the end was depressing, but the film was very good

Rating: 9/10 (8 February 2005)

One thing that really stands out was this movie has an original plot. And all the actors were great and deserve all the awards and nominations. There are some very realistic boxing scenes and a lot of them are short since the matches don't last long.
The story starts out showing Frankie, an old good boxing trainer who is afraid of risks. We learn he goes to mass every day and it has something to do with his relationship with his daughter. We never learn what happened. Along comes Maggie who wants Frankie to train her. She is too old and comes from white trash, but all she wants is her chance to prove she can fulfill her dream of being a boxer. Eddie helps manage Frankie's gym and sees that Maggie is searching for something. He sort of pushes Frankie to train her. Eddie looks over everyone and he narrates much of the story. Frankie finally gets Maggie matches, and she wins them all. He's afraid to take a chance and book someone good, but finally gives in, and Maggie wins. Finally, Maggie fights the best female fighter who also fights dirty. This boxing match is my one complaint because any fighter that hits someone while they are down or well after the bell would be disqualified and probably banned from boxing for a while. Well, this dirty fighter does all this. And she hits Maggie a second time after the bell. This punch is the worst thing that could happen. Maggie hits her head on a chair and it snaps her neck. She is now a quadriplegic. Frankie is the one who cares about her and sees her every day. Her white trash family shows up only for her money. At least, Maggie sees them for what they are. It is one of the best scenes of the film. Maggie tells Frankie she got to live her dream, and she wants to be able to remember it. She doesn't want to spend her days not being able to do what she loves. She asks Frankie to end her life. Frankie prays at church and is very torn over this issue. Frankie makes the choice I didn't think he would make.
FINAL VERDICT: I highly recommend this. It isn't about boxing. It does start out sort of slow, but this is a great character film and you shouldn't go in expecting a lot of action. The ending is sad and depressing.