Fighting With My Family is 2019 biographical film about a former wrestler and his family who make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment.
There is much to be celebrated with WWE Studios’ Fighting with My Family. A successful Sundance premiere and an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the Critics Consensus being, “Much like the sport it celebrates, Fighting with My Family muscles past clichés with a potent blend of energy and committed acting that should leave audiences cheering.” Another aspect of the film worth acknowledging is the original score by composer Vik Sharma, which Blur’s Graham Coxon also contributed to. In the below exclusive interview Vik describes the score as very guitar centered to match the personalities in the film. He also discusses what sort of direction he got from the director, Stephen Merchant, along with many other things.
What was one of the first things you did when beginning work on the film?
Vik Sharma: I was excited – I did a bunch of stuff simultaneously! I saw the original documentary on which the film is based, researched the WWE, Paige, her family. I familiarized myself with the sound world of the WWE, particularly the work of Jim Johnston, the WWE in-house composer. I started to re-familiarize myself with rock music, putting together a playlist of stuff that seemed to work as I read the script. I started working on some preliminary musical ideas that I could send to the director, Stephen Merchant. And I started reaching out to some musicians who I thought could help on the project, the first being Jason Cooper from The Cure.
READ MORE: Our full review of Stephen Merchant‘s Fighting With My Family
Stephen Merchant both wrote and directed Fighting with My Family. What sort of direction did he give you about the score?
VS: One of the first things he said was that he wanted it to be guitar-led. But he didn’t want it to be pastiche or novelty in anyway, it had to emote and be nimble enough to quickly change direction. Once I started sending some stuff, it became clear that he didn’t want strings, pads or piano either and that simplicity and rawness was the most effective way to get to the truth of the characters. Ultimately – in all his work – Merchant’s characters can be clowns and make fools of themselves but he insists their internal logic and emotional authenticity be paramount. That’s how he’s able to make bold moves from comedy into drama and pathos work so seamlessly.
We read that you watched and read a lot of interviews with Paige and her family before starting work on the film. In all of those interviews what stuck out to you most about them?
VS: That those things that set us apart, that we get bullied or marginalized for are the very things that make us special. That those among us who prize conformity and homogeneity lack the imagination, daring and ambition to blaze a trail.
As a composer, what do you think is the most important thing to accomplish when working on a film like this?
VS: This film has a lot of laughs – it’s a feel-good story. But the movie doesn’t laugh at Paige and her family, it celebrates them. This film a love letter to their heart and spirit. The music had to share in this celebration – not to help deliver punchlines, but contribute to a rich storytelling experience.
In the film Paige comes to America from the UK to compete for a spot on the WWE. Did the score change at all from the British to American scenes?
VS: It does change yes, as she moves further away from her roots, the music becomes colder, more distant. But her move to the US also coincides with a downturn in the fortunes of both Paige and her brother, Zak. Consequently, the music becomes more dramatic; more serious. We used a clean reverb guitar and reversed elements rather than anything distorted to help achieve this.
Graham Coxon from Blur helped contribute to the film’s score. What was that collaboration like?
VS: It was fantastic. It’s not often an opportunity to work with someone like that, so gifted but humble and open to new ideas – disposed to collaboration. There was never any tension in the studio, he was always very supportive and encouraging. He’s a groove and a gas, hats off to Graham Coxon!
What would be your dream project to work on?
VS: I’ll do anything! But working with an open-minded director on a film with a great script and the potential of collaborating with a brilliant bunch of players to help realize his vision – that’s the stuff I dream about.