“Cinderella Man” Entertainment Art Directed by Ron Howard Written by Cliff Hollingsworth Starring Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger and Paul Giamatti Rated PG-13 for intense boxing violence and some language.

But Howard saves his most intriguing cinematic approach for Braddock’s climactic fight against heavyweight champion Max Baer (Craig Bierko). While the smaller Braddock perseveres in silent, focused steadiness, Baer tries to goad him verbally and physically, only to fall back on his brutal fighting style when he sees that Braddock won’t go down. Bierko’s Baer is a manipulative creep, but he’s not heartless, so we actually care about him. All the acting awards will focus on the bigger stars, but Bierko’s portrayal is the most surprising of the film.

Not surprising is the performance that should get the most attention here – Paul Giamatti’s as the wise-ass fight manager Joe Gould. Giamatti, always able to immerse himself entirely in a role, plays Gould as a guy who knows the score, taking the right risks at the right time. His jubilant, profanity-laced locker room speech after Braddock wins a comeback bout should end up as an Internet soundbyte favorite. But Giamatti also plays the widest variety of emotional levels of any character in the film, including a terrific scene in which he and his wife (Linda Kash) admit that despite appearances, the Depression has also hit them hard.

Sadly limited to the narrowest range is Renee Zellweger as Braddock’s wife, Mae. Sure, she’s a woman of her time and her character stays away from the action because she can’t bear to see her husband hit, but Zellweger’s been much more entertaining in several other films ("Cold Mountain," "Bridget Jones’ Diary," "Jerry Maguire"). Her best scene is in the prologue, when she straddles her husband’s lap and delivers a speech about him as the future champion. Every other time she says much in the film, it’s through clenched emotions, which may be Howard’s or the scriptwriters’ (Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman) fault or Zellweger may just be better suited to intelligent comedy.

But lest you believe that this is a soap opera with boxing sequences, the real triumph of the film lies in scenes that show the very real effects of the Great Depression on Americans. The Braddocks live in a basement apartment and their three children (Connor Price, Ariel Waller, Patrick Louis) share a bed. The regular diet is fried bologna, and Mae can’t stop a man from shutting off their heat in the dead of winter because he’ll lose his job if he doesn’t. Howard also uses the kid actors perfectly, limiting their dialogue and focusing on sincere sadness and determination over wide-eyed cuteness. And I love the selective use of driving minor-keyed Irish fiddle music.

One of Crowe’s best scenes is when he goes to the boxing commission – a couple dozen suits with cigars and brandy – to beg for the $18 he needs to get his heat turned back on. A powerful subplot about a pal (Paddy Considine) who ends up beaten by police in Central Park’s Hooverville also underscores the desperation of the time. And when the Madison Square Garden crowd gathers for the climactic bout, they’re <i>all</i> in Braddock’s corner, not the superstar Baer’s. This is not just an underdog-makes-big Rocky story. We are truly moved by Braddock’s – and America’s – plight, and thus Howard earns his 4 stars.

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