Jenny from the Block made her way to the Six for the premiere of “Unstoppable,” a heartfelt sports drama that debuted on Friday at the Toronto Film Festival.
Jennifer Lopez, who stars as a fiercely supportive mother of five, worked on the film with her ex-husband Ben Affleck, whose production company Artists Equity served as producers. Affleck was absent from the festival (he and Lopez filed for divorce in August after less than two years of marriage), but his company co-founder and friend Matt Damon attended the premiere and walked the red carpet.
Despite the gloomy weather, swarms of fans gathered by the red carpet for a glimpse — and maybe even photo — of Lopez and her co-stars Jharrel Jerome, Don Cheadle and Bobby Cannavale.
“Unstoppable” stars Jerome (“Moonlight”) as a college wrestler who dreams of going professional. It’s based on the inspirational true story of Anthony Robles, who was born without a right leg and developed the strength and skills to meet the demands of Arizona State University’s wrestling team.
During the screening, audience members at the Roy Thomson Hall broke into applause several times and sniffled at more poignant moments in the film. All of the talent sat in the audience through the movie, though Cannavale ducked out midway through and returned with popcorn. As the end credits rolled, the real Robles was embraced with a two-minute standing ovation. During the applause, Cheadle waved to the crowd as Damon told the younger stars, “Great job, guys. Awesome.”
During a post-screening Q&A, Robles basked in the warm embrace and second standing ovation of the night.
“It’s still hitting me tonight,” he said. “I’m so proud. I couldn’t be any happier.”
Lopez, who also received a heartfelt greeting from the crowd, expressed a kinship with Anthony’s mother Judy Robles, who endures physical and mental hardships while supporting her son’s dreams.
“When I read the script I felt like so many woman including myself could relate to the struggles she’s gone through,” Lopez said. “The story being Latino was so inspiring. It grabbed me.”
Though Lopez has portrayed real people before, like in the biopic “Selena,” she wasn’t always able to connect to them to shape her performance. For “Unstoppable,” she appreciated getting to Zoom with Judy.
“This was a different experience,” Lopez added. “We were the same person in a way. The core and the heart of who we are — at first, we are moms.”
Judy Robles, who attended the premiere and participated in the Q&A, commended Lopez’s acting chops. She told her on-screen surrogate: “You were me — with the sass, but also the sadness and pain. Bobby, you scared me.”
“But in a funny way?” Cannavale, who plays her abusive husband, joked.
William Goldenberg, an Oscar winner who worked as an editor of Affleck’s films “Argo” and “Air,” directed “Unstoppable” in his feature debut. He said he was “blessed” to have Affleck and Damon as partners.
“They supported me and set me up for success. I appreciate everything they’ve done,” he said. “I worked with Ben for almost 20 years as an editor. His faith in me exceeded my faith in myself.”
