THE FIGHTER' COMES HOME "He Looked Really Grimy and He Had Disgusting Teeth."
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.THE FIGHTER' COMES HOME "He looked really grimy and he had disgusting teeth." Bryan, a manager at Humanity clothing boutique in By Rita Savard, [email protected] Lowell, had no idea if the scene would appear in the movie. But last night, in a sold-out theater at Updated: 12/10/2010 09:53:07 AM EST Showcase Cinema, she saw the camera sweep by her. LOWELL -- Lights. Camera. Action. Bale had more than one kissing scene, including a Lowellians got a taste of Hollywood last night as The Fighter landed its first public screening in pretty steamy makeout session with Lowell resident C~anty Lowell. Sok, who plays a prominent role as Karen, Dicky's crackhead girlfriend. Shot almost exclusively in the Mill City, the story about boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's epic rise through The film opened a door for the 26-year-old model the ranks hit home with two hours of familiar and aspiring actress, giving Sok her first significant backdrops -- and faces. part in a Hollywood movie. From cameos to prominent roles, several residents The packed movie theater -- seating about 340 - earned their 15 seconds of fame, and then some. erupted in applause whenever a local graced the screen. It's been more than a year since Vanessa Bryan was on East Merrimack Street, being filmed in a scene Before the movie began, Arthur Ramalho, owner of with Mark Wahlberg, who plays Ward, .and Christian Ramalho's West End Gym where Micky and Dicky Bale, who plays Ward's half brother, Dicky Eklund. learned to box, . "It was me and four other girls," she says. "We had to received a standing ovation. Ramalho also has kind of hoot and holler, you know, yell out several scenes in the movie. things like 'hey baby' at Micky and Dicky." Bryan said the film crew put the girls' names in a hat. The name that came out of the hat was going to get to make out with Bale in the scene, she said. "We were all crossing our fingers but it turned out to be one of my friends that got to do that scene," she says. Turns out, that girl wasn't so excited. "This wasn't Batman Christian Bale," Bryan laughs. The biggest breakthrough role was for Lowell Police Sgt. Mickey O'Keefe, who plays himself in the movie. Lowell City Councillor Rita Mercier, left, and Deb Belanger, executive director of the Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, attend the pre-screening party for The Fighter, in which both had cameo appearances. Chanty Sok of Lowell appears in The (SUN/Julia Malakie ) Fighter. Photo by Joe Sinthavong & Darion (Mao/Kojo Studio) Having trained Ward for the comeback of his boxing career, Wahlberg insisted O'Keefe play the part to Brenda Maille, a lawyer who practices family law in capture the realness and intensity of someone who Lowell, never set out to be an actress. But acting, knew fighting and who knew Micky and Dicky. she says, was on her "bucket list." O'Keefe, who never acted, was hesitant at first, but In a scene filmed inside the Olympia Restaurant, Wahlberg told him he could do it because as a Maille is sitting at the bar, drinking a martini. police officer, he has to act and think fast on his feet. "They said to show up and bring muted-colored clothes, things that would have been in style in the When O'Keefe first walked on camera, last night's '90s," she says. Lowell-centric crowd went wild. When she arrived, the wardrobe person handed her Lowell itself plays a starring role, with its five a "leopard print, shiny big shoulder-padded shirt." corner intersections, clapboard flat-iron buildings and a blue-collar spirit that helped drive Dicky, and "I enjoyed every minute of it," Maille says. "Just then Micky, to fame in the ring. watching what happens while they're filming is really interesting. So much work goes into a single scene, it's amazing." Micky Ward, right, greets his adoring fans at a special premiere-night party at the Courtyard-By-Marriott Hotel in Lowell last night. About 300 fans bought tickets for Lowell's debut screening of "The Fighter" at Showcase Cinema. sun/julia Malakie Sun staff photos can be ordered by visiting our MyCapture site. Before last night's screening, Ward told a large crowd attending a pre-party at the Courtyard Marriott that the movie might show parts of Lowell people may not like. "But that's any city," Ward says. "I love Lowell and I always come back to it." The crowd at Showcase seemed to agree, as cheers and applause rolled with the film credits. Last night's screening had sold out within the first hour of ticket sales about two weeks ago, even at $75 a pop. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to Team Micky Ward Charities, which Ward established seven years a go to help needy children and families in Lowell. The Fighter opened to the general public at Lowell's Showcase Cinema shortly after midnight today. W ard's home city was chosen to receive the film early. The Fighter will land in theaters nationwide on Dec. 17..