| Bigger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | George Gallo |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Michael Negrin |
| Music by | Jeff Beal |
Production company | Bee Holder Productions |
| Distributed by | Freestyle Releasing |
Release dates |
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Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Bigger (styled as Bigger: The Joe Weider Story) is a 2018 American comedy-drama film by director George Gallo about the life of real life bodybuilders Joe and Ben Weider. [1] [2]
Brothers Joe and Ben Weider were the architects of Muscle . Against all odds, they launched an empire. Along the way they discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger, inspired female empowerment, championed diversity, and started a movement that changed the world of bodybuilding in the United States.
Before Ben's Jewish funeral in 2008, Joe tells the story to a writer, and the events of his life are shown in flashbacks. Joe's mother didn't want him, and after he sneaked into the circus with Ben in 1932 Montreal, she beat him. Bullies steal the money Joe earned by his hard work as a boy, so Joe begins working out, inspired by the magazines of Bill Hauk. Joe also draws men with muscles, and he becomes a competitive weightlifter. Though his father is supportive, his mother thinks he is wasting his life, and he leaves home with Ben.
Joe studies bodies and fitness and intends to teach people to be their best selves, and not just in competition, with his own magazine. He meets his first wife at the university library, but they break up over his obsessive behavior and her unwillingness to let him improve himself. Joe also quits a job working for an anti-Semitic restaurant owner.
During World War II, Ben enlists, but Joe is told his work to make people fit can do more good than actually serving, since the military needs men who are fit. Roy Hawkins invites Joe to New York City and says he wants Joe's magazine to be part of his company. In New Jersey, Joe builds a successful business.
Joe enters several men in the Mr. Universe contest but is told they can't compete because they are professionals. Joe threatens to have his own competition, and his men are allowed to continue. Soon, Ben is running the International Federation of Body Building and has the goal of making bodybuilding an Olympic event.
Joe and Ben move to California where there is more interest in fitness. At Jack LaLanne's gym, Joe meets the pretty Betty and they begin a relationship, eventually getting married.
Bill ridicules Joe throughout the movie, but his associate Jerry finally has had enough, and he goes to work for Joe and Ben, who start their own fitness competition called Mr. Olympia. This happens despite Hawkins' business going under, forcing the brothers to go out on their own. And Ben has to take another job at first.
As Joe looks at photos of interested men, he sees the ideal man, the man he drew as a child. His name is Arnold, and he is from Austria. No one wants to try to pronounce his last name. Joe goes to Austria and asks Arnold to come to California. People like him, and he enters the Mr. Olympia contest and wins.
Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes a major movie star, and Joe's company succeeds.
Ben is praised at the funeral.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 20% based on 10 reviews, and an average rating of 4.3/10. [3] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 37 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [4] Michael Rechtshaffen of Los Angeles Times wrote: "Without a sturdier script featuring fully dimensional characters... the performances prove to be as unconvincing as their ethnic accents and period wigs." [5]
Francesco Maria Columbu was an Italian-American bodybuilder, powerlifter, actor, author, producer, and a licensed chiropractor.
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest in the open division at Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually and is sanctioned by the IFBB Professional League. Joe Weider created the contest to enable the amateur Mr. Universe winners to continue competing and to earn money. The first Mr. Olympia was held on September 18, 1965, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, with Larry Scott winning his first of two straight titles. The equivalent female title is Ms. Olympia.
Benjamin Weider, was a Canadian soldier, author, historian, fitness proponent, benefactor of the arts, and entrepreneur. He co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) alongside his brother Joe Weider. The Weiders also founded many successful businesses including gyms, nutritional supplements and magazines such as Muscle & Fitness.
Shawn I. Ray is a former professional bodybuilder and author.
Frank Zane is a retired American professional bodybuilder and author. He is a three-time Mr. Olympia, and his physique is considered one of the greatest in the history of bodybuilding due to his meticulous focus on symmetry and proportion. He was inducted in the IFBB Hall of Fame in 1999.
Larry Dee Scott, nicknamed "The Legend" and "The Golden Boy," was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder. He won the inaugural 1965 Mr. Olympia competition and defended the crown at the 1966 Mr. Olympia contest before retiring.
William Arnold Pearl was an American professional bodybuilder and athlete. During the 1950s and 60s, he won many titles and awards, including winning the Mr. Universe contest five times, and was named "World's Best-Built Man of the Century". He later became an expert trainer and author on bodybuilding.
The International Fitness and BodyBuilding Federation (IFBB), headquartered in Las Rozas (Madrid), is an international professional sports governing body for bodybuilding and fitness that oversees many of the sport's major international events, notably the World and Continental Championships.
Josef Weider was a Canadian bodybuilder and entrepreneur who co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) alongside his brother Ben Weider. He was also the creator of Mr. Olympia, Ms. Olympia, and the Masters Olympia bodybuilding contests. He was the publisher of various bodybuilding and fitness-related magazines, most notably Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Men's Fitness, and Shape, and the manufacturer of a line of fitness equipment and fitness supplements. In 2014, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.
Jason Isaac Cutler known professionally as Jay Cutler is an American retired professional bodybuilder. An IFBB Pro League bodybuilder, Cutler is a four-time Mr. Olympia winner, having won in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010; and a six-time runner-up, the most in history. He also won consecutive Arnold Classic titles in 2002, 2003, and 2004. In 2021, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.
The IFBB Professional League Ms. Olympia is professional bodybuilding's most prestigious competition and the title of the winner of the competition in female bodybuilding. It was first held in 1980. It was held as part of the Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend from 2000 to 2014 and since 2020.
Bill Dobbins is an American photographer who specializes in bodybuilding, physique and fitness photography. In particular, Dobbins is well known for his work in photographing female bodybuilders and has published two books of images on the subject, The Women and Modern Amazons.
Muscle & Fitness is an American fitness and bodybuilding magazine founded in 1935 by Canadian entrepreneur Joe Weider. It was originally published under the title Your Physique, before being renamed to Muscle Builder in 1954, and acquiring its current name in 1980. There is also a companion magazine called Muscle and Fitness Hers, oriented toward women.
Betty Brosmer, later known by her married name Betty Weider, is an American former bodybuilder and physical fitness expert. During the 1950s, she was a popular commercial model and pin-up girl.
The 1971 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held September 25, 1971 at the Maison de la Mutualité in Paris, France. It was the 7th Mr. Olympia competition held.
National Fitness Hall of Fame is an American hall of fame for notable fitness professionals. It includes notable figures involved in fitness instruction, training, education, fitness management and product development. The mission is to recognize and support fitness professionals for their dedication to helping others "Get Fit and Stay Healthy" and provide programs and services that helps all individuals achieve a better level of health and fitness.
Bodybuilding in the Philippines refers to the bodybuilding sport practiced by Filipino bodybuilders in the Philippines to be able to compete in local and international bodybuilding competitions. According to Filipino sports reporter Bill Velasco of The Philippine Star newspaper, the Philippines has a "long-standing history of bringing glory to the Philippines".
The 2017 Mr. Olympia contest was a weekend long IFBB professional bodybuilding competition that was held on September 14 to 17, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the 53rd Mr. Olympia competition celebrated. The weekend competition is also known as the Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend. While the main event was the competition for the title of Mr. Olympia, several other events were held which includes the Amateur competition and sports expo.
The International Sports Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is a section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2012 by Dr. Robert M. Goldman to honor exceptional athletes and sporting figures for their accomplishments and dedication to furthering the fields of sports and physical culture.
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