Million Dollar Baby (2004)

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

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

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

Stars:

Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman

Top Rated Movies #208 | Won 4 Oscars. Another 63 wins & 86 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

Wanting to learn from the best, aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) wants Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. Maggie's rough around the edges, but shows a lot of grit in the ring and he eventually relents. Maggie not only proves to be the boxer he always dreamed of having under his wing, but a friend who fills the great void he's had in his life. Maggie's career skyrockets, but an accident in the ring leads her to ask Frankie for one last favor.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | determination | women boxing | death | euthanasia | 

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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.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

For this film, Clint Eastwood became the 12th person to direct multiple Best Picture Oscar-winning films, having also directed Unforgiven (1992). The first 11 are Frank Lloyd (Cavalcade (1933) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)), Frank Capra (It Happened One Night (1934) and You Can't Take It with You (1938)), William Wyler (Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Ben-Hur (1959)), Elia Kazan (Gentleman's Agreement (1947) and On the Waterfront (1954)), Vincente Minnelli (An American in Paris (1951) and Gigi (1958)), Billy Wilder (The Lost Weekend (1945) and The Apartment (1960)), Sir David Lean (The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962)), Robert Wise (West Side Story (1961) and The Sound of Music (1965)), Fred Zinnemann (From Here to Eternity (1953) and A Man for All Seasons (1966)), Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974)), and Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Amadeus (1984)). Of these 12, Wyler is the only one to direct more than two.

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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.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

The Warner Brothers logo is the classic shield version, shown in a color palette (mainly black and white, with a dark green tint) matching the "feel" of the movie, and is static instead of the modern 3D animated sequence.

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Connections

Referenced in T.K.O. (2007)

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Soundtracks

Boxing Baby
Written by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens

User Reviews

Swank gives the performance of a lifetime!

I didn't view this film until today because I simply wasn't interested in women in boxing; however, I wish I'd seen it years ago! Hillary Swank can never make another film and this one would be her crowning glory. It takes you on a wild ride of emotions from the beginning and Clint Eastwood's curmudgeon self is part of it all. Naturally, the "voice of God" in Morgan Freeman is there to explain it all and give some meaning to what each of the characters fell. By now, everyone knows the ending but I still won't spoil it for late-comers to the film like myself. I do believe much has been made about it and it's unnecessary. Yes, you will be torn about what is morally right but you can certainly understand how Eastwood's and Swank's characters feel! Please see this film. You will understand pugilism more than ever before and you just might see some of your own self in the film! It is well worth the time!

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Irish

Release Date:

15 December 2004 (Canada)

Also Known As:

La fille à un million de dollars

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$179,953, 19 December 2004

Gross USA:

$100,492,203

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$216,763,646

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Lakeshore Entertainment, Malpaso Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1