Technical issues are obstacle to greatness

Rating: 7/10 (28 January 2005)

Beautifully acted, Million Dollar Baby nonetheless suffers from some technical deficiencies that render it among the "might have been" films of history. First, the champion 'Blue Bear' in the climax championship fight would have been disqualified, and very likely charged with criminal assault. Second, in the Nursing home, if a monitor is turned off, an alarm goes off at the Nurses' station--that in fact would be how they knew that Maggie Fitzerald had bitten her tongue. Third, this Nursing home was allegedly providing good care; yet the gangrene-caused amputation would not have been needed if the patient was provided with appropriate exercise (e.g. Christopher Reeve). Finally, Frankie Dunn's fingerprints would have been on the breathing tube; the surge in adrenalin would have been discovered at autopsy, and he would then be a fugitive in a murder case.
Hollywood finds liberal issues attractive, such as the euthanasia applied to Maggie, and this film will no doubt receive a number of academy awards--perhaps even best picture--but is over-rated. Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank turned in superb performances, and any awards they receive are deserving. The film itself disappoints, and it is a shame. None of the technical issues noted above needed to be there.