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Million Dollar Baby

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Million Dollar Baby
Directed byClint Eastwood
Written byF.X. Toole (story)
Paul Haggis (screenplay)
Produced byClint Eastwood
Albert S. Ruddy
Tom Rosenberg
StarringClint Eastwood
Hilary Swank
Morgan Freeman
CinematographyTom Stern
Edited byJoel Cox
Music byClint Eastwood
Distributed by-USA-
Warner Bros.
-non USA-
Lakeshore Entertainment
Release dates
December 15, 2004
Running time
132 minutes
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million USD

Million Dollar Baby is an Academy Award winning 2004 dramatic film directed by Clint Eastwood.

The film stars Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. It is the story of an under-appreciated boxing trainer, his elusive past and his quest for atonement in helping an underdog amateur female boxer (the film's title character) achieve her fragile dream of becoming a professional. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The screenplay was written by Paul Haggis, based on short stories by F.X. Toole, the pen name of fight manager and "cutman" Jerry Boyd. Originally published under the title Rope Burns, the stories have since been republished under the movie's title.

It was released on DVD on July 12, 2005. It was released on HD DVD on April 18, 2006 [1], one of the earliest releases on that media format.

Plot

When describing the plot of the film, Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert gave a spoiler warning.[2][3]

Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a young female amateur who aspires to prove her worth by becoming a successful boxer, is taken in by Frank Dunn (Clint Eastwood), a down-and-out boxing trainer who has been cast aside by most of society, including his estranged daughter Katie. Dunn aids Maggie in realizing her goal while developing a stronger-than-blood bond. Initially, Dunn is dispassionate toward Maggie because she is a 31-year-old female. Maggie, however, perseveres in her attempts to gain Dunn's favor by training each day in his gym, even when others discourage her. Frank's friend and employee, ex-boxer Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman), sympathizes with Maggie's efforts and convinces Dunn to coach her short-term (Dupris is also the narrator of the film, who reveals the extent to which Maggie and Dunn's relationship transforms both their lives).

Dunn has an estranged relationship with his daughter and writes to her every week with no luck. Dunn's priest cannot conceive of why his daughter wouldn't respond and instead shows disbelief in Dunn's claims that he is writing letters to her. Dunn, having experienced no intimate relationship with his own daughter, forms a stronger bond with Maggie, whose family does not care for her well-being, and decidedly coaches and manages her professional career. With his expertise, Maggie fights her way up to the women's welterweight boxing division, eventually placing a match in Las Vegas against the WBA women's welterweight champion (played by real life boxer Lucia Rijker), who is known for her foul play. During the match, an illegal attack after the bell by her opponent sends Maggie down toward the mat, directly in the path of her corner stool. Dunn frantically tries to move it out of the way, but cannot reach it in time. As a result, Maggie hits it with neck-shattering force and is paralyzed from the neck down. Dunn, venting his rage at the unjust circumstance, originally blames Dupris for convincing him to bring her in but in the end blames himself for her downfall having trained her against his better judgment.

In the medical rehabilitation facility, Maggie holds out hope for her family in visiting her, whom Dunn makes repeated calls about the news but to no avail. The family arrives several days later (in theme park wardrobe) with an attorney in tow to turn over Maggie's fortunes to them. This appalls Dunn who realizes their motives but when her mother insists that Maggie sign the paperwork that would confirm the family as the beneficiary, she sees through the façade and tells her mother off for good. Eventually, Maggie confides to Dunn that she has "seen it all" and asks to be relieved of suffering. Dunn flat out refuses and begins to question the morality of it all, even speaking with a priest who objects (the same priest who didn't believe that Dunn was sending letters to his daughter). She attempts suicide by biting her tongue multiple times in an attempt to bleed to death. Hospital staff subdue her attempts, causing Dunn to realize that her suffering should last no more. Dunn ultimately commits euthanasia by injecting her with an overdose of adrenaline. Just before administering the injection, Dunn finally tells Maggie the meaning of the nickname he calls her; the phrase, Mo Cuishle, is Gaelic for "My darling, my blood". As the narrator, Dupris states that Dunn then disappears. The film's narration by Dupris is revealed to be a letter to Dunn's daughter, who has forsaken him all the while, to inform her of her father's true character.

Full cast and credit listing available.

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards record
1. Best Picture
2. Best Director
3. Best Actress (Hilary Swank)
4. Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman)
Golden Globe Awards record
1. Best Director
2. Best Drama Actress (Hilary Swank)

Million Dollar Baby received the award for Best Picture of 2004 at the 77th Academy Awards. Eastwood was awarded his second Directing Oscar for the film and also received a Best Actor nomination. Swank and Freeman received Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor Oscars, respectively. The film was also nominated for the Film Editing and Writing Adapted Screenplay awards. The film beat what many thought to be the front-runner, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, [citation needed] which had won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for Best Drama. However, Million Dollar Baby was more popular with critics.

The film was also nominated for and won a number of Golden Globes, SAG Awards and the Directors's Guild Awards.

2005 Academy Awards (Oscars)

2005 Amanda Awards

2005 American Cinema Editors (Eddies)

  • Nominated - Best Edited Feature Film — Joel Cox

2005 American Screenwriters Association

2005 Art Directors Guild

2005 Black Reel Awards

2005 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

2005 Casting Society of America (Artios)

2006 - César Award

2005 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

2005 Directors Guild of America

2005 Director's Guild of Great Britain

  • Nominated - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in International Film — Clint Eastwood

2005 ESPY Awards

  • Nominated - Best Sports Movie

2005 Florida Film Critics Circle

2005 Golden Globe Awards

2006 Grammy Awards

2005 Image Awards

2005 MTV Movie Awards

2005 Motion Picture Sound Editors (Golden Reel Award)

2004 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures

  • Special Achievement Award — Clint Eastwood, For producing, directing, acting and composing.

2004 New York Film Critics Circle Awards

2005 PGA Golden Laurel Awards

2004 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards

  • Won - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role — Hilary Swank

2004 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards

2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards

  • Won - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role — Morgan Freeman
  • Won - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role — Hilary Swank

2005 Writers Guild of America Awards

  • Nominated - Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published — Paul Haggis

Critical reception

The film received highly positive reviews with the review tallying website rottentomatoes.com reporting that 189 out of the 206 reviews they tallied were positive for a score of 91% and a certification of "fresh".[4] Roger Ebert gave the film four stars and stated that, "Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" is a masterpiece, pure and simple, "[5] listing it as the best film of 2004.

Criticism

Disability rights activists

In January and February 2005, the film became controversial when some disability rights activists protested the ending of the film, in which Frank carries out Maggie's wish to die after she becomes quadriplegic as a result of a spinal cord injury suffered during her last fight. Disability Rights activists believe that the ending supports the killing of people with disabilities. Conservative commentator Debbie Schlussel panned the film, but said it would continue to win awards because "it's Hollywood's best political propaganda of the year ... it supports killing the handicapped, literally putting their lights out." Prominent among these critics was John Hockenberry, long-time NPR and NBC correspondent and paraplegic.[6][7][8]

The Weekly Standard also criticized the movie for its ending and for missed opportunities.[9]

Christian Right and social conservatives

Possibly around the same time, the movie was criticized by activists from the Christian Right and social conservatives, including Rush Limbaugh and Michael Medved, on the same issue.[10] Medved stated that: "My main objection to Million Dollar Baby always centered on its misleading marketing, and effort by Warner Brothers to sell it as a movie about a female Rocky, with barely a hint of the pitch-dark substance that led Andrew Sarris of the New York Observer to declare that 'no movie in my memory has depressed me more than Million Dollar Baby'". [11]

Irish language speakers

Some Irish speakers have also criticized the fact that the phrase Mo Chúisle, a term of endearment meaning My pulse, [12] was misspelled in the movie as Mo Cuishle, as shown on the back of Maggie's robe. In Irish and other Goidelic languages, consonants soften when followed by a vowel, hence the "c" in "cúisle" turns into a guttural "ch". It is translated in the film as "My darling, my blood". The original phrase is short for A chúisle mo chroí, meaning "O, pulse of my heart" [13]. Nevertheless, it was cited as one of the most influential phrases from a Hollywood film that year. The movie has also been praised for awakening interest in the Irish language in the U.S. [13].

Funding for the film

The film was stuck in so-called "development hell" for years before it was shot. Several studios rejected the project even when Eastwood signed on as actor and director. Even Warner Bros., Eastwood's longtime home base, wouldn't agree to a $30 million budget. Eastwood persuaded Lakeshore Entertainment's Tom Rosenberg to put up half the budget (as well as handle foreign distribution), with Warner Bros. kicking in the rest ($15 million). Eastwood shot the film in 37 days, and the film's total worldwide box office gross is over $220 million.[citation needed]

Responses to criticism

Eastwood responded to the criticism by saying the movie was about the American dream.[14] In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Eastwood distanced himself from the actions of characters in his films, noting, "I've gone around in movies blowing people away with a .44 magnum. But that doesn't mean I think that's a proper thing to do".[15] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times, who named the film his favorite of 2004, believes "a movie is not good or bad because of its content, but because of how it handles its content. Million Dollar Baby is classical in the clean, clear, strong lines of its story and characters, and had an enormous emotional impact".[16]

DVD release

Upon its original release, all editions of the Region 1 DVD, except for the "Deluxe Edition", came with a paperback copy of the book Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner.

See also

References

  1. ^ Business Wire Warner Home Video to Deliver First HD DVD Titles to The Marketplace. March 16, 2006
  2. ^ Roger Ebert (2004-12-14). ":: rogerebert.com :: Reviews :: Million Dollar Baby (xhtml)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2007-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Roger Ebert (2005-01-29). "Critics have no right to play spoiler". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2007-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ rottentomatoes.com, Million Dollar Baby entry, accessed January 8, 2007
  5. ^ rogerebert.com, Million Dollar Baby review, accessed January 8, 2007
  6. ^ http://www.milliondollarbigot.org/loser.html
  7. ^ http://www.lifenews.com/bio674.html
  8. ^ http://www.chicagoreader.com/hottype/2005/050128_1.html
  9. ^ http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/307qsmui.asp
  10. ^ http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2005/my-darling-my-blood-million-dollar-baby/
  11. ^ http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110006305
  12. ^ IrishGaelicTranslator.com. Million Dollar Baby movie
  13. ^ a b Wes Davis Fighting Words. New York Times. February 26, 2005
  14. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/arts/13rich.html?ex=1265778000&en=20285b456ee22b66&ei=5090&partnrer=rssuserland
  15. ^ http://www.newsday.com/custom/envelope/oscars/cl-wk-mdb27jan27,0,6604453.story?coll=cl-oscst
  16. ^ http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050129/ESSAYS/501290301
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