At first blush, Slap Shot’s story line feels like a cliche. In the film, Charlestown Chiefs’ team captain Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman) is struggling to save his comically inept semi-pro squad from a looming fire sale.

In The Wrestler, faded star Randy “The Ram” Robinson’s wizened face is severely disconnected from his freakish build. Look into Randy’s eyes, and you see a lonely, middle aged man clinging onto a distant past. Look at the rest of…