Meaningful and enjoyable. Great visuals. Loved it.

Rating: 10/10 (29 January 2005)

Plot summary: A woman boxer with a reluctant old coach nearly become champions before (MAJOR SPOILER) she is paralyzed and faces euthanasia.There are subplots with the coach feeling guilty about something, an estranged daughter and the fighter's deadbeat family.
Performance by Hillary Swank is top notch. Morgan Freeman & Clint Eastwood are solid, although I think the directing & scriptwriting are the greater talent in the guys' performances. The photography and visual style are superior. I loved the texture of the scenes, especially the old gym. The movie's story is not predictable, but every step is leading to the final climax. More than all of this, it was fun to watch. The is a meaningful movie about the purpose of life that is still enjoyable.
My nitpick is that I don't like mercy killing. I personally think a better ending has her battling back like real-life hero Christopher Reeve. I think some Prozac would have made all the difference, but I respect the artistic sweep of the movie, and how it needed to end this way.