Documentary Review: ‘The Ronda Rousey Story: Through My Father’s Eyes’

Ronda Rousey has spent most of her life fighting. On February 1st, 1987, she had to fight for her life after being born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. For the next few years, Ronda battled health issues that hindered her communication with family and friends. Then she began to fight for fun, glory, and money. Rousey began training in judo with her mother at the age of 11 and became a 2-time Olympian by the age of 21. In 2010, tired of fighting for her country and struggling to pay her rent, Ronda decided to enter the violent and male-dominated world of MMA. Over the next six years, Ronda achieved athletic glory by becoming the first female UFC champion, developing a worldwide following, and earning paychecks the 99% dream of. Lionsgate chronicles her rise from humble beginnings to superstardom in “The Ronda Rousey Story: Through My Father’s Eyes,” which will be available Digitally and On Demand November 19th.

Writer and Director Gary Stretch’s greatest strength is being a former WBC International Light Middleweight Boxing champion and knowing how to talk to athletes about the work, sacrifices, and pressures involved with being one of the best in the world. Everyone from Gene “Godfather of Grappling” LeBell, to Dana White and UFC Heavyweight champion and actor Randy Couture give very candid interviews about their experiences in the sport, as well as their professional relationships with Ronda.

According to IMDB, this is the third project from Stretch, but it is actually the project he started first. He began working with Ronda and chronicling her rise nearly a decade ago in 2010. In addition to an extended production, “Through My Fathers Eyes” spent almost three years sitting on a shelf. Ronda’s meteoric rise came to an end in November 2015, breaking her heart and the chances of this film being released in theaters across the country.

Stretch’s inexperience is on display from the beginning with a very self-important voiceover during black and white shots of waves. Luckily, things even out after that, and the film settles into a fine (but not great) rhythm. One of the movie’s strangest choices was how it conducted its interviews. Sometimes Stretch is in the shot with his subjects; other times, it is just them with Gary speaking just out of frame; other times, it cuts back and forth from them to him. It is that last style that is particularly odd, not because it is the least common, but because of the sense of space it creates. In every interview that cuts back and forth, it feels like Gary is in a different location. It could be a sign of poor editing, making the best of a lost footage situation, or maybe even scheduling difficulties. Whatever the cause, I found it distracting every time.

“The Ronda Rousey Story: Through My Father’s Eyes” is an excellent watch for anyone who wants to know more about the former world judo champion, former MMA icon, and current WWE Superstar. Because a colleague and friend helmed the film, we only get the bright side of Ronda and no mention of some of her notable controversies. While occasionally overwrought, Stretch created a mostly entertaining but not completely honest look at this decade’s most dynamic athlete.