Frankie Dunn (CLINT EASTWOOD) has trained and managed some incredible fighters during a lifetime spent in the ring. The most important lesson he teaches his boxers is the one that rules his life: above all, always protect yourself. In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, Frankie has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone for a very long time. His only friend is Scrap (MORGAN FREEMAN), an ex-boxer who looks after Frankie's gym and knows that beneath his gruff exterior is a man who has attended Mass almost every day for the past 23 years, seeking the forgiveness that somehow continues to elude him.
Then Maggie Fitzgerald (HILARY SWANK) walks into his gym.
Maggie's never had much, but there is one thing she does have that very few people in this world ever do: she knows what she wants and she's willing to do whatever it takes to get it. In a life of constant struggle, Maggie's gotten herself this far on raw talent, unshakable focus and a tremendous force of will. But more than anything, what she wants is for someone to believe in her.
The last thing Frankie needs is that kind of responsibility - let alone that kind of risk. He tells Maggie the blunt hard truth: she's too old and he doesn't train girls. But 'no' has little meaning when you have no other choice. Unwilling or unable to give up on her life's ambition, Maggie wears herself to the bone at the gym every day, encouraged only by Scrap. Finally won over by Maggie's sheer determination, Frankie begrudgingly agrees to take her on.
In turns exasperating and inspiring each other, the two come to discover that they share a common spirit that transcends the pain and loss of their pasts, and find in each other a sense of family they lost long ago. What they don't know is that soon they will both face a battle that's going to demand more heart and courage than any they've ever known.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Lakeshore Entertainment, a Malpaso/Ruddy Morgan production, CLINT EASTWOOD, HILARY SWANK and MORGAN FREEMAN in Million Dollar Baby. The film is directed by CLINT EASTWOOD and produced by CLINT EASTWOOD, ALBERT S. RUDDY, TOM ROSENBERG and PAUL HAGGIS. GARY LUCCHESI and ROBERT LORENZ serve as executive producers and BOBBY MORESCO is the co-producer. The screenplay is by PAUL HAGGIS, based upon stories from "Rope Burns" by F.X. Toole. The director of photography is TOM STERN; the production designer is HENRY BUMSTEAD; the film is edited by JOEL COX A.C.E.; and the music is by CLINT EASTWOOD.
It deserved the Academy Awards it got, everything just worked. The characters were real, not cardboard cliche's.
SPOILERS AHEAD, BE WARNED.
Well, I knew something bad was going to happen, because the movie kept being brought up during the Terri Shivo ordeal a few months ago,
so I knew some kind of mercy killing was going to take place.
Towards the end, I found myself hoping it would be the Morgan Freeman character when he got into the ring with the young thug who was beating up on the retarded guy.
But when the girl got smoked, it just hurt, cause you know, you get attached to the character.
All that stuff aside, my favorite part of the movie was when Maggie was laying in bed and fianlly TOLD off her mother and family and just shut them down.
Eastwood did a good job of making you loathe that family, ooohhhh, they were so cold and so fat and so inward!!!
This movie was magnificent, eliciting very accurate emotional responses from me (and I normally don't respond emotionally to movies). The cast, the script and the acting were all very good. I was glad to see that Eastwood didn't seem to be senile.
M.
"Every positive integer is one of Ramanujan's personal friends."—J. E. Littlewood.
I thought that the movie was excellent. I wasn't expecting anything THAT BAD to happen to Hillary Swank's character. When that scene came up, I was like, "OOOOooooo... Geezus!"
Great movie. It definitely deserved the oscars. Hillary didn't need to have a nude scene in this one, too, and she still won. Point to the Academy for breaking that recent trend.
I was thinking about how happy and sweet Maggie was today at work, and then I would remember she got smoked and was biting her tounge to commit suicide and I got all sad and stuff.
Kept seeing that big giant toothy smile, "Show me how Boss!!!"
Oohhh, what a rude movie.
Normally, you can see them pulling the heart strings, and you can resist, but this one pulled me in hook, line and sinker.
08-01-2005 12:49 AM
