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Million Dollar Baby (2004)

 -  Drama | Sport  -  28 January 2005 (USA)
8.1
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Ratings: 8.1/10 from 280,179 users   Metascore: 86/100
Reviews: 1,062 user | 255 critic | 39 from Metacritic.com

A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.

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(screenplay), (stories)
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Title: Million Dollar Baby (2004)

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Top 250 #172 | Won 4 Oscars. Another 57 wins & 34 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Father Horvak (as Brían O'Byrne)
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Joe D'Angerio ...
Cut Man (as Joe d'Angerio)
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Storyline

Frankie Dunn has trained and managed some incredible fighters during a lifetime spent in the ring. The most important lesson he teaches his boxers is the one that rules life: above all, always protect yourself. In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, Frankie has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone for a very long time. His only friend, Scrap, 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 25 years, the forgiveness that somehow continues to elude him. Then Maggie Fitzgerald walks into his gym... Written by Any

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

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.

Genres:

Drama | Sport

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, some disturbing images, thematic material and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

28 January 2005 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Rope Burns  »

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$200,475 (Sweden) (8 April 2005)

Gross:

$100,422,786 (USA) (3 June 2005)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Second in the poll for FIPRESCI GRAND PRIX OF THE YEAR 2005. See more »

Goofs

The first scene with Father Horvak is an overhead shot of him leaving the church talking with a parishioner. The parishioner has a bag in her right hand. The next shot switches to a head-on shot of them a second later but the parishioner has the bag in her left hand, too fast for her to have switched hands between the two shots. See more »

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.
See more »

Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits after the title is shown. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Goedemorgen Nederland: Episode dated 24 May 2004 (2004) See more »

Soundtracks

"Solferino"
Written by Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens and David Potaux-Razel
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Swank! Eastwood! Freeman!
8 January 2006 | by (Twin Cities, Minnesota) – See all my reviews

It would be difficult to imagine a more perfect trio of performers the likes of Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman in their respective roles in the emotionally-charged "Million Dollar Baby."

My favorite scenes were the early sequences in which Maggie (Swank) visits the dowdy boxing gym and co-opts Eastwood's crusty boxing trainer Frankie into becoming her mentor. Along with the veteran, retired boxer Eddie, played by Freeman, the performances were as electric as the Ali shuffle.

In the overall arc of the story of "Million Dollar Baby," there were three extraneous subplots: (1) Frankie's visits to church and his talks with the priest; (2) the story of the mentally-challenged young man named Danger, who appears in the gym and is taunted by the boxers; and (3) Maggie's family members introduced in two scenes filled with such vulgarity that much of the film's hard-earned credibility was lost. Not only would the film have worked effectively without the subplots, it would have been a much better film without them.

While Eastwood's direction was superb, much credit should also go to the designers, especially the stylish work with lighting. I cannot recall a film as dimly lit as this one, and the subdued lighting contributed substantially to the characters and mood evoked in this sensitive film. The three main performances were standouts. But this film was also a very successful team effort.


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