Brian Tyree Henry takes flight in inspiring boxing drama

“As long as I box…I’ll be fine.”

Boxing legend Claressa Shields has a great nickname, one she’s had since she was 11. She’s often called “T-Rex” because of her skinny frame and short arms, which she used to swing around with little control. That was until she was trained by her coach, Jason Crutchfield, who helped Claressa go from amateur to Olympic champion at just 17 years old.

Claressa Shields may be known today as one of the best female boxers who ever lived – scratch that… some would say she’s one of the best living boxers so farThat’s because she’s fought hard to close the gender pay gap in sports since she was a teenager, while winning multiple Olympic gold medals and breaking records that even men in boxing have yet to come close to breaking.

“The Fire Inside” tells Claressa’s story from age 11 to the present, with help from actress Ryan Destiny (“Grown-ish”), who embodies the boxer throughout much of her emerging athletic career. Directed by Rachel Morrison in her feature directorial debut after years as a cinematographer on projects like “Black Panther” and “Mudbound” (she was the first woman nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography for the latter), the film is based on Claressa’s true story of struggle and breaking barriers, and Morrison pulls no punches.

The film reveals much about Claressa’s poverty-stricken life in Flint, Michigan, where she helps raise her siblings under the roof of a single mother who continually makes poor decisions. A survivor of abuse at a young age, Claressa fights every battle with strength and tenacity—and not always in the ring. Under the tutelage of Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry), she has an improbable rise from Nationals to Olympic trials, all the way to the 2012 London Olympics.

But the film isn’t primarily about Olympic glory and how she became the only American (male or female) to bring home a gold medal in boxing in the past 20 years. After winning the Olympics, Claressa is surprised and bitter to realize that there are no endorsements for female boxers, no recognition with the money to show for it, and a life reduced to paying her mother’s bills by signing autographs at the local bowling alley.

Driven by anger, spite, determination, perseverance and the fire in her soul that won’t give up, she chooses an alternative route for her second attempt at the Olympics in 2016. Claressa is a fighter after all and she embarks on a journey to challenge the male dominated status quo to fight for equal pay and an equal opportunity to be seen and heard by the powers that be. It’s not easy and she resorts to some terrible actions before she finds her voice that propels her towards a different kind of goal. A goal to ensure that women’s sports are not only considered but also paid equally to men’s.

“The Fire Inside” is a monumental achievement for the talented cast and director Rachel Morrison, who never wavers in her commitment to showcasing a steadfast overachiever in Claressa Shields. Highlighted by a stunning performance from Ryan Destiny and the stoicism of Brian Tyree Henry, the film is a winner from first frame to last. The post-Olympic scenes are what set this film apart from similar films of the genre like “Million Dollar Baby,” as we witness the struggle of Claressa’s life in her bravery to deal with the fuel that fuels her ambition.

Written by Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”), the film’s best moments come from the subtle ways Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry take their real-life characters to new heights through collaboration. Their characters’ founding relationship breaks new ground for true-life sports dramas due to the oft-ignored color barrier and gender pay gap. The actors give this story the heart it needs without diminishing the history it offers.