just got back from the night's last showing of pain and gain, barely made it (had to go straight from the gym, of course). WOW! INCREDIBLE MOVIE!
thread title says it all... from pumping iron to pain and gain, how far we've come! in 1977 pumping iron was all about arnold's singular charisma (with lou providing the only counterpoint to keep things somewhat grounded in reality) and extolled his bullshit philosophy of bodybuilding (his delusional "artistic sculpting of the body") while making bodybuilding out to be some sort of goal in and of itself (complete with professional bodybuilding contests

i.e. the most wayward homosexual pageantry yet devised).
in 2013, pain and gain finally brings truth to the masses... or, i should say, reflects the truth OF the masses, because they already know it, instinctively. there's a single line in this movie which, with startling clarity,
sums up bodybuilding completely:
"I finally felt like others saw me the way I saw myself"
THAT is what bodybuilding is really about!!! and this movie demonstrates it beautifully. there's about 30 seconds of footage featuring a "bodybuilding competition" in the whole movie, and it's relegated to the background of the shot. instead, a story about some average joes who were sick and tired of their lot in life, sick of being on the bottom, and decided to do something about it in the most ridiculously inept way possible takes center stage. marky mark and his pals feel like they deserve better than the life they've been dealt, and, being instead of dealing with the fact that they're simply wrong, get desperate as they try bring their lifestyle up to the standard of their physiques.
and besides all that philosophical BS, it's a great movie anyway. getbiggers of all stripes will find something to like when it comes to girls (they've got the spectrum covered between rebel wilson (wiggs, bmc, etc.) and bar paly (the rest of us)), fake plates (90% of the scenes), real plates (rock toys with 225 on incline nicely), schmoes(!!), protein shakes, injectables, rec drugs, guns, getbig-level abodes, etc. etc. etc.
by far the best movie of the year imo, and one you should someday show your son who, having just picked up his first issue of MD, is begging you to foot the gym signup fee.