Aviator, Schmaviator....Go see what it takes to live life without a trailer, a deep fryer, and some Oreos.

Rating: 7/10 (28 January 2005)

I swore I would not write another review, but here goes. Given my history, I will probably not write one again for another two years (my average). That should be a blessing to anyone reading my previous entries.
I am a sucker for good stories, particularly ones about ordinary people attempting extraordinary things. "Million Dollar Baby" is one of those films, and because Clint Eastwood knows how to cast, how to act, and how to get out of the way of the actors he uses, this film makes for a great story even if you don't like the conclusions ( and for ethical reasons, I didn't).
Anything I say about this film will spoil its impact but suffice it to say, Morgan Freeman, Hillary Swank, and Clint Eastwood do a great job telling a tale about how people work around their personal limitations to achieve their dreams and how to deal with the options when those dreams fall apart. The boxing business, particularly women's' boxing, is simply the canvas around which such issues are played out. Through this canvas, the characters figure out the meaning of love, loss, separation, and courage in a style that is truly enjoyable and memorable.
I am sure that this picture will not win Best Picture at the Oscars because those cinematic elitists will assume that it is a stylistic mimeograph (now you know how old I AM) of "The Shawshank Redemption". Morgan Freeman even narrates this film as he did that one. I promise you that this movie is not "Clone of Shawshank". Paul Haggis' screenplay is friendly, funny, and for the most part not ad-libbed. There is enough humor and realistic pathos to carry one though 137 minutes without being bored in the process. Hillary Swank puts in an admirable performance as a girl without a dime and with a dream. Eastwood and Freeman interact classically with one another as trainer and former boxer and confidant. Their banter and one-liners are both poignant and funny. Eastwood is also good (though kind of predictable as in previous offerings) as a trainer who has made many mistakes in life for which he seeks redemption and from which he can never fully recover. Freeman is as comfortable as an old shoe as the has-been heavyweight who still holds the heavyweight title in common sense, courage, and character.
I won't say anything more that this. I despised greatly the ending of this film. If you feel the same way I do about some fundamental issues, you will also despise it. That being said, the issues being presented might be one reason why one should SEE this film. It will certainly be a cause for frank discussion with your family, significant other, or friends. It ought to be. If it isn't a source of discussion, then one probably has no soul.
To cut this short, it ain't the Godfather I and II, but it's a damn nice film. One might well forget about this film in a few years (though I did not forget "The Shawshank Redemption"), but one won't forget the impact it has immediately after one leaves the theater.
Find out what it takes to avoid having to live life with a trailer, a deep fryer, and some Oreos. Go see Million Dollar Baby. On IMDb's scale, it ranks about a 7 with me.