Maggie’s loyalty is shown in direct contrast to that of Willy, Frankie’s previous fighter. Frankie, Maggie, and Freeman as Frankie’s oldest friend all hold themselves loyal to those close to them.
Another positive theme in the film is the idea of loyalty. They are both people looking for a connection, and the father-daughter metaphor is played out fully when Eastwood gives her the Gaelic nickname “mo cuishle,” or “my darling, my blood.” One could argue that the metaphor is a little obvious, but it’s up to you to decide whether or not that’s a problem. Eastwood wants absolution from his long estranged daughter, and finds it through Maggie, whose family turned away from her dreams. The family theme permeates the story in a real and penetrating way. Even Lucia Rijker as Billie “the Blue Bear” is downright evil. Freeman’s performance is so effortless in this film, it’s inspiring this may be my favorite role of his. The interplay between Eastwood and Morgan Freeman is so comfortable, so natural one would never doubt that these two men have spent their lives together. Hilary Swank shows a great range, earning her Oscar in a year with some very good actresses nominated.
Eastwood must have a way with actors, because he seems to always get impressive performances out of his stars 4. One of the highlights of the film is the acting. We know they’re a bad family, but this gets a little maudlin 3. And when Maggie’s family shows up to visit her in the hospital, they all come wearing clothes from Disneyland and Universal Studios. But there are still some moments where things get a little over the top – the character of Danger, though we feel sorry for him when he gets beat up, is a little too silly to live in this real world (the water bottle scene is too much). Maybe the difference is that Haggis here is adapting material, stories from “Rope Burns,” a real life boxing coach’s memoir 2. The script, penned by Paul Haggis is engaging, and handles most things delicately, in an interesting contrast to Crash, which would win the following year. The injury leaves her paralyzed, to the point where she asks Frankie to take her life, and put her out of her misery. At the title match, she is seriously injured by an after-the-bell jab from her opponent. So then if you’re still with me, you know the plot already, but as a refresher, it follows boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) as he accepts to train rookie Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) and brings her to a title match. I saw the film in the theatres in 2004 with no pre-knowledge of what would happen, and it greatly enriched the experience for me 1.Īll right, now that we got rid of those folks, let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we? If you haven’t seen the film yet, I strongly recommend that you see it before reading anymore of this. There’s a lot of issues to be dealt with regarding this film that rely on pivotal plot twists. It may even be a praiseworthy approach since his films could have effected 60s audiences or modern audiences, that may mean that they’ll still be pleasing viewers forty years from now. This is more to say that he may be an entertainer before he’s an artist, even if he’s on the fence between the two. That’s not a judgment I’m not saying every film should. While I feel that his movies can still be very moving, he doesn’t challenge the medium, or move the art form forwards.
His work has a very old Hollywood feel – you could take most of his modern films, set them in the 60s in black and white, and they wouldn’t feel out of place. Raging Bull deals with a man whose physical and emotional violence take control of him, Rocky is about the hope that lies in the American dream of rising from “zero to hero.” Million Dollar Baby is about what it means to be family.įor the most part, Clint Eastwood is not a director who has moved onto the “new Hollywood” style.
#Million dollar baby danger movie
Starring: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan FreemanĬlint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby is a movie that joins the ranks of boxing films that aren’t really about boxing.