Synopsis

After serving 14 years in prison for taking the blame for an IRA bombing, Danny Flynn returns to his Belfast neighborhood determined to rebuild his life. He reopens a boxing gym, resumes his career in the ring, and reconnects with Maggie, the woman he once loved. As Danny pursues a peaceful future, old loyalties and political tensions threaten to pull him back into violence.

Factoids & Trivia

• Daniel Day-Lewis trained extensively for the role, boxing for roughly two and a half to three years and sparring for more than 350 rounds.

• Former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan coached Day-Lewis for the boxing scenes. McGuigan later said the actor had become skilled enough to compete with professional fighters.

• Although the story is set in Belfast, most of the film was shot in Dublin, particularly around the docklands and Sheriff Street area.

• The housing complex used in the production was scheduled for demolition, but its removal was delayed until filming had been completed. The area was later substantially redeveloped.

• One of the film's boxing matches, including its unusual outcome, was based on a real bout.

• The Boxer was the third feature collaboration between Daniel Day-Lewis and Jim Sheridan, following My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father.