Frankie is initially reluctant to train a woman, but Maggie persists and soon wins him over. She then asks Frankie to help her die, declaring that she got everything she wanted out of life. [2] The term 'Million Dollar Baby' was from the nose art of a World War II Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. In the first two rounds, the Blue Bears cheap shots get the best of Maggie, but Maggie gains a distinct upper hand in the third. Bent on becoming a professional boxer, plucky 31-year-old Missouri waitress Maggie Fitzgerald sets foot in silver-haired trainer Frankie Dunn's run-down gym. The website's critical consensus reads, "Clint Eastwood's assured directioncombined with knockout performances from Hilary Swank and Morgan Freemanhelp Million Dollar Baby to transcend its clichs, and the result is deeply heartfelt and moving. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her. On their return to Los Angeles, Frankie agrees to let Maggie travel to Las Vegas to face Billie The Blue Bear (Lucia Rijker) for the welterweight title. Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film. I like to think that there are kick-ass gals out there like Maggie who are willing to go after their dreams, no matter how outr, dangerous or impossible they may seem to the rest of us rather boring folks. While the fictional Maggie is convinced that her life is over after her injury, the real Christopher Reeve chose to define himself not as the movie star he had been, but rather by his future potential -- limited in some respects, but boundless nonetheless. As a tribute to her, I bestowed my hero, Gage, in Someone Like You with a very special surname: Fitzgerald.. What is prudent is subjective, but that does not stop us from establishing societal norms. It wasn't hard for Swank, as her journey to Hollywood mirrored that of her character Maggie Fitzgerald. Judaism recognizes that a person has the autonomy to make healthcare decisions, but insists that they must do so in a prudent manner (see "Doctor Knows Best?"). A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. (See: Should Terri Schiavo Live or Die?) The film was named the third "Best Film of the 21st Century So Far" in 2017 by The New York Times.[26]. In Million Dollar Baby, what is presented as a question of the right to die is perhaps a distraction from the deeper question of responsibility to help our fellow human being. From a Jewish perspective, euthanasia is never permitted. She suffers a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves her quadriplegic. ", but why there is not a greater offering of emotional support? Scraps narration informs viewers that Frankie never returned to the gym, and it emerges that the story that he has been telling is the text of a letter that he has been writing to Frankies estranged daughter. [8], Million Dollar Baby initially had a limited release, opening in eight theaters in December 2004. Let us analyze the issues raised by the movie: Why would someone ask to die and should we be willing to oblige? The last few minutes of Million Dollar Baby are a sobfest of epic proportions, and not in that cheesy Hallmark way, either. After Maggie bites through her tongue in an effort to bleed to death, however, he changes his mind. They arrive only after first touring Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood. Hollywood star Hilary Swank rose to fame in the late 90s with one of her most incredible performances her portrayal of Brandon Teena in the biographical movie Boys Don't Cry.In 2004 the actress portrayed aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald in Clint Eastwood's sports drama movie Million Dollar Baby.For both of her performances, Hilary won an Academy Award in the category Best Lead Actress. Big Willie drops Frankie as his manager and signs with the more aggressive Mickey Mack (Bruce MacVittie). Maggie asks Frankie to train her, but he refuses as he does not train women and she is too old to begin a boxing career. His decision to kill Maggie is abhorrent from a Jewish perspective. Maggie fights her way up in the women's amateur boxing division with Frankie's coaching. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. in spades. A fulfilling life requires hope for the future -- new vistas to reach, new goals to achieve. [3], On Rotten Tomatoes, Million Dollar Baby has an approval rating of 90% based on 269 reviews, with an average rating of 8.40/10. (Note to readers: This story reveals a key plot twist in "Million Dollar Baby.") The film tells us the story of a poor but feisty young woman, Maggie (Hilary Swank), who wants Frankie (Clint . Jewish law does not require the preservation of life in all instances, and in fact, when someone is terminally ill and suffering, we do not necessarily require treatments to prolong life. Ms. Million Dollar. Gal. To take advantage of all of CharacTours features, you need your own personal As Maggie heads back to her corner after the end of the round, however, the Bear ambushes her with a blow to the head. We typically grant decision-making autonomy only where someone has a legitimate right and ability to decide. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Mary Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald is a fictional character appearing in the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby. The two travel to Europe as she continues to win; Maggie eventually saves up enough of her winnings to buy her mother a house, but her mother berates Maggie for endangering her government aid, claiming that everyone back home is laughing at her. Without hope of recovery, she attempts suicide, before finally persuading Frankie to help her die. . It garnered rapturous reviews and four Academy Awards, including that for best picture. Maggie's rough around the edges, but shows a lot of grit in the ring and he eventually relents. Biography She is a transplant from working-class Missouri who arrives in Frankie Dunn 's gym seeking his expertise. For those who are new and are wondering about why this was necessary, read the shift in editing starting March 1st blog. Then a second passed, her fire extinguished and she fell. The film garnered seven nominations at the 77th Academy Awards and won four: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (for Swank), and Best Supporting Actor (for Freeman). Theyve shunned her ever since she became a boxer. Kevin Can F**k Himself Shows a Whole New Side of Sitcom Marriages What Can Guys Learn From It? After losing a leg to gangrene, Maggie asks Frankie to kill her, as living in this condition is intolerable to her, but he will not. As an actor, I had my reservations with him, but as a storyteller, I have truly inhaled him. [1][2] Filming took place in Los Angeles and film sets at Warner Bros. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. Maggie's rough around the edges, but shows a . Get familiar with the big names that everyone talked about. "[15] The Chicago Tribune reported that protests against the film by disability activists occurred in Chicago, Berkeley, and other cities, and that Clint Eastwood had previously lobbied for weakening provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. No, Million Dollar Baby is not based on a true story. Eastwood had his daughter Morgan Colette appear in a brief role as a girl who waves to Swank's character at a gas station. I am a great fan of his. Million Dollar Baby received the award for Best Picture of 2004 at the 77th Academy Awards. Boyd had picked up boxing pretty late in his life. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Since she has earned a reputation for quick KOs, Frankie must resort to bribery to get other managers to put their trainee fighters up against her. Despite her age, Maggie proves herself to be worth Frankie's time and . Ziff Davis, LLC BBB Business Review. Maggie becomes a popular fighter in Europe, where people cheer for her as Mo Cuishle. When Maggie and Frankie return to the United States, Maggie takes Frankie to meet her mother, for whom Maggie has bought a house. Please ignore rumors and hoaxes. Then, "What's your plan for tomorrow?" [20] Roger Ebert stated that "a movie is not good or bad because of its content, but because of how it handles its content. Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods and What the Vietnam War Did to My Father, Best Sex Positions to Improve Your Sex Life. As the Torah teaches, "Do not stand idly by as your neighbor's blood is shed" (Leviticus 19:16). Medved, Michael. Hilary Swank bagged her second Oscar for the sheer determination and heartbreaking emotion on display as Maggie Fitzgerald, a 31-year-old waitress desperately clinging to her dream of . The stated reason, whether devastating or trite, would lead us to conclude that this person is depressed and needs emotional support and possibly psychiatric treatment. She trained for nearly five hours every day, winding up with a potentially life-threatening staphylococcus infection. When Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) arrives in Frankie's gym seeking his expertise, he is reluctant to train the young woman, a transplant from working-class Missouri. Million Dollar Baby is classical in the clean, clear, strong lines of its story and characters, and had an enormous emotional impact". A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. Film(s) There are no opening credits after the title is shown. Gal in my book because her character has deep personal meaning. Boxing movies are about rooting for the underdog and Maggie may the ultimate underdog on this list, delivering a character we root for her the whole way, no matter her fate. His only friend, Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman), an ex-boxer who looks after Frankie's gym, knows that beneath his gruff exterior is a man who has been seeking, for the past twenty-five years, the forgiveness that somehow continues to elude him. but a real-life boxer, whose life story likely inspired the film, says the ending is bunk. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Boyd had written the book when he was on the crux of 70, and died two years before the film arrived on the screens. [21], The Gaelic nickname for Swank's character comes from the original phrase a chuisle mo chro, meaning "O pulse of my heart"; one critic noted that the use of Gaelic in the film led to some interest in the language and the phrase. The bystander on the street would presume that the potential jumper is distraught and needs emotional support and help. Find out how you match to her and 5500+ other characters. I still have a passion for all things boxing, as evidenced by the name of my furry red Somali cat, Lennox Lewis. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie. Disgusted, she orders them to leave and threatens to report their welfare fraud if they try to contact her again. Million Dollar Baby, American dramatic film, released in 2004, that was directed by Clint Eastwood and starred Eastwood and Hilary Swank. Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) has trained and managed some incredible fighters during a lifetime spent in the ring. The Academy Award-winning movie, Million Dollar Baby, strikes deep at the issues of self-worth and the value of life. "My 'Million Dollar' Answer," OpinionJournal/Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (17 February 2005). She competed in the Junior Olympics and Washington State championships in swimming; she ranked 5th in the state in all-around gymnastics (which would come in handy for starring in The Next Karate Kid (1994) years later). Hilary Swank. I never got my shot. Common wisdom declares that the wishes of a patient, whether they be for more treatment, less treatment, or physician-assisted suicide, must be respected and carried out. She spent most of the next 42 years working as a copy editor and editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: Don't say that. Maggie Fitzgerald Frankie Dunn: It wasn't fault. Maggie is destitute, alone, and leads a non-significant life. Little by little, an unbreakable father/daughter bond develops between them, and for the first time in a long while, both Dunn and Maggie seem to have found purpose in life. Frankie's glory days as a boxing coach are far behind him, though he's still on the lookout for the next superstar boxer. On June 8, 2002, the U.K.s Lennox Lewis showed the planet that might makes right when he won against Mike Tyson by glorious KO and claimed the title of heavyweight champion of the world. Watch 'Million Dollar Baby' | Anniversary Mashup. The message is that disappointment over a shattered dream is a greater tragedy than death itself. Maggies obese, white trash family have rejected her. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. He has taught a Jewish medical ethics class for the past 15 years. The shift in editing over to pages for the movies, characters, actors, directors, composers, crew and galleries is now fully in effect. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Actors/Actresses Daddy used to tell me Id fight my way into this world, and Id fight my way out., Living in Los Angeles, where she trains at the Hit Pit, a grimy downtown gym. 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