Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. As with Frankie, we're not told much about Maggie or how she came to discover that, at 31, she's destined to become a champion boxer. Frankie is initially reluctant to train a woman, but Maggie persists and soon wins him over. Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) watches the match and later asks Frankie to train her, but he refuses. He never returns to the gym. She has also written and directed plays, dabbled in music, and served as an advocate for animal and human rights. It garnered rapturous reviews and four Academy Awards, including that for best picture. "I had it all," Maggie tells Frankie, "so don't take it away from me.". The film follows Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald (Swank), an underdog amateur boxer who is helped by an underappreciated boxing trainer (Eastwood) to achieve her dream of becoming a professional. Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. No one would consider it moral to yell "jump" to a person standing on a high ledge. Swank does great at portraying the physical progression in her craft as she trains with intense discipline and Frankie Dunns guidance - rising from awkward, garbage-eating, survivor to a confident, powerful boxer rising rapidly through the ranks. In the end, the real tragedy of Million Dollar Baby is not the heart-wrenching decision that Frankie has to make. In case you havent seen the film, Hilary Swank played Maggie, and she looked majestic in this role: Hilary Swank as Maggie is some kinda BAD ASS. See production, box office & company info. [4][5] The film was stuck in development hell for years before it was shot. 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. 2023 ZIFF DAVIS CANADA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. He was in his 40s by then, so there was no prospect of him pursuing it as a profession, but he learnt enough to know about the world of boxing and write stories about it. The highs in Maggies arc are matched by the crushing lows later in the film when Fitzgeralds impressive, undefeated streak is derailed by a freak accident. I used to kick-box until I reached my mid-thirties and all of those roundhouse kicks started taking a toll on my hips and knees. Hilary Swank as Maggie is some kinda BAD ASS. Challenge proving her family wrong and boxing her way to the championship. Obtain more information on scheduling a lecture or learning more about Jewish medical ethics by visiting Dr. Eisenberg at www.daneisenberg.com, When Leonard Cohen Sang for Israeli Soldiers During the Yom Kippur War, How to Prevent Civil War: Arguing for the Sake of Peace, Top Six Rules Every Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Should Follow. In the academy award-winning film, the injured boxer begs her coach to kill her because she can't face life as a quadriplegic, and he complies. [12], Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film four stars and stated that "Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby is a masterpiece, pure and simple," listing it as the best film of 2004. Boyd had picked up boxing pretty late in his life. We are certainly never permitted to shorten the life of someone like Maggie who is in a very compromised state, but not dying. Frankie is initially reluctant to train a woman, but Maggie persists and soon wins him over. He respects her wishes and ushers her into that big ring in the sky. No, Million Dollar Baby is not based on a true story. Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) is a tough-luck waitress, who persuades a grizzled old trainer named Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to help turn her into a world-class boxer. Maggie, in the story, had a crusty and protective trainer who became a surrogate father and who reluctantly and heartbreakingly helped her die. [11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on an A+ to F scale. The film takes the same route of a person completely drowning themselves in training for what they want in life, but in the second half, it takes an unexpected turn and turns into a tragedy. "[10] On Metacritic it has a weighted average score of 86 out of 100, based on reviews from 39 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [6][7], Eastwood had confidence in Swank's acting, but upon seeing Swank's small physique, he had concerns, "I just thought, 'Yeah, this gal would be great. Theyve shunned her ever since she became a boxer. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. As an actor, I had my reservations with him, but as a storyteller, I have truly inhaled him. Frankie is finally willing to arrange a title fight. Frankie bestows Maggie a Gaelic nickname, embroidered on her boxing robe, Mo Chuisle (misspelled in the film as "mo cuishle"), but does not tell her its meaning. Yet Judaism categorically states that one may never actively shorten the life of even a terminally ill patient. Watch 'Million Dollar Baby' | Anniversary Mashup. But that doesn't mean I think that's a proper thing to do". Christopher Reeve, better known as Superman, fractured his neck in an equestrian accident, leaving him quadriplegic and dependent on a respirator to breathe. Maggie Fitzgerald is a hillbilly who is poor, works as a waiter, and steals food to put together some savings (Swank, Eastwood and Freeman, Million Dollar Baby). Name Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald, a waitress from a Missouri town in the Ozarks, shows up in the Hit Pit, a run-down Los Angeles gym owned and operated by Frankie Dunn, an old, cantankerous boxing trainer. Maggie, born and raised in Missouri, has always had to fight for herself. It grossed $216,763,646 in theaters; $100,492,203 in the United States, and $116,271,443 in other territories. "My 'Million Dollar' Answer," OpinionJournal/Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (17 February 2005). This is our collection of the most informative and complete biographies. Dunn is a cantankerous Irish-American trainer, revealed to be estranged from his own daughter. Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. The film was released on VHS and DVD on July 12, 2005, and all editions of the Region 1 DVD, except for the "Deluxe Edition", came with a paperback copy of the book Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner. 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. So perhaps the real ethical question is not "why does Maggie want to die? If she dies today you know what her last thought would be? Frankie accepts a fight in London for Maggie and gives her a green silk robe with the Gaelic phrase Mo Cuishle on the back. Frankie says that he doesn't usually train girls, until he meets the tenacious Maggie. The bystander on the street would presume that the potential jumper is distraught and needs emotional support and help. Frankie, who has come to think of Maggie as he would a daughter, does what any good father would do. 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. Joel Cox, Eastwood's editor for many years, was nominated for Best Film Editing, and Paul Haggis was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay award. Human Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. Yet let us consider: If a physically healthy person, with a stable family, wealth, and a successful career, would state that he wants to die, we would naturally find it hard to support such a decision. She went to school in Bellingham, where she lived with her family, until she was 16. like the boxer in million dollar baby, katie dallam was a missouri girl who grew up in poverty. characters are most like you. 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. Updates? Almost uniformly, these people reported regretting their decision to jump. More details are available in the progress report. 10 Video Games That Need a Live Action Adaptation. Eventually, he relents, and the two form a close bond that will irrevocably change them both. What is the streaming release date of Million Dollar Baby (2004) in Mexico? With the help of her coach, Frank, Maggie is on her way to becoming one of the greatest boxers to ever live. It is further contradicted by plenty of hard data. Unlike her lazy family, Maggie wants to succeed and make a name for herself. Million Dollar Baby: Directed by Clint Eastwood. ", Often we fail to recognize that a cry for death is really a cry for help. He is portrayed by Hilary Swank . Toole, and was adapted for the screen by Paul Haggis. The film played in theaters for six and a half months. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Clint Eastwood is a legendary film personality. Fought in the literal sense of the word. Out of the several short stories in the book, the ones that are merged together to form the script of the film are The Monkey Look, Million $$$ Baby, and Frozen Water. Frankie's prize prospect, "Big Willie" Little, signs with successful manager Mickey Mack after becoming impatient with Frankie rejecting offers for a championship bout. Shneidman, founder of the American Association of Suicidology, explained: "The paradigm is the man who cuts his throat and cried for help in the same breath.". Added: 2022-11-19 From beginning to end, there is narration by "Scrap"- Morgan Freeman's recognizable voice. If we can get her trained up. However, fortunately, unlike the fate of Maggie in the film, Crockett didnt meet with any tragedy in her life. The Disability Rights Education Fund released a statement about the film in February 2005 that included the following: "Perhaps the most central stereotype fueling disability prejudice is the mistaken assumption inherent in the message of the movie that the quality of life of individuals with disabilities is unquestionably not worth living. This article is about the 2004 film. Jewish law approaches the preservation of life as a moral obligation, but recognizes that there are times, particularly when a patient is terminally ill, when intervention should not be performed. 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. Maggie soldiers on through it all until she has the chance at a million dollar pot in Vegas. The shift in editing over to pages for the movies, characters, actors, directors, composers, crew and galleries is now fully in effect. Find out how you match to her and 5500+ other characters. Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie but states that he will not manage her. The Academy Award-winning movie, Million Dollar Baby, strikes deep at the issues of self-worth and the value of life. While he trained a lot of people in the field, he never got to make his dream of winning the world championship come true due to a boxing accident in 1970 that had left him with a detached retina. Even though Maggies financial success is a boon to her terrible, unsupportive family, they are quite unamused by her success as a female boxer; her own mom tells her that her home girls and home boys are secretly making fun of her. Maggie is a Wow! Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Despite her age, Maggie proves herself to be worth Frankie's time and . On the strength of believing in herself, Maggie reaches the pinnacle of success and is about to become world champion. Thats Frankie Dunn, hes the famous trainer at The Hit Pit, in L.A, California. You made her the best fighter she could be. 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. Toole, aka Jerry Boyd. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. Is Million Dollar Baby based on true events? '"[citation needed][14], In early 2005, the film sparked controversy when some disability rights activists protested the ending. Much like Mary Kay Ash, Maggie started from nothing, slinging hash at a dive somewhere in the Ozarks when she meets trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood). Down she went, no longer burning and sizzling, to the earth. Gal. Billie the Blue Bear, dropping Maggie Fitzgerald's head across a stool, paralyzing her, freezing us, and how can anyone ever forgive that? Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, Frankie's friend and employeethe film's narratorencourages and helps Maggie. Maggie is alive and kicking. A horrified Frankie refuses, so Maggie later bites her own tongue in an attempt to bleed to death. (Um, yeah. After being fired from the television series Family Law, Haggis wrote the script on spec, and it took four years to sell it. But is Maggie indeed Frankie's million-dollar baby? The real tragedy is that a young woman, robbed of her dream, lacks the support she needs to recognize that life is still brimming with unfulfilled potential, and that life is still her most valuable possession. Or that shed have given Frankie a glimmer of hope and picked a potato chip from the bowl a la Jill Kinmont* in The Other Side of the Mountain., Maggie fights on in my imagination. Maggie fitzgerald boxer? Frankie is also reluctant to let Big Willie fight in a title match. Frankie's glory days as a boxing coach are far behind him, though he's still on the lookout for the next superstar boxer. She was like a fire cracker. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. [28] It was the first Best Picture winner released on either high-definition optical disc format in the U.S.; it and Unforgiven (also starring Eastwood and Freeman) were the only ones released in the U.S. on HD DVD prior to the first one released in the U.S. on Blu-ray, Crash. No chance in the world of being what she needed to be. Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film. According to CBS, Swank, like Fitzgerald, grew up in a trailer park and was a high. Gal in the truest sense of how I define one insofar that she fought her way to the top. Boyd had written the book when he was on the crux of 70, and died two years before the film arrived on the screens. Wanting to learn from the best, aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) wants Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her. 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. Heres the answer. Is 'Million Dollar Baby' based on a book? Big Willie drops Frankie as his manager and signs with the more aggressive Mickey Mack (Bruce MacVittie). 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. It was because of you that she was fighting the championship of the world. Scrap, concerned when Frankie rejects several offers for big fights, arranges a meeting for Maggie with Mickey Mack, but out of loyalty to Frankie, she declines. Just before administering a fatal injection of adrenaline, he tells Maggie the meaning of "mo chuisle": "my darling, and my blood." Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Yet after a short period of despair, he chose to make life matter and become an advocate for the disabled. 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. Maggie fights her way up in the women's amateur boxing division with Frankie's coaching. One man told New Yorker magazine that upon jumping, "I instantly realized that everything in my life that I'd thought was unfixable, was totally fixable -- except for having just jumped. The movie is narrated by Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris (played by Morgan Freeman) and opens on a boxing match in Los Angeles in which cut man and trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) is in the corner of Big Willie Little (Mike Colter). Information Both Katie Dallam and Maggie Fitzgerald were born into poverty in Missouri and began boxing in their 30's. Both ended up in the ring against a much younger, stronger opponent. (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 . As a society we would rather take a person's cry for help as a cry for death, rather than adequately fund the social services necessary to help people choose not to die. Species Eastwood persuaded Lakeshore Entertainment's Tom Rosenberg to put up half the budget (as well as handle foreign distribution), with Warner Bros. contributing the rest. Frankie is shown experiencing the first three of the five stages of grief: first seeking multiple doctors' opinions in denial, then blaming Scrap in anger and later trying to bargain with God through prayer. Maggies decision to end her own life is tragic because it is, in fact, exactly what a gal like her would do when shes up against those particular ropes . registered trademarks of Ziff Davis Canada, Inc. and may not be used by third parties without Wanting to learn from the best, aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) wants Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her. Its time to give recognition to the man who runs the show behind the scenes. Maggie will never let anyone tell her that she cant accomplish her dreams. As the Torah teaches, "Do not stand idly by as your neighbor's blood is shed" (Leviticus 19:16). I think I did all right. The fictional Fitzgerald was a Missourian born into trailer-home poverty who in her early thirties sees a chance for independence in the nascent world of women's boxing. It has been repeatedly shown that for a terminally ill patient in a hospice, the desire to live or die is closely tied to the quality of pain relief and emotional support. He is portrayed by Hilary Swank. Let's look at the real-life experience of someone who was at the height of fame and then suffered a devastating injury similar to Maggie's. She eventually finds a. [27] The Blu-ray Disc version was released on November 14, 2006. The controversy failed to dent the films popularity. Please select which sections you would like to print: Pat Bauer graduated from Ripon College in 1977 with a double major in Spanish and Theatre. Maggie's career skyrockets, but an accident in the ring leads her to ask Frankie for one last favor. Such was the life of Margaret (Maggie) Fitzgerald, known by her fans as "Mo Chuishle". [2] The term 'Million Dollar Baby' was from the nose art of a World War II Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. If we can get a little bit more bulk on her, to make her look like a fighter'She was like a feather. Her way to becoming one of the greatest boxers to ever Live 5 ] the term 'Million Dollar Answer. 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