Big George Foreman is the biographical sports and faith drama of Olympic gold medalist and world heavyweight champion, grill master, and pastor George Foreman (played by Khris Davis). It chronicles his life from childhood to his championship at age 45. It depicts his boxing career as well as his faith journey.
This is a 2-hour movie with a PG-13 rating. It depicts violence (fighting in and out the boxing rink), drinking, and adultery. There are themes of perseverance, overcoming anger, forgiveness, faith, and love. It’s a great movie that depicts the life of George Foreman, the hardships and mistakes as well as the victory.
The only thing I knew about George Foreman was that he was a boxer and grill master. My family had a George Foreman grill. We used the life out of it! Imagine my surprise to find out that he has been a pastor for over 40 years! There was so much more to George Foreman’s life than I could’ve imagined.
They called him Big George. He grew up in poverty and hardship with his mother and siblings. He harbored a lot of anger that landed him in trouble. Doc Broadus (Forest Whitaker) saw his potential, brought him into the world of boxing, and became his boxing coach before and after Big George’s coming to Jesus moment.
This is a great biopic. I enjoyed watching Big George’s life played out on the big screen, especially since I only knew of him as an athlete who was the spokesperson of a countertop grilling appliance. It tugs at your heart seeing the hardships his family went through, the ups and downs of his life, and the many redemption moments in his life (from faith to marriage to boxing career).
There were also lighthearted moments interspersed among the heavier ones throughout the film, giving a good balance to the story arc. I did find a couple of scenes on the cheesier side when they tried to be touching, but not enough to take away from the overall movie. There is one scene after Big George won the gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics that many may find confusing if they don’t know the history. I’m going to briefly explain it in the next paragraph. This is your spoiler warning!
In the scene, Big George returns home elated with his big Olympic gold medal win, but a few men confront him for waving a small American flag. They basically called him a sellout. This ignited Big George’s temper, he had a talk with his mom, and the scene moved on. Here’s the history behind this. In the 1968 Olympics, two black American athletes won the men’s 200 meters race. Tommie Smith won gold and John Carlos won bronze. At their medal award ceremony, they raised their black-gloved fists and wore black socks instead of shoes. This was their stand for civil rights. Australian athlete Peter Norman took silver and wore an American human rights badge in support. Smith and Carlos were banned from the Olympics for life. The Olympics were held in October. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated earlier in the year in April. Tensions were high in America, which was why the men confronted Big George for waving an American flag. It’s an important nod to history, but for people who don’t know the context, it may not make sense. Dealing with anger is one of the big themes in this movie and in Big George’s life, and this scene gives a deeper nuance to understanding that anger.
In the end, I really enjoyed Big George Foreman. It’s a great movie for teens and older, but especially for those who only knew George Foreman as a boxer or grill master. There’s always so much more to a person’s life and this movie shows us the more about George Foreman. Go watch it!
