The daughter of Kerry Von Erich, a real-life wrestler portrayed in the movie “The Iron Claw,” has criticized the film for its inaccurate depiction of her father. In a preview for the docuseries “Hollywood Demons,” Lacey Von Erich expressed her disappointment with the movie’s portrayal of her father. “My sister and I were not in the movie as my dad’s children and he didn’t have a wife or anything,” Lacey Von Erich said.
“And that was a really big part of my dad. So how he was portrayed in the movie is so inaccurate that it was heart-wrenching.”
The film, which stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, and Holt McCallany, tells the story of the Von Erich family, a dynasty of professional wrestlers whose history is marked by tragedy. It depicts Kerry Von Erich’s motorcycle accident, which led to the amputation of his foot, his addiction to painkillers, and his eventual suicide.
However, the movie fails to include his wife, Catherine Murray, and his two daughters.
Von Erich family criticism
Kevin Von Erich, the only surviving brother from the film and Zac Efron’s real-life counterpart, agreed with his niece’s assessment.
He stated that his brother was more family-oriented than the movie suggests. “Kerry in the movie was not a family man, but in real life he was,” he said. While Kevin Von Erich mentioned that he “endorsed” the film, Lacey Von Erich maintains that the family was not consulted before the release of the A24 drama.
The controversy surrounding the film’s representation highlights the ongoing challenge of accurately portraying real-life figures and their complex lives within the limited scope of a movie narrative. It also raises questions about the responsibility of filmmakers to consult with the families of the individuals they are depicting. As the Von Erich family speaks out about their disappointment with “The Iron Claw,” it remains to be seen how the film’s creators will respond to the criticism and whether they will address the concerns raised by Kerry Von Erich’s daughter and brother.
