Synopsis

Former boxer Arturo Ortega devotes himself to training his three sons, determined to give them the professional career he lost. As the boys begin attracting attention in the ring, an ambitious manager offers to guide their rise, threatening Arturo's control and the family's unity. The resulting struggle tests whether boxing success is worth the personal cost of allowing ambition to divide them.

Factoids & Trivia

• The screenplay was written by Phil Berger, a former New York Times boxing correspondent, bringing professional familiarity with the sport to the story.

• The film marked Carlos Avila's feature directing debut.

• Production credits include Moctesuma Esparza, Robert Katz, and Arthur E. Friedman. New Line Cinema handled the theatrical distribution.

• Filming took place in Huntington Park, California, and Nogales, Arizona.

• The film opened in the United States on March 31, 2000, with a reported budget of approximately $18 million.

• Its domestic theatrical run brought in about $3.44 million, while the worldwide total was approximately $3.55 million.

• The movie's marketing became a subject of industry discussion after its opening. Producers argued that the campaign framed it too narrowly as a Latino-targeted film instead of presenting it as a broadly accessible story about a boxing family.

• A Spanish-language advertising campaign was reportedly supported by a $2.2 million budget, while the English-language campaign was criticized for beginning too late and relying heavily on limited television exposure.

• The film received several ALMA Award nominations in 2001.

• Boxing footage and dramatic scenes were photographed by Affonso Beato, while the music was composed by Joseph Julian Gonzalez.