The Last Champion is out now On Demand and is just the inspiring tale we need in 2020. Co-screenwriter Ivy Withrow sat with The Movie Mensch for an exclusive interview where she revealed the origins of this heartwarming story about a disgraced wrestler who returns to his hometown and discovers a shot at redemption that few ever get.
Cole Hauser portrays John Wright, who won at wrestling at every stage that he competed. When he got to the Olympics, he won Gold—then was stripped when his drug test came back positive for steroids. His small town of Garfield, Washington, took it personally as an affront to the community and John disappeared into the dustbin of history.
When he returns home to handle his mother’s death, he cannot ignore the elephant in the room, and believe it or not, wrestling salvation might not be that far off after all.
Withrow told us about what it was about this particular sports story that she believes is emblematic of what makes that milieu so powerful. The screenwriter also dishes why her family loves to shoot and set their movies in Eastern Washington. After all, their last one, The Mooring, was also shot in the Inland Pacific Northwest.