Lurie's "Champ"

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Another Sundance '07 selection worth settling into is one I've seen (in rough form): Rod Lurie's Resurrecting the Champ. I'm not going to spill anything, but the script -- written by Lurie, Allison Burnett, Michael Bortman and Chris Gerolmo -- has a fascinating second-act turn. The nominal plot is about a youngish, not quite established sports reporter (Josh Hartnett) lucking into a big story when he discovers that a squealy-voiced homeless guy (Samuel L. Jackson) is actually a former heavyweight boxing champion previously thought to be dead. But the title doesn't mean what you might think. Alan Alda and Peter Coyote give tangy supporting performances.