An underdog movie with a surprising twist

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2005)

Million Dollar Baby (MDB) is about, among other things, a female boxer's fight to get to The Fight, and then her desire to go out swinging. In a sports culture that spits out phrases like "second place is the first loser," Maggie realized that no, she didn't lose: she just forgot to protect herself. Far from feeling sorry for herself, she marveled at the ride she had: traveling the world, being featured in magazines, hearing people chant her name (or at least that name that Frankie gave her). Wow. And when she faced her biggest test, and worst opponent, she stood her ground. Like a prisoner of war defying her captors, she regained her self-respect.
Normally I'd conclude by saying, "bravo Maggie." Yet I'm hesitant.
As noted, isn't it ironic that MDB came out at the same time as "The Sea Inside," which shares a similar conclusion? Which makes me wonder, what would Christopher Reeve think of all this? He could have died as a B-list celebrity and the answer to a trivia question. Instead he faced his situation and kept going, and thereby found a new life even brighter than his first.
A beautiful film, Mr. Eastwood. Yes, among other things, it's about boxing.