‘Christie’ star Sidney Sweeney says she was bullied as a child
Sidney Sweeney and Ben Foster talk with USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa about the movie “Christie” and their childhoods.
Audiences aren’t rushing to the Octagon to watch Sidney Sweeney’s sports biopic.
Christie, Sweeney’s new film about the life of pioneering professional boxer Christie Martin, opened to $1.3 million after opening on November 7, making it the worst box office gross of its size in history (Box Office Mojo).
It ranks 12th on the list of worst wide openings among films released in over 2,000 theaters, and 9th when excluding rereleases.
After the box office numbers were announced, Sweeney reflected on social media how “proud” he was to tell Martin’s story.
Sweeney posted a behind-the-scenes photo on Instagram on Monday, Nov. 10, with the caption, “I’m so proud of this movie,” adding, “I’m so proud to be able to represent a strong and resilient person like Christy Martin.”
The actress touted the film’s efforts to raise awareness about domestic violence, adding, “We all went into this film believing that Christie’s story could save lives.”
In 2010, Martin was stabbed, shot and left to die by her trainer and then-husband of 19 years, James Martin (played in the film by Ben Foster). He was convicted of attempted second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison nearly two years later.
“Thank you to everyone who saw it, felt it, believed it, and will continue to believe in us for years to come,” Sweeney continued. “If Christie inspired even one woman to take that first step towards safety, we would have succeeded. We don’t always make art for numbers, we make it for impact, and Christie is the most impactful project of my life.”
The film follows Martin as he overcomes sexism and abuse to become a world champion. She was the first woman to sign a promotional contract with boxing promoter Don King. The first female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, she competed from 1989 until the mid-2010s, holding the World Boxing Council Women’s Super Welterweight Title in 2009. Martin was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020.
“Christie” grew out of Sweeney’s success in “Anyone But You,” a romantic comedy made famous by “Euphoria,” alongside Glen Powell. But it also grew out of other significant failures, including “Americana” and the controversial American Eagle ad that played on words to portray a jeans-wearing Sweeney as having “good genes.” Critics said the jeans campaign amounted to a dog whistle against eugenics and white glorification.
Sweeney, who is also a biopic producer for Fifty Fifty Films, said “the reaction was definitely surprising” to the American Eagle ad and that it was “unrealistic” for the president and vice president of the United States to comment on it, but noted that much of the chatter didn’t get through to her.
“I was like, I just put my phone away,” she told GQ. “I was filming every day. I’m filming ‘Euphoria,’ so I’m working 16 hours a day, but I don’t really bring my phone on set, so I just work and then go home and sleep. So I didn’t really watch it.”
Contributed by Ralphie Aversa and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
