho style? Boxing and its skills? Its dangers? Political views? Attitudes of the fans? The response to fight and violence?

6. Art and his singing, his capacity for fighting, his appearance at the Wet Shirt contest, the tone of the film with its blend of music and fighting and Art as the country & western cowboy?

7. Art as a character, coming home, relationship with Caroline, with Chris? His singing and taking it seriously, wanting Caroline's support? Financial difficulties? The ups and downs of their relationship yet their solid marriage? His relationship with his parents? Going home, his mother's support, working with his father and talking about ambitions? His parents at the bout in Fort Worth? Grandfather looking after Chris? His father being pleased to accept his trophy? Supporting him in Detroit? A pleasing picture of the family?

8. Art and his singing, his composing songs, his ambitions, his singing on the television and the dedication to Caroline, the music going round in his mind during the bout - symbolising his success in his talent as well as his fighting? The background of the recording contract?

9. The encounter with Neese and his assistant? The Wet Shirt contest and Neese's razzamatazz? The invitation to the contest? Neese supporting him? The visualising of the various candidates? their signing up. Neese's interrogation. their names for the public? The bouts and their being rigged? Neese's palaver for the crowds? The huge auditorium? Art and his winning the contest? P.T. and his being eliminated? The effect of Art? Going home to Caroline? The ambitions to go back for winning? To go to Detroit? Caroline and her reluctance, her being persuaded?

10. The character of P.T. and Myra? The black couple in comparison with the white couple? P.T's boxing skill, success in the bouts, his being eliminated by Neese? The help for Art? Friendship, training? The discussions about going to Detroit, Myra and P.T. frightening Caroline in the van? The training in Detroit and the growing friendship?

11. The training sequences (and the echoes of Rocky), the gym and the workouts? The television interviews and Art singing his song, dedication to Caroline? The variety of contestants e.g. the married couples on the television show, Gay Bob and his friend?

12. The contract, joy for Art, Caroline's wanting him to opt out? The meal beginning in celebration and the change of mood? Art's determination to go on, Caroline's reluctance, the reconciliation before the fight? Neese discussing the bout with him in the locker room, the contract. Art realising Neese controlled everything?

13. The character of Neese, the entrepreneur, the smooth talk, the arrangements of the bouts, compering, the short rounds, the pressures, television politics, injuries and deaths, finance, his explaining to Art that the Tough Man contest was the equivalent of a circus and exploitation? His wanting Logan to win? His change of heart at the end and applauding Art?

14. Logan as the professional the harsh fight and the build-up by contrast with his winning his rounds and art winning his? Art and his being scared, the encouragement of P.T., the choreography of the final fight, his hearing the music and gaining the melody for the song as well as winning the fight? His reaction? The crowd supporting him?

15. The wide audience the film appealed to? A piece of Americana? The blend of toughness and tenderness? Hope for the American audience?