Superb movie.

Rating: Null/10 (18 July 2005)

I haven't had the chance yet to see all of the 2004 best picture nominees, but now having seen "Million Dollar Baby", I can understand why it was regarded highly enough to garner the Oscar for itself, Morgan Freeman, and Hilary Swank. It is masterfully directed and acted, and tells a very powerful story. Clint Eastwood is Frankie Dunn, former prize fighter trainer and now owner of a ratty gym in the Los Angeles area. Hilary Swank as Maggie Fitzgerald shows up one day, Frankie doesn't take kindly to a "girl" in his gym, but is hesitant to refund the 6 months fee she already paid. Morgan Freeman is Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris, former prize fighter and now Frankie's assistant, janitor, fix-it man with a cot in the back room. Maggie is hard-headed as they come, determined to be a fighter, and calls Frankie "boss", at least until Frankie agrees to be her trainer. Maggie is trying to escape the trailer trash life she was born into, Frankie was trying to establish contact with his long estranged daughter.
SPOILERS FOLLOW. Maggie works harder than everyone else, follows instructions, and when she finally gets fights has a knack for knocking out her opponent in the first round. Frankie eventually has to give other managers under-the-table money to get opponents for Maggie. She makes a tour of Europe and wins everything. Back home she gets a fight against the champion in Las Vegas, for a $Million split with the opponent (thus title "Million Dollar Baby"), a dirty fighter and former prostitute in East Germany. But Maggie gets the upper hand, knocks the champion down, the bell rings, Maggie is headed back to her corner when an illegal punch knocks her down, onto the stool Frankie had just put in her corner, snapping her neck. Hospitalized with no chance of getting better, Maggie has no longer a reason to live.