(April 4, 2000) — What’s the first word you think of when you hear someone mention professional wrestling? If you happen to be a fan, then a word like “entertainment” might come to mind. However, if you are not a fan, then you will most likely think of the word fake. “Beyond the Mat” focuses on the side of pro wrestling not many people know about. The side that shows if there is one thing wrestling is not, it’s “fake.” “Beyond the Mat” is directed and narrated by Barry W. Blauestein, a fan of wrestling since childhood. In this critically acclaimed documentary, Blauestein profiles several wrestling superstars of the past and present. Among them are Terry Funk and Mick Foley. With each of these very well-known men Blauestein goes very deep into their personal lives, talking to these performers’ families and friends on how they feel about their loved ones putting their bodies on the line practically every day. The portions of this unsettling, yet powerful, film devoted to Foley and Funk focus on the extreme amount of punishment they can get put through at times. Funk, who is in his mid-50s, has claimed to be retiring several times over the past few years, but has ended up never staying away from competition for more than a few months. Funk is still wrestling, currently working for Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling organization. Foley has been known to wrestling fans by several names while in the World Wrestling Federation, including: Dude Love, Cactus Jack and his most famous character, Mankind. But there is more to this man than just a guy who can get hit in the head with a folding chair repeatedly and not seem to feel any pain. Foley has a wife and two young children. When interviewed by Blauestein, Foley’s children said they understood that what their father did was not real and that they didn’t want him to stop wrestling. Even after being shown bursting into tears while watching one of Foley’s matches last year where Mick received several shots to the head from a chair while his hands were tied behind his back, his wife and kids continue to support him in doing what he loves: entertaining the fans. “Beyond the Mat” is a movie wrestling fans should see in order to better understand this phenomenon they love so. People who don’t like wrestling and think it’s all fake should go this movie so that they may be shown the truth about what they doubt to be “real.” It truly is an informative and revealing look into the world of professional wrestling. Blauestein’s goal with this film was to show that wrestlers are just everyday people who happen to be good at doing what they do. As Blauestein, himself, says during the closing of his movie, “[Wrestlers] are everyday people like you and me—only completely different.” “Beyond the Mat” is currently playing in select theaters. MPAA rating R for strong language and violent content.