AllMovie

As professional wrestling exploded into new heights of popularity in the 1990s thanks to stars such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, and Mick Foley, a new breed of amateur wrestling began to grow in its shadow -- "backyard wrestling," in which young fans would recreate the outsized personas and bloody, bone-crushing stunts of the big time wrestlers while adding a few bizarre low-budget touches of their own. The Backyard is a documentary which presents an objective portrait of the bizarre world of backyard wrestling, focusing on the folks in the ring (mostly teenagers) and how and why they literally make themselves bleed for audiences who often number less than a dozen. Some dream of stardom (with a few forming their own semi-pro leagues), while others simply thrive on the attention and adrenaline. The filmmakers also visit with the friends and families of the young grapplers, some of who are genuinely supportive while others are visibly appalled at the antics in the makeshift rings. WWE star Rob Van Dam also makes a guest appearance. The Backyard had its world premier at the 2002 South by Southwest Film Festival, and has since won prizes at the 2002 Edinburgh International Film Festival, the 2003 Texas Film Festival, and the 2003 Brooklyn Film Festival.