Million Dollar Baby (2004)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

F.X. Toole (stories)
Paul Haggis (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 January 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Beyond his silence, there is a past. Beyond her dreams, there is a feeling. Beyond hope, there is a memory. Beyond their journey, there is a love.

Plot:

A hardened trainer/manager works with a determined woman in her attempt to establish herself as a boxer.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Boxing | Waitress | Boxing Trainer | New House

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 45 wins & 29 nominations

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Frankie Dunn
Hilary Swank	...	Maggie Fitzgerald
Morgan Freeman	...	Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris
Jay Baruchel	...	Danger Barch
Mike Colter	...	Big Willie Little
Lucia Rijker	...	Billie 'The Blue Bear'
Brian F. O'Byrne	...	Father Horvak (as Brian O'Byrne)
Anthony Mackie	...	Shawrelle Berry
Margo Martindale	...	Earline Fitzgerald
Riki Lindhome	...	Mardell Fitzgerald
Michael Peña	...	Omar
Benito Martinez	...	Billie's Manager
Bruce MacVittie	...	Mickey Mack
David Powledge	...	Counterman at Diner
Joe D'Angerio	...	Cut Man

Also Known As:

Rope Burns (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, some disturbing images, thematic material and language.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Irish Gaelic

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Malaysia:18SG | Iceland:14 | Spain:13 | Portugal:M/16 | India:UA | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Ireland:15 (video rating) | Brazil:12

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Athletic Club - 6525 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

"Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner," a collection of short stories based on the experiences of long-time fight manager and cut-man Jerry Boyd, writing under the pen name F.X. Toole, was published in 2000 by Harper Collins. Toole was 70 at the time and had been writing and battling rejection letters for forty years. "Rope Burns" was his first published work. Soon after its publication he was commissioned to write his first novel, an epic story set on the Texas-Mexico border. He died on 2 September 2002 at age 72, just before his novel was finished. "Rope Burns" was dedicated to Jerry's partner and longtime friend Dub Huntley.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Frankie is training Willy in the ring, Maggie walks in to begin training. She is carrying a new, expensive Ogio gym bag even though she's supposed to be so poor she has to scrape change together to buy a speed bag.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: [Narrating] Only ever met one man I wouldn't wanna fight. When I met him he was already the best cut man in the business. Started training and managing in the sixties, but never lost his gift.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Solferino

Loved The Ride

Million Dollar Baby is a movie about boxing like Braveheart is a movie about men in kilts riding horses. 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. Roger Ebert can be soft on movies because he is plainly a big fan, but even he does not lightly toss around the M-word, masterpiece. Yet he drops it on MDB, and justly so. The story is simple and searing. A gal (Hilary Swank) with much heart and no experience aspires to be the champion of the world. She is Rocky in a sports bra. A grizzled fight trainer-manager/gym owner (Clint Eastwood) reluctantly takes her on. His best pal and wise-man assistant (Morgan Freemna) stands alongside them, as the plot unwinds steadily, seamlessly, picking up speed, scene by scene, act after act. Eastwood and Freeman are artists at the top of their profession and they, along with the brilliant Swank, present you the very worthy lives of three people you will care about and remember. The arena is boxing, but it might as well have been boating or baking. It is a story about values and truths that far exceed sports and movies. I walked into the Lowes Lincoln Square theater last night knowing Million Dollar Baby was taking me on a ride and willing to hop aboard. What a beautiful, memorable ride it was.