by James Caldwell, Assistant editor

The era of calling french fries "freedom fries" has come and gone, but there is still a lingering leeriness in the U.S. to associate with France. The feeling is apparently mutual.

Enter Mickey Rourke, lead actor for "The Wrestler," as a curious case study on U.S.-French relations.

Hollywood studios in the U.S. would not take a chance on "The Wrestler" due to Mickey Rourke's reputation as a washed-up actor, but director Darren Aronofsky was set on using Rourke, not Nicholas Cage, in the lead role.

In a stroke of good fortune, the only company willing to finance "The Wrestler" was a French company, and it came from the country's fascination and support of Rourke, even in his well-documented lean times.

The source of financing behind the movie is not a subject openly discussed when promoting the film's release in the U.S., but without this connection between Rourke and France, "The Wrestler" probably doesn't become a finished product.

"They never saw Mr. Rourke as a wash-up; or rather, they quite liked that about him. The actor’s unpopularity in his own land made the French admire him all the more," reports the New York Times.

After Fox Searchlight picked up U.S. distribution of "The Wrestler" to help promote awareness for the award-winning film, the French could turn on Rourke because he's now accepted by the U.S. public again.

"Failure in America is a recipe for success in France, a nation that takes perverse pride in marching out of step with the leader of the free world," reports the Times. "It’s not inconceivable that Mr. Rourke’s comeback in Hollywood could invite a backlash across the ocean."

The movie opens in France next month and most critics have positively reviewed the movie, but it will be telling how U.S. acceptance affects France box office sales.

Link: New York Times article on Rourke.

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