Spiritual Lessons From the 2009 Oscar Nominees

'The Wrestler': The Choices We Make Matter

2 nominations, including Best Actor

Shortly after we meet Randy "The Ram" Robinson someone suggests he's a near Christ-like figure—a "sacrificial Ram" who submits himself to torture and abuse to save his fans from ... boredom?

The analogy breaks down quickly. Turns out, Randy's a wayward sinner himself, longing for a touch of forgiveness, a taste of redemption. "I'm an old and broken-down piece of meat," he tells his estranged daughter. "I'm alone. I deserve to be all alone. I just don't want you to hate me." But the road to redemption proves too hard for Randy to follow.

Randy winds up sacrificing himself—not as a savior, but a gladiator. He exchanges the life of a broken man for the death of a pile-driving icon, accepting a final embrace from the shouting hordes that loved him. The choices we make matter, this movie tells us—and sometimes they can be nearly impossible to overcome.