Born southern white trash to a fat, ignorant mother, Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) only wanted the best for herself, and she felt the way to go about that was to become a boxer. And she got her wish.
And so, Maggie payed six months dues at a local training gym in order to become that great boxer. some said she was a natural, so she wanted to train with the best: a former boxer-turned-trainer named Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood). At first, Frankie wouldn't take her on - she was a woman! But Maggie practised all day every day for what seemed like hours on end. She would just stand there at the punching bag, hammering away at it.
Frankie took pity on her and broke down - with some nudging from his best friend, another former boxer named Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris. Frankie showed Maggie the ropes - literally - and she became good. Great. before long, she could beat any apponent meer seconds into the first round.
When no one else would fight her, Maggie was bumped up in weight class, eventually taking on harder and harder opponents which she also easily defeated. Soon, though, Frankie decided it was time for Maggie to fight the world champion in her class. He felt she could win. She could do it. Frankie set up the fight, and the eyes of the world fell on Maggie. This was a fight that could make or break Maggie - literally. But Maggie failed to remember Frankie's only rule: Protect yourself at all times.
Million Dollar Baby deals with strong subject matter, and is a very controversial film to say the least. Everyone will have an opinion of this film - good or bad.
There are two stories present in Million Dollar Baby. The first story details Swank's Maggie training to become a great boxer. The seond story - and without giving anything away - is about, in part I guess, the consequences of ones actions. Million Dollar Baby does not take the predictable sports story path where our hero goes from bad to best. It wouldn't be that great if it did. No, Baby takes a path unseen on film and delivers a "knockout punch" of it's own, so to speak. Did I say to much already?
Clint Eastwood took Baby's strong subject matter and molded it into a great film. There will be endless debates on weather Million Dollar Baby, or his 2003 film Mystic River (also nominated for best picture) was better.
While Mystic River was a gritty, haunting drama, and great in it's own right, Million Dollar Baby is a different kind of drama. Both films are very dark, moody pieces, much like Eastwood's earlier Unforgiven. But where River and Unforgiven were not very political, you will either love or hate Million Dollar Baby. There is no middle ground.
Million Dollar Baby will effect the social and moral consciousness of anyone who views this film, even in historically conservative Hollywood. If actions speak louder than words - and they do - Million Dollar Baby will hit you harder than front row sound at a Metallica concert. The film will keep you on the edge of your seat; you won't want to miss what happens next. Would you accept anything less from the best picture of the year?
Plot: 
Visual Effects:
Eastwood uses many shadows, dark rooms and fading in and out to capture the dark, dramatic tones of the film and raise tension which never falls, even with the never-ending onslught of Everlast boxing equiptment product placement.
Sound:
Character Development:
Oh boy is there ever character development! Just when you think things are going great... BAM! Things change, just like that.
Atmosphere:
If you haven't heard anything about the film you can go into it and decide for yourself if you like it or not. If you have or know about the film, you may not want to see it. Again, this film deals with heavy subject matter which - for obvious reason - has not been fully disclosed. This film can still be very enjoyable despite it's content.
Realism:
This film was based on real experiances by experiences of long-time fight manager Jerry Boyd, although the main characters are all fake. The film also deatails personal struggle on many levels which is eerily realistic.
Warren’s Rating:
Movies it beat out for Best Picture:
The Aviator; Finding Neverland; Ray; Sideways
10/10 Is the movie worth your time to watch?
17-02-05
Age at win: 30
Nominated for: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Maggie Fitzgerald, Million Dollar Baby
Nomination: 2/2 (acting), 2/2 (total); Win: 2nd
Hilary Swank... what can you say about her win this time? Outstanding, for one thing. Hilary Swank was exceptional in her Oscar winning role as the cross dressing Teena Brandon in 1999's Boy's Don't Cry, and Swank is as good if not better in Baby as she was in Boy's.
Swank is toatlly gung-ho in the beginning but as circumstances change she becomes isolated, depressed, moody, dark. The change is incredible aa Swank turns her character on a dime 180° in a way few actresses and even some great actors can't do.
Her performance was based on emotion in the end, and talent in the beginning. She trained for months to prepare for this role, gaining 8.5 Kg of weight and becomming a pretty dam good boxer in the long run.
Hilary's character, Maggie, became the best, but when times got tough, didn't know what to do. Hilary played the part with grace and dignity, but most of all, pure, raw emotion.
28-02-05
Age at win: 67
Nominated for: Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Eddie "Srap-Iron" Dupris, Million Dollar Baby
Nomination: 4/4 (acting), 4/4 (total); Win: Only
Morgan freeman is subtle actor; well, in his nominated roles, anyway. Morgan's best work to date was The Shawshank Redemption, which he lost to Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump (equally deserving, I guess). However, along came Million Dollar Baby.
Playing Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, Freeman is an old, washed up boxer, blind in one eye and janitoring a local training gym. Freeman is a perfect sidekick to Eastwood's Frankie Dunn. Morgan Freeman doesn't deliver as powerful a narration or supporting performance as he did in The Shawkshank Redemtion, but he is equally as good as Eastwood and Swank. Freeman knows when to say what he has to say in order to move things along, and doesn't over-act at all. Freeman really makes you belive that his character is an old weak "fogey" but he can really surprise you when he needs to.
Morgan is one of those all-time great supporting characters that helps hold any film's story together, but be a terrific leading man anyitme.
28-02-05
Hilary Swank
DOB: July 30, 1974
Hilary Swank's performance
Morgan Freeman
DOB: June 1, 1937;
Morgan Freeman's performance
