Million Dollar Baby...
I approached watching the film Million Dollar Baby with a bit of apprehension. I am a huge Oscars fan, so I had seen almost everyone involved in the film be rewarded last year for their work. Hilary Swank (Best Actress), Morgan Freeman (Best Supporting Actor), Clint Eastwood (Best Director), and the film itself (Best Picture) were all honored. I was curious to see what all the fuss had been about, but had already been spoiled on the ending. I knew I would be using this film for this submission, so I went into it almost as a surgeon goes into an important operation: expectant of success, but concerned for failure.
Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) is a hardened boxing trainer who has just parted ways with his prize fighter. Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) is a poor, inexperienced fighter from Missouri, determined to have Dunn as her own trainer. After some prodding from long-time best friend, Scrap (Freeman), Dunn finally agrees to work with Maggie. Maggie is an amateur, needing much instruction from pro Dunn. She finds her mojo, though, and becomes something of a one-trick pony, able to knock out anyone in the first round. Like any good boxing movie, this one leads up to a climactic fight at the end. Maggie’s journey doesn’t end with that fight, though, and the choices she and Dunn have to make force even the viewer into self-examination and reflection.
Perhaps no one ever deserved an award called Best Supporting actor more than Morgan Freeman for this film. His is like the voice of God, serving as narrator for the events that occur. His Scrap and Eastwood’s Dunn are like an old married couple, able to see through each other’s facades, but always there in a pinch.
Hilary Swank has that wonderful ability of being able to disappear into any role. Gone is any trace of the superstar, former Oscar winner. In her place is a woman who won’t let anyone stand in the way of her dream. The references to the growing father/daughter-type relationship between Maggie and Dunn are a bit overt, but heartwarming nonetheless.
Though Clint Eastwood did not receive an acting award for his role, make no mistake: he is the star of the film. His weathered skin and tired voice reveal his age, but the hardened expressions, steely eyes, and confident strut show that the former Dirty Harry star hasn’t finished quite yet. His directing award was well earned. This film is slowly paced, yet never boring. It is a quiet film, with spare music and measured dialogue, yet riveting and intense.
In the end, I couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome of the 2005 awards. Movies that make you think are few and far between. Million Dollar Baby, with its raw emotion, haunting characters, and difficult ending, is just such a film.
Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) is a hardened boxing trainer who has just parted ways with his prize fighter. Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) is a poor, inexperienced fighter from Missouri, determined to have Dunn as her own trainer. After some prodding from long-time best friend, Scrap (Freeman), Dunn finally agrees to work with Maggie. Maggie is an amateur, needing much instruction from pro Dunn. She finds her mojo, though, and becomes something of a one-trick pony, able to knock out anyone in the first round. Like any good boxing movie, this one leads up to a climactic fight at the end. Maggie’s journey doesn’t end with that fight, though, and the choices she and Dunn have to make force even the viewer into self-examination and reflection.
Perhaps no one ever deserved an award called Best Supporting actor more than Morgan Freeman for this film. His is like the voice of God, serving as narrator for the events that occur. His Scrap and Eastwood’s Dunn are like an old married couple, able to see through each other’s facades, but always there in a pinch.
Hilary Swank has that wonderful ability of being able to disappear into any role. Gone is any trace of the superstar, former Oscar winner. In her place is a woman who won’t let anyone stand in the way of her dream. The references to the growing father/daughter-type relationship between Maggie and Dunn are a bit overt, but heartwarming nonetheless.
Though Clint Eastwood did not receive an acting award for his role, make no mistake: he is the star of the film. His weathered skin and tired voice reveal his age, but the hardened expressions, steely eyes, and confident strut show that the former Dirty Harry star hasn’t finished quite yet. His directing award was well earned. This film is slowly paced, yet never boring. It is a quiet film, with spare music and measured dialogue, yet riveting and intense.
In the end, I couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome of the 2005 awards. Movies that make you think are few and far between. Million Dollar Baby, with its raw emotion, haunting characters, and difficult ending, is just such a film.
posted by Michelle at 11:58 AM
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