of studio offers, but, in a story reminiscent of Sylvester Stallone's experience with Rocky, he refused to sell the script unless he was signed to play the title role. He also resisted demands that Marty be made heterosexual. While Davis and director O'Flaherty honed the script, Davis trained as a boxer to add to the film's authenticity. The film was shot in Los Angeles on high-definition digital video on a budget of $200,000 and was O'Flaherty's feature debut. The part of Marty was originally to be played by Rod Steiger, but Steiger died in 2002, before filming could begin. Critical response Fighting Tommy Riley received generally positive reviews, with Eddie Jones frequently singled out for his performance. Variety gave the film an overall favorable review, citing Jones in particular for "personally push[ing] the movie to a higher emotional plane." Davis and Tayler are also praised, the former for "grow[ing] into [the] role" and the latter for her "pro job at playing counterpoint" to Jones. Collectively the cast, but especially Jones, is said to elevate the picture above being a "standard drama on the sweet science with the usual tropes." The San Francisco Chronicle largely agreed, calling Davis "a Van Damme who can act" and Jones "never less than convincing" as well as praising director O'Flaherty for "coach[ing] solid performances from his small cast and mak[ing] the most of the handful of up-close, well-choreographed fight montages." The Los Angeles Times was even more effusive, citing Jones as "unforgettable" and "in such command of his acting skills that Marty's every gesture, look and movement is expressive and revealing," Davis' script as "exceptional" and his performance "no less fully realized" and O'Flaherty's direction as "subtle...intense and convincing." Tayler and Chambers are also lauded, Tayler for creating a "well drawn" character and Chambers for delivering an "effective" performance. Sports Illustrated called the film "stylish and well-paced" despite its limited budget and echoes others' praise for Jones's "nuanced, intense performance," but (without mentioning the plot point of Marty's sexual advance) pinpoints the retreat to Marty's cabin as when the script "starts to look and sound like beginners' work." When asked to name that year's notable indie films and directors, famed film critic Roger Ebert stated "First-time director Eddie O’Flaherty was able to work outside the system to make Fighting Tommy Riley, a film that I think can play in any theater or any multiplex. And