Dad’s the word

As a former film critic for Los Angeles magazine, Rod Lurie has only one negative critique of “Resurrecting the Champ,” his upcoming film.

“Four stars!” the 45-year-old film director and screenwriter exclaimed. “Sam Jackson is going to win the Academy Award and Josh Hartnett should win it, but maybe he’s a little young. Alan Alda at his best. The only thing I would criticize is Rod Lurie’s performance in the opening scene.”

Before the film opens nationwide Thursday, local audiences will have an opportunity to see Lurie’s cameo at a special advanced screening presented by the Newport Beach Film Festival’s Orange County Film Society at the Lido Theatre.

The movie, which is based on a true story, centers on budding sports reporter Erik Kernan (Hartnett) who rescues a homeless man from a jam to find out he is former boxing great Battling Bob Satterfield (Jackson). In writing the story of his career, Kernan reexamines his own life, specifically his role as a husband and father.

“This is not a film about boxing. It’s a movie about fathers and sons and how we all yearn to be better fathers and what we need to do to achieve that,” Lurie said, comparing that aspect of the film to “Field of Dreams.”

Lurie’s interest in the story dates back to 1997, when L.A. Times Magazine reporter J.R. Moehringer wrote the article upon which the film is based. In the decade that passed since he approached producer Mike Medavoy, Lurie wrote and directed three other full-length films, including “The Contender” starring Gary Oldman, and two television shows, “Line of Fire” and “Commander in Chief.”

“Resurrecting the Champ” marks a break from the political genre for Lurie, though he is set to start shooting a new film with Kate Beckinsale titled “Nothing but the Truth” in the coming months.

“I was in danger of becoming hopelessly stereotyped as a political filmmaker,” he said, adding that he wanted to be in the industry since watching “Ben-Hur” at age 10. But as a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and the son of a noted political cartoonist, politics are in his blood. Fortunately, in addition to training him to be an Air Defense Artillery officer, the academy gave Lurie many of the skills he relies on as a filmmaker.

“West Point teaches you that no matter what, you’ve been in a tougher scrape than this,” he said. “It also taught me time management and not to panic in difficult situations.”

A Pasadena resident, Lurie is eager to show his heartwarming movie close to home, adding that he would have liked to film in Orange County but permits were cost-prohibitive, so he opted to film in Alberta, Canada.

“I’m really excited and proud to be part of this festival, particularly because I love the area so much,” he said. “Indie films like ‘Resurrecting the Champ’ could never survive if it were not for festivals like Newport’s.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Resurrecting the Champ,” presented by the Orange County Film Society

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. today

WHERE: Regency Lido Theatre, 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach

COST: $10; subscriptions to the Orange County Film Society, which include 10 general admission tickets to the Newport Beach Film Festival and numerous preview screenings and special events throughout the year, will be available for $175 or $300 for couples

INFO: Go to www.resurrecting thechamp.com or www.new portbeachfilmfest.com.

JESSIE BRUNNER may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at [email protected].