Fighting Tommy Riley is a 2004 American independent film that tells the story of Tommy Riley and Marty Goldberg, a boxer and his trainer, as they work to secure a title shot for Tommy. Their plans are complicated by the unrequited feelings Marty develops for Tommy. When a big-time promoter seeks to acquire Tommy's contract, Tommy endangers his future career because of his loyalty to Marty. Marty, seeing only one way to free Tommy to take his shot, takes his own life.
Directed by Eddie O'Flaherty, the film was written by J. P. Davis, who sold the script only on the condition that he himself would play Tommy. It also stars Eddie Jones as Marty, Christina Chambers as Stephanie, Diane Tayler as Diane Stone, and Paul Raci as Bob Silver.
Fighting Tommy Riley opened in limited release on May 6, 2005 to generally positive reviews, with Jones's performance as Marty frequently singled out for praise.
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Famous quotes containing the words fighting, tommy and/or riley:
“You listen to artists fighting with each other, competing to the death like gladiators, in order to see who is going to get into a show, who is going to make it, who isn’t: who is going to get a full-page ad and who is going to get a half-page. Then I think, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to go off somewhere and just do your work?””
—Howardena Pindell (b. 1943)
“Tommy: Life is short.
Alice Hyatt: So are you.”
—Robert Getchell, U.S. screenwriter, and Martin Scorsese. Tommy (Alfred Lutter)
“the ache here in the throat,
To know that I so ill deserve the place
Her arms make for me;”
—James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916)