Million Dollar Baby Movie Review
Million Dollar Baby, a non-fiction movie, featured the iconic director, producer and actor, Clint Eastwood. The lead actress was Hilary Swank, followed by the supporting actor Morgan Freeman. After its release on December 15, 2004, it grossed in just under $200 thousand on its opening box office weekend in the United States of America with only 8 screenings. It went on to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.
A determined, poor, thirty-one year old woman named Maggie Fitzgerald decides to make a difference through boxing. She does not stop trying to get Frankie Dunn’s attention, who is an experienced trainer and owner of the gym, by going there every day. Frankie is not willing to train Maggie because she is a girl, and he only trains males. He then gives in and not only becomes her coach but also her manager. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupuis is Frankie’s long-time friend and also the custodian of the gym, who strongly believes Maggie, has what it takes to make it to the final fight and the title of Women’s Welterweight Champion. As Frankie trains Maggie, she makes her way to the top through first round knockouts. Frankie’s most important advice given to Maggie was “to always protect yourself.” To prepare Maggie for what will be the most important fight of her life, he gives her a Gaelic nickname, “Mo Chuisle.” We later find out, this represents their close father-daughter relationship, one he lacked with his real daughter, whom he wrote letters to that came back unanswered for twenty years. After a sudden turn of events, the people she surrounded herself with, Frankie, and Eddie, learn the importance of loyalty, love and determination as she is struck with the reality of fame.
The movie was based on a series of real-life short stories, entitled Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner written by boxing trainer Jerry Boyd who wrote under the name of F.X. Toole. The three short stories used as inspiration were “The Monkey Cook”, “Million Dollar Baby”, and “Frozen Water”. The
A determined, poor, thirty-one year old woman named Maggie Fitzgerald decides to make a difference through boxing. She does not stop trying to get Frankie Dunn’s attention, who is an experienced trainer and owner of the gym, by going there every day. Frankie is not willing to train Maggie because she is a girl, and he only trains males. He then gives in and not only becomes her coach but also her manager. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupuis is Frankie’s long-time friend and also the custodian of the gym, who strongly believes Maggie, has what it takes to make it to the final fight and the title of Women’s Welterweight Champion. As Frankie trains Maggie, she makes her way to the top through first round knockouts. Frankie’s most important advice given to Maggie was “to always protect yourself.” To prepare Maggie for what will be the most important fight of her life, he gives her a Gaelic nickname, “Mo Chuisle.” We later find out, this represents their close father-daughter relationship, one he lacked with his real daughter, whom he wrote letters to that came back unanswered for twenty years. After a sudden turn of events, the people she surrounded herself with, Frankie, and Eddie, learn the importance of loyalty, love and determination as she is struck with the reality of fame.
The movie was based on a series of real-life short stories, entitled Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner written by boxing trainer Jerry Boyd who wrote under the name of F.X. Toole. The three short stories used as inspiration were “The Monkey Cook”, “Million Dollar Baby”, and “Frozen Water”. The