Million Dollar Baby

Plot synopsis:
From beginning to end, there is narration by "Scrap"- Morgan Freeman's recognizable voice.Hillary Swank's character, Maggie, is a white-trash 31-year-old waitress in a diner. Clint Eastwood is Frankie Dunn, a boxing gym owner who has trained many promising fighters but has never been able to take them all the way to a title/money bout.Maggie decides to pursue her dream of becoming a boxer once she realizes she's in a real dead-end situation. Frankie is skeptical about women fighters, tells Maggie she's too old to start training, and tells her he won't train her.Morgan Freeman's character is "Scrap", one of Frankie's ex-fighters. Frankie feels guilty because he didn't stop "Scrap" from fighting in his 109th fight. Scrap ignored Frankie's pleas to throw in the towel. It was that fight, 25 years ago, that caused him to lose one eye, ending his boxing career. This is how Scrap ended up being the caretaker of Frankie's boxing gym. This is also why Frankie takes a conservative approach when training upcoming boxers. Although he's a top notch trainer, he's afraid to take them to the top -- he's afraid of what comes with a loss. Thus, we see a boxer leave Frankie for a more aggressive manager.Maggie is extremely determined to prove Frankie wrong, along with the rest of her family. Scrap continues to give Maggie pointers on how to improve and get better. Frankie is still unwilling to commit to become Maggie's trainer. After much persistence, on her 32nd birthday Maggie gets Frankie to agree to train her.We also see a minor back story of Frankie's estranged relationship with his daughter "Kate." We see a few shots of letters Frankie writes to his daughter coming back marked, "return to sender", which he adds to one of many shoe boxes full of such letters in his closet. Frankie's guilt about his daughter is why he goes to church every day -- though we never actually learn specifically why he feels so guilty.Maggie doesn't have a father; he died when she was young.Eventually Frankie and Maggie come together realizing that the other can fill that void in their lives.A year and a half of training and many knock-outs later, undefeated Maggie wants to go for a world title championship in Las Vegas. Frankie is hesitant, not wanting her to get hurt.Maggie takes him to see her mother and sister who are very white-trash and live in a trailer. Maggie surprises her mom with a new home just a mile away from their current trailer but her mom is angry. If welfare finds out about the house she'll stop getting her checks.On the way back, they stop at a roadside diner that was her father's favorite. She tells loving stories about her father. She tells him about the time he put their ailing pet dog out of his misery. By the way, Frankie loves this diner's lemon meringue pie. He contemplates buying the diner.Frankie finally decides that Maggie is ready for the next level. He sets up a series of fights against skilled British and European opponents. Before entering the ring the first time, he gives her a new fight robe with a Gaelic phrase on it. He won't tell her what it means. The crowd loves it and chants it as she enters the ring. (Important later.) Maggie wins every fight easily, which sets her on the path to a championship bout.In the championship fight, Maggie boxes against the current middleweight champion. The title holder is not only aggressive and tough but also fights dirty. During the first two rounds she pounds on Maggie while taking a couple of penalty points for two foul punches. The referee warns her that next time she will be disqualified. The next couple of rounds Maggie takes a different approach, advised by Frankie, and starts to break ground. She clearly is winning the fight and the crowd goes crazy. She goes back in and after a few punches and almost-a-knock-out later, her opponent struggles to her feet after a 9-count. The referee sends them back to their corners. Maggie turns her back and before she can reach her corner, her opponent moves toward her while the referee isn't looking. She takes a deadly shot at Maggie's blind side and sends her landing on her head on the corner stool, breaking her neck. Maggie suffers spinal neck injury that leaves her paralyzed for life.The last 1/4 of the movie is about euthanasia and human morals. Maggie is bedridden for a long time and eventually has to have her leg amputated due to bed sores turning gangrenous.Maggie's family arrives at a nearby hotel, and after first spending a week visiting Disneyland and other tourist destinations, they try to get her to sign a legal document placing her assets in her mother's control. Frankie is skeptical but they tell him to mind his own business. He leaves, disgusted at them. Maggie tells them to leave and that she never wants to see them again.Then Maggie asks Frankie for a favor. She asks if he remembers the story she told him about her father and their dog. She no longer wants to live. She had her chance at glory and wants to die remembering the crowd cheering her name. Frankie refuses.Later Frankie is awoken in the middle of the night. Maggie has bitten her tongue, hoping to bleed to death. The doctors save her and stitch her tongue back up. She rips the stitches out and tries it again. This time they cover her tongue so she can't get to it.Frankie now realizes how badly she wants to die and contemplates "slowly killing" her by letting her live or end her life while she is "living." Scrap tells him that most people die wondering "what if" and never having a chance at anything. He tells him that at least Maggie had her shot of a lifetime and is thinking "maybe I did alright."Frankie decides to fulfill her wishes and end her life. He walks into her room, unnoticed. He tells her what he's going to do and she can only smile. He tells her that the Gaelic phrase embroidered on her robe and chanted by her fans means "my darling; my blood". He removes her breathing tube and injects her with adrenaline. She dies instantly.In the end of the movie we see Scrap writing a letter (to Frankie's daughter) and we realize that the narration all along has been this letter. He ends it along the lines of "...He never returned to the gym and I never saw him again. I'm sure he's somewhere between here and there but wherever he is, I'm sure he's doing just fine. I just wanted to let you know what kind of man Frankie was. I wanted to let you know what your father was like."The final shot is of Frankie eating pie at the diner that Maggie had taken him to. We're meant to presume that he retired from running the gym and bought the diner, as he told Maggie he might like to do someday.

Tags: dark, realism, dramatic, violence, thought-provoking, tragedy, sentimental

Review:
Flawlessly written, acted and directed, MILLION DOLLAR BABY is being hymned and wreathed by the critics as the best film of 2004.
The Boxing Ring As Metaphor For Life is a hoary trope almost as old as Hollywood itself, employed to varying effect in films as diverse as THE CHAMP, GOLDEN BOY, REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT, THE GREAT WHITE HOPE, FAT CITY, ROCKY and RAGING BULL.
Co-stars Hilary Swank and the magnificent Morgan Freeman, playing Frankie's unlikely protegee Maggie Fitzgerald and friend "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, give what are without question the best performances of their respective careers: deftly underplayed, their roles provide emotionally overwhelming impacts more powerful than anything glimpsed in the film's riotous fight sequences.
MILLION DOLLAR BABY is not only the best film released in 2004 it is also the most fully realised and richly textured major studio movie of the decade..
"Million Dollar Baby" is a beautiful gift, and a masterpiece if film-making.Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn, an elder boxing coach, manager, and expert 'cut man' who runs a gym and is learning Gaelic on the side.
He has chosen instead to make quieter, lower-budget, heart-felt, character driven films like "The Unforgiven" "True Crime" "Mystic River" and now Million Dollar Baby.
Clint, his movie, Freeman and Swank deserve to win Oscars in every category for this film.
It would be difficult to imagine a more perfect trio of performers the likes of Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman in their respective roles in the emotionally-charged "Million Dollar Baby." My favorite scenes were the early sequences in which Maggie (Swank) visits the dowdy boxing gym and co-opts Eastwood's crusty boxing trainer Frankie into becoming her mentor.
Along with the veteran, retired boxer Eddie, played by Freeman, the performances were as electric as the Ali shuffle.In the overall arc of the story of "Million Dollar Baby," there were three extraneous subplots: (1) Frankie's visits to church and his talks with the priest; (2) the story of the mentally-challenged young man named Danger, who appears in the gym and is taunted by the boxers; and (3) Maggie's family members introduced in two scenes filled with such vulgarity that much of the film's hard-earned credibility was lost.
Or at least it seems like genuine emotions in this masterpiece of a film which incidentally is Eastwood's best drama so far and considering how good Mystic River is that's saying something.
Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Hilary Swank all gave great performances.The story is a moving one.
The final acceptance of late comer (over 30) Maggie Fitzgerald (Hillary Swank) by trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to pugilistic training does bring an emotional stir but even that tends towards underplaying.
The spark between Freeman and Eastwood provides some of the much-needed easy and humorous moods in this movie.Scrap plays a role that is almost like a guardian angel to Maggie.
The depth of the emotion intensifies as the agony portrayed by Eastwood and Swank towards the end pierce the air like a silent scream.While Million Dollar Baby is undoubtedly Oscar calibre in many respects, it is extremely depressing to watch.
Morgan Freeman, who plays Frankie's closest friend, provides the film's narration, and though he does his usual excellent job, his comments weren't as finely written (or were perhaps over written) as those he voiced in "Shawshank Redemption." Two or three times we hear him talk about being "somewhere between nowhere and good-bye," which was two or three times too many.In spite of the drawbacks, which are far from incidental, I found myself spellbound by Maggie and Frankie's relationship.
Hilary Swank was good and the banter between Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood was highly engaging- but reminiscent of many "buddies" from many different movies.
Freeman's quiet but always observing retired boxer is another enjoyment to see, a supporting role and Freeman serves it with big chunks that go a long way.With his 25th film as a director Clint Eastwood knows how to tell a story, he does it both sensitive and powerful.
This is a movie which is up there with almost all of Clint's movies,And more so cause he directed this one.Don't know how he manages to get the story, actors and performance from the crew, so brilliantly synchronized time and again to get the Oscar nominations.The bonding between the characters has been portrayed very beautifully in this movie.
Once I saw it, I was sure its gonna get a few Oscars among the categories it gets nominated for, and guess what it got the grandest of them all "THE BEST PICTURE" and of course "THE BEST DIRECTOR".I thought last year he was robbed out of it so probably made up for it this year.Just go and enjoy a real good movie.Better seen than being written I guess.......
Top of her game.I'll be a fan forever.By the end, I forgot about the thumb-less gloves and the career of Clint and Glory and Insomnia and everything else except that I was sitting in a movie theater watching a great movie with my wife and daughter and all three of us were getting something from the film, something different for each of us, something we won't be able to articulate but may come back someday and provide us with courage and resilience in the clutch when we're on the ropes..
The thing that strikes you the most while watching "Million Dollar Baby" is just how confident Clint Eastwood has become as a director.
In fact, in every key area, this masterful film finds Eastwood - as both director and actor - at the top of his form.Eastwood plays Frank Dunn, an aging boxer-turned-trainer who has yet to hit the big time with any of his "clients." The gym he runs in a seedy part of Los Angeles seems more like a watering hole for outcasts and misfits than the launching pad for the next welter-, middle-, or heavyweight champion of the world.
The film is an account of the warm relationship that develops between this old man - who has long ago lost contact with his own estranged daughter, and sees in Maggie, if only subconsciously, a chance to make some kind of amends for his own sins - and this feisty, full-hearted girl from the hills.Even though "Million Dollar Baby" has all the earmarks of a typical underdog sports movie, the film far transcends its genre through the excellence of both its screenplay and the performances by Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman, who, in the role of a former boxer himself and Dunn's closest friend, provides the voice of practicality and reason that permeates the film.
Together, this amazing ensemble molds what might have been a cliché-ridden tale into a work of art.Beautiful in its pacing and exquisite in its details, "Million Dollar Baby" is, without question, Clint Eastwood's finest film to date..
it was a breathtaking movie i have ever seen!the acting was flawless and i couldn't help my tears falling down at the end.i strongly recommend all of you to watch this masterpiece.i really really love and admire Clint Eastwood and his talent is for sure to be respected.Hilary Swank's performance was magnificent and in the film if i were in her position i would take the same decision as her.Morgan Freeman was also wonderful as co-actor.When seeing the trailers,i thought that it was a boring film because it was about boxing however when i watched the film my reaction was that'Oh my Godness!Why didn't i watch this film before?'.
The acting is some of the best of recent years and Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, and Clint Eastwood all give powerful performances that are just involving.
Frankie Dunn is like most of us where we eventually get punished for our good deeds.The funny thing is that Million Dollar Baby is not a boxing movie despite the way it's being advertised like a female version of Rocky.
Yes, Hilary Swank's Maggie trains to be a boxer under the guidance of Clint Eastwood's Frankie Dunn.
Clint Eastwood gets better with age and his films reflect the days of real movie making.
If she's the androgynous victim in Boys Don't Cry, the nerdy cashier in the overlooked 11:14 or the powerful underdog boxer in this case  she'll always become the character and deliver a powerhouse, emotional draining, performance.Anyway Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood's little boxer film that could, became a surprise Academy Award best picture winner back in 2005, beating Scorsese's wonderful The Aviator.
The plot itself, much like the film and its lead actress, tells the story of Maggie Fitzgerald, a female boxer (Swank) who rises from her trailer-park life and become a professional fighter against the odds, with the help of her devoted manager, Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) a washed-up trainer who has seen much better days.
'Million Dollar Baby' shows that Clint is making the best movies of his career over the last 15 years.
Unlike 'Rocky' where the fight is uproarious as you cheer and the hero gets the girl in the end, 'Million Dollar baby' shows how ugly boxing violence is and why the sport has degenerated into a low brow competition in recent years.Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman deserve Oscars for this film as their performances are raw, heartfelt and just plain worthy.
It took me awhile to get into "Million Dollar Baby." Like all of Eastwood's latter day helmed films, it's snail-paced, darkly lit to the point of annoyance, and at times deafeningly quiet.
In the shadows of the tragedy that the last quarter of the film depicts, we get treated to Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Swank bearing all, and giving heartbreaking and devastating performances that haunted me long afterwords.
Say what you will about Eastwood as a director (he's usually overrated) and as an actor (he usually plays himself), but he gives us a blazing look here into his perspective of the world, and it is both tragic and beautiful to watch in "Million Dollar Baby.".
Clint Eastwood gives probably his best performance ever as trainer Frankie Dunn, trying to reassert his worth by training Maggie.
Morgan Freeman is also amazing as co-trainer Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, seeking a new direction in life.Watching "Million Dollar Baby" you may end up feeling like you are in the middle of a boxing ring.
Hardly one year after the shady "Mystic River" (2003), "grandad" Clint Eastwood changes mood and perseveres with "Million Dollar Baby" (2004), an unusual film about women's boxing which presents none sign of quieting down from the former cowboy and "dirty Harry".
Overall, it's best to see Million Dollar Baby without any knowledge of the ending or even the major plot points, and to instead let the film tell its story.
This film definitely has it all."Million Dollar Baby" is a movie that is not worth describing the plot for, as it really must be seen to be appreciated and respected.
This is absolutely one of the BEST movies I have ever seen, Clint Eastwood has a true gift for bringing movies to the screen that have a story to it.Even if you are not into boxing, I would recommend this movie to anyone.
Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman & Hilary Swank had stellar acting positions in this movie...
An outstanding film that shows what Clint Eastwood can do when he puts his mind to it.My understanding was that this film was completed in only 37 days of shooting.Perhaps other film makers can take a lesson from this movie.I would like to see them work towards making movies that people will enjoy watching.It seems much of what seems more of the same formula coming out most major studios today.Morgan Freeman, Hillary Swank and Clint Eastwood had some genuine chemistry in this movie.Hope he keeps it up..
The tired, stagnant life of the Clint Eastwood fight manager, Morgan Freeman, who has sold his needs to watch his friend, and, of course, Hillary Swank, who is trying to find someplace to keep her from ending up like her trailer trash family.
Clint Eastwood, is just as good, he is an incredible actor, his character is meant to be rough, and gruff, but he really has a heart of a gold and i enjoyed the special bond/chemistry him and Hillary had.Morgan Freeman is absolutely, fantastic here as always, and was a great narrator, plus, i loved his character.
Hilary Swank, (Maggie Fitgerald) put her heart and soul into this role as a prize fighter who climbs to unbelievable heights in the world of women boxing with the great help of both Eddie Dupris and Clint Eastwood,(Frankie Dunn).
I don't know if his performance was Oscar-worthy, but then again, I don't recall Clint ever crying (at least so convincingly) in any of his other films.Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank both deliver great performances.
Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby is more about a father Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) dealing with an estranged daughter and about the same crusty trainer facing an aggressive young female boxer, Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank).
The acting by the leading trio (Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman) are all fantastic!
Hilary Swank sets a brilliant performance, as well as Morgan Freeman, you can feel with them all, worried about what's on their mind, and when the emotions of them all come together, you realise how good this movie is.
On the outside 'Million Dollar Baby' seems like a boxing picture, but it's really a character study of the three characters involved (played expertly by Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman).
After seeing the film for a second time, I found that it really has no weak points other then being a little slow towards the beginning (which was essential in order to tell the story correctly.) Clint Eastwood not only does an outstanding job directing this soon-to-be-classic, but he also produces the film, composes a spellbinding musical score, and gives his very best screen performance as Frankie Dunn, a down-on-his-luck boxing manager who decides to take on a wannabe female boxer.
It's a very emotional movie that goes in the exactly right pace to land the "big punch" in the end.Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are giving an absolutely wonderful performance, especially Hilary Swank.
Clint Eastwood is good too in his manager role, and the brilliant Morgan Freeman deserves the Oscar too.
Hey everybody, this past Saturday, I saw "Million Dollar Baby", a film starring Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman.
From start to finish, it has all the key elements that every great film should have.A+ actors, who deliver top notch acting, a gripping, compelling story(which is based on true events, by the way), interesting characters, and a story filled with amazing dramatics, full of emotions, and heart.I believe one critic said it best: " The kind of movie where you sit very quietly in the theater and are drawn deeply into lives that you care very much about.
The film with 'million dollar' integrity and bargain $30 million price tag lands a killer, cinematic punch square in the dignity of films with the $150 million price tag and Dollar Store insignificance.Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), determined, full of heart and empty of pocket enters the boxing gym of the hard-shelled and well-respected trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood).
Despite containing some of the most realistic fight sequences I've seen, this is not a film about boxing, it's about loneliness, redemption and achievement, something that brings together three characters played by Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman.Eastwood displays his emotional side something he touched upon in UNFORGIVEN, IN THE LINE OF FIRE & BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, but here he excels in one of the most moving performance's of his career, he directs with pace and flair but never over indulges with style.
He also composed the beautiful score, a talent many movie fans don't know about(he also wrote the theme alongside regular collaborator Lennie Niehaus for UNFORGIVEN).Freeman is excellent (as usual) in a role not too dissimilar to that in SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and let's not forget the lovely MILLION DOLLAR BABY herself Hilary Swank, she gained an Oscar five years ago for BOYS DON'T CRY but never achieved star status...hopefully this movie will change that.This is as good as mainstream Hollywood can get and Legend Eastwood doesn't need big budgets to please a Cinema audience and with his 75th birthday in May approaching he shows no signs of stopping..
What it is is a movie to experience if you find yourself ever entertaining thoughts about loyalty, determination, talent, no talent, age, youth, courage, fear, fate, and the pain and joy of both living and dying.I read reviews of Million Dollar Baby and expected to like it.
What it is is a movie to experience if you find yourself ever entertaining thoughts about loyalty, determination, talent, no talent, age, youth, courage, fear, fate, and the pain and joy of both living and dying.I read reviews of Million Dollar Baby and expected to like it.
What can you say more when you have an amazing presence of two great actors like Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman.It's a movie that you definitely need to watch and believe me you don't want to miss such a work..
Beautifully written, superbly directed and excellently acted in, Eastwood's 'Million Dollar Baby' both captivates and involves the viewer in a staggering film experience.
We all want to leave this life knowing we didn't waste it and "Million Dollar Baby" wrestles with this on levels both obvious and subtle through its central characters.The final talent is Mr. Oscar -- Eastwood.
Million Dollar Baby, directed by Clint Eastwood, deserves to sit alongside these terrific boxing films.
The film is a powerful and moving experience to sit through.Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), is an experienced and successful Boxing trainer who runs a training gym with long time friend 'Scrap' (Morgan Freeman).
Morgan Freeman narrates the film and sort of plays the conscience of the film, like he did in Shawshank Redemption.I don't know if "Million Dollar Baby" will come home with Oscar gold.