Sydney Sweeney Transforms into Boxing Legend Christy Martin

Australian director-writer duo Dave Michod and Mirrah Foulkes have collaborated with Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney to create a gripping biopic titled Christy. The film chronicles the life of Christy Martin, who made history as America’s first prominent female boxing champion. While the narrative begins with the familiar underdog theme, it evolves into a harrowing exploration of coercive control and domestic violence.

Sweeney, known for her previous roles, has undergone a significant physical transformation to portray the brash boxer from West Virginia. Speaking from London, she reflected on her initial ignorance of Martin’s story. “To be honest, I didn’t know who Christy was before I read the script,” Sweeney said. “I remember calling my team right afterwards, and I was like, ‘I don’t care. I have to be this person.’”

Transformative Training for a Tough Role

Preparing for the role demanded rigorous training, as Sweeney had to adapt her body and mindset for the physically demanding character. “You have to train every day. I was drinking protein shakes after protein shakes after protein shakes, having to plug my nose and just chug it. It’s so gross,” she explained. “Weight training morning and night, boxing all day. So that’s a physical and mental challenge on its own.”

Achieving authenticity in the boxing scenes was paramount for Michod. He emphasized the importance of realism, stating, “It was very important to me from the outset that the fighting feels real… Sydney just wanted to hit people and get hit herself.”

While much of the attention during the film’s promotion has centered on Sweeney’s physical transformation, the film delves deeper into Martin’s tumultuous relationship with her coach-husband, Jim Martin. The narrative shifts as Jim’s controlling nature intensifies, drawing Christy into a dark world of substance abuse and emotional manipulation, exacerbated by the re-emergence of her former girlfriend, Rosie, portrayed by Jess Gabor.

Exploring Coercive Control in Film

The filmmakers aimed to highlight the complex dynamics of coercive control through Martin’s story. Michod expressed a desire to understand how such relationships function, noting, “I mean, Christy is a powerful woman, but stayed married to this man 25 years her senior for 20 years. How does that function?” Foulkes added that they saw the potential to present domestic violence within the framework of a familiar sports narrative, describing it as “a kind of gay boxing drama about domestic violence and coercive control.”

Following a successful premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, Christy encounters the same challenges faced by other star-driven films this summer, which have struggled at the box office. High-profile actors like Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, and Dwayne Johnson have also seen their films fail to attract large audiences. According to trade magazine Variety, these setbacks pose an existential dilemma for the film industry, especially amid the ongoing tensions between major studios such as Warner Bros Discovery and streaming giants like Netflix.

For those who wish to fully appreciate Martin’s harrowing journey, watching Christy in a cinema setting is highly recommended. Michod’s direction intensifies the emotional weight as viewers witness Martin’s life reach a dark and impactful conclusion.

Ultimately, the filmmakers awaited Christy Martin’s reaction to the film with great anticipation. Michod recalled the moment they received her response: “We were sick with anxiety. The surrender we were asking for was huge. Then Christy and (her partner) Lisa called and said, ‘No notes. We love it.’ We cried.” This affirmation from Martin underscores the film’s authenticity and emotional resonance, hoping to shed light on the darker aspects of relationships that often remain hidden.