Beautiful Boxer

{{Infobox film

| name = Beautiful Boxer

| image = Beautifulboxermovieposter.jpg

| caption = Promotional release poster

| director = Ekachai Uekrongtham

| producer = Ekachai Uekrongtham

| writer = Desmond Sim
Ekachai Uekrongtham

| narrator =

| starring = Asanee Suwan
Sorapong Chatree

| music = Amornbhong Methakunavudh

| cinematography = Choochart Nantitanyatada

| editing =

| distributor = GMM Pictures
Regent Releasing (US)
TLA Releasing

| released = {{Film date|2003|11|28|Thailand|2004|2|7|Berlin}}

| runtime = 118 minutes

| country = Thailand

| language = Thai
English
Japanese

| budget =

}}

Beautiful Boxer ({{langx|th|บิวตี้ฟูล บ๊อกเซอร์}}) is a 2003 Thai biographical sports film produced, directed and co-written by Ekachai Uekrongtham. It tells the life story of Parinya Charoenphol (a.k.a. Nong Toom), a famous kathoey, Muay Thai fighter, actress and model. Charoenphol was portrayed by male kickboxer Asanee Suwan.{{cite book |author=Mary J. Ainslie, Katarzyna Ancuta|date=2018 |title=Thai Cinema: The Complete Guide |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4eiWDwAAQBAJ|quote=Beautiful Boxer[...]This 2003 biopic based on the life of famed transgender Muay Thai champion, Parinya Charoenphol or "Nong Toom" (played by Asanee Suwan)... |publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing|page= |isbn=9781838609252}}[http://sports.sohu.com/20101129/n277982553.shtml 变性拳王欲参加中泰拳赛夺一分中方恐拒绝] {{in lang|zh}}

Cast

Asanee Suwan as Nong Toom / Parinya Charoenphol
Sorapong Chatree as Pi Chart
Orn-Anong Panyawong as Parinya Charoenphol's mother
Nukkid Boonthong as Parinya Charoenphol's father
Sitiporn Niyom as Nat
Kyoko Inoue as herself (female Japanese wrestler)
Sarawuth Tangchit as Parinya Charoenphol (as a child)
Keagan Kang as Jack the reporter

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 81% based on 36 critics. The website's critical consensus reads: "Beautiful Boxer blends boxing and identity politics to create a striking, if overdrawn, portrait of self discovery."{{cite web |title=Beautiful Boxer (2005) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/beautiful_boxer/ |accessdate=8 December 2018 |language=en}}

There was controversy in Thailand about the full frontal nudity in this film. For the Thai release, the nudity was cut.

The movie was highlighted in the book Movies and Mental Illness: Using Films to Understand Psychopathology as an example of films focusing on gender dysphoria.{{cite book |author=Danny Wedding, Ryan M Niemiec|date= 2014|title=Movies and Mental Illness: Using Films to Understand Psychopathology |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WJybEAAAQBAJ|location= |publisher=Hogrefe Publishing GmbH|page= |isbn=9781613344613}}

Awards and nominations

;Won

Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival – Best Feature Film
Thailand National Film Association Awards – Best Actor (Asanee Suwan), Best Makeup (Kraisorn Sampethchareon)
San Sebastián International Film Festival – Sebastian Award
Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival – Best Film
Outfest – Achievement Award – Outstanding Emerging Talent (Ekachai Uekrongtham)

;Nominated

GLAAD Media Awards – Outstanding Film{{cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Silvia |title=Thai director turns on Chinese-language Pleasure Factory |url=https://www.screendaily.com/thai-director-turns-on-chinese-language-pleasure-factory/4030530.article |accessdate=8 December 2018 |work=Screen |date=29 January 2007 |language=en}}

References

External links

{{official website|http://www.beautifulboxer.com/|Beautiful Boxer}}
[http://www.beautifulboxer-themovie.com Official U.S. Site]
{{IMDb title|0401248}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081225152457/http://www.maverickhouse.com/book.html?bid=90&title=Ladyboys&no_cache=1%2F "Ladyboys: The Secret World of Thailand's Third Gender"] by Susan Aldous and Pornchai Sereemongkonpol published 2008 by Maverick House Publishers

Category:2003 films

Category:2003 biographical drama films

Category:2000s sports drama films

Category:Thai biographical films

Category:Thai LGBTQ-related films

Category:Thai-language films

Category:2000s English-language films

Category:2000s Japanese-language films

Category:Biographical films about sportspeople

Category:Boxing films

Category:Films about trans women

Category:Sports films based on actual events