I finally saw this the other day for the first time and have to admit it lived up to its hype. Million Dollar Baby is a great film and Hillary Swank is a magnificent actress. Her performance in these frames was as strong as it was in Boys Don't Cry. As far as her relationship with Eastwood's Dunn goes their bond was totally believable as a union between a daughterless father and a fatherless daughter. I know that some of my fellow conservatives were sickened by the ending. Frankly, I wasn't. While I would not have done what the main character (Eastwood) did, his actions did not ruin the film for me. I typically don't judge theatrical releases by how much they reflect my own core beliefs though. Regardless of values, Million Dollar Baby deserves its reputation. It is a superior drama and--luckily--not a melodrama.

This film is beautifully strong but immensely cruel. The strength of the film holds in one single fact: anyone can always win one battle provided they are trained properly and they are managed properly. That does not mean they will win the world title but they can always try and win one victory. How far will they go, no one knows, no one can tell. Luckily, otherwise there would be no meaning in trying. But the cruelty is all contained too in one fact: the end of such a fight for the top title is lost sooner or later if the contender does not learn how to cheat with life and the rules or to be aware the other one may cheat with life and the rules and this contender must be ready to resist these attempts. And that's just what the "boss" forgot to teach his fighter. And she was the victim of the viciousness of the champion who did something wrong for the third time causing severe damage and eventually death. If you just concentrate on these two elements this film is a masterpiece that deserves all the prizes it got. If you want to go slightly farther and sort out other elements like the heavy reference to God and religion, you will fall into something very trite, like the priest advising the "boss" not to meddle with the fallen fighter's desire to die because then he, the boss, would not be able to come to terms with himself. This answer is so narrow-minded, so egotistic in the name of God. I respect the divine command not because I respect or fear God, but because my disobeying this command may make me unhappy. On these sides issues and questions Clint Eastwood is definitely less clear. But the cruelty of this boxing against all people involved in the business is mastered in an admirable way. You win or you die and if you lose you have to die, at least die away into non-existing.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

Despite the fact that Hillary Swank is a beautiful, super-talented actress, this movie was the worst I have ever seen. I say this because of the terrible evil that it is clearly trying to promote, namely the murder of anybody who is physically handicapped in some way. The mind of the character played by Hillary Swank was completely intact, yet instead of taking loving care of her, Clint Eastwood took advantage of her physical helplessness by murdering her. This is left-wing propaganda at its most shameful.

For me, this was sort of a waste of 2 hours. Some of the things were predictable, but I wasn't sure how it was all going to play out. I just couldn't connect with the characters all that much. I have really tried to like Hilary Swank as an actress, but for some reason I just haven't found her in a role that seems to capture an emotional captivating role.

Clint Eastwood is always great, and so is Morgan Freeman they were great in this film. This was a touching story, but I feel it could have been more gripping for me with a different leading female, or some background music, I don't really recall any, and I just watched it last night.

There are many positive reviews, and to many this probably was a good film, I just didn't feel it.

At least I just had it as a rental from Net-Flix.

I am very unhappy with this film. It's blatant in two ways: first as a rip-off of the excellent and very well received (and awarded) Girl Fight, and even worse that it was written solely to get an Oscar nomination by purposely pandering to the emotions of the audience. Part way into this, I said to myself 'this is ridiculous... could they make it any plainer, and I will bet that they will kill her off to get even more emphasis'. Well, all that happened. You have Morgan Freeman narrating it, his voice and Clint's are both gravely - oddly so like they made them even more so. And they both appear to be 80 years old so it's hard to believe they'd still be running a gym - much less punching the bag and the occasional young tuff that gets in the way. Then there is the Opponent in the climatic fight scene, who sneered like she was bad stuff (and was also black - and German - apparently you can't have one without the other if you want to make someone into a real bad stuff). Then, and this is true, just when I thought they had positioned her badly enough, I said to myself "wait, there is more, I bet she is a criminal or an ex-hooker. A minute later she was introduced as an ex-hooker and later proved to be a criminal when, after losing to the Million Dollar Baby, she sucker-punched her, causing a fall and a permanent breaking of her neck (confined to a bed the entire rest of the film, until she dies).

And product placement - unbelievable: at one point Morgan Freeman (the disabled but wise janitor at the gym) is asked by Clint (the owner) why he persists in using one brand of bleach cleaner to clean up with - the scene is shot from behind the bottle which takes up half the screen. The answer "because it's the best and it smells good".

So we find out Baby was raised dirt poor. They have to rub it in by saying she was a waitress from age 13 and this is her "last chance". Well, of course it's her "last chance", that's how these films work, although we never do find out why this is all she has going for her (smart, a hard worker, pretty - why?). Then we find out she is from Missouri, so just as I was saying to myself "I bet she has a hillbilly Mother and family", all of a sudden there they are. Her Mother is 312 pounds, curses like a sailor because her daughter gave her a house to live in, and of course her teenage pregnant sister with a stereotype (if being pregnant and a minor isn't stereotype enough) trash (and threatening) boyfriend. Well, by now I'm groaning and ready to throw up. At least the Family was well cast!

Oh, and by the way, Clint's character development included his interest in reading Gaelic, and his going to church every single day for 33 years (never resolved, except apparently his wife left him at some point way back then). And his priest swears at him from frustration. I can understand that part.

As I said, she dies, but I was wondering just how bad they were going to make it when I suddenly realized how she'd actually die. She is in a hospital, can't move, bed sores everywhere (graphically shown), loses a leg to gangrene that set in (unnecessary part of the plot, she was in bad enough shape already), paralyzed for good. Then I realize that Clint will kill her to put her out of her misery. That is exactly what happens. So predictable it was awful. After he kills her (unplugs the machine - predictable, and shoots her full of adrenaline - unpredicted) he goes to a restaurant and gets a slice of lemon pie for himself. Nobody saw him do the deed, so he can just leave to get a price of pie like he did once with her. Darned Clint is trying to get the tears flowing out of his audience, when all the audience wants to do is leave. Speaking of which, once we finally got there, there was no clapping and only silence.

Keep in mind here I'm not moaning over this just because she dies. I don't expect a do-good film where she becomes world champion and lives happily ever after (or even loses it all and then regains it all like Rocky Balboa). But, the film was so awfully predictable. I don't believe it was well written, I don't believe it was well directed. At one point where the rough old gravely Clint has refused to take her on as her Manager but coaches her with a couple of tips on how to throw a punch (leading to the inevitable moment when he does take her on as her Manager), he and she are both smiling (for the first and only time in the film) - and you realize they are smiling at each other's acting and that a really poor take was used.

Arrrgghhhh.... what a waste of money!!! And this darned thing had better not get any of the Oscars which Clint and Morgan have so cleverly positioned it for!

Why does the otherwise excellent Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood (both who have done so much better) feel they can pander to us to get an Oscar?

Million Dollar Baby is slow, boring, and not worth Oscar gold. Hilary Swank is not that good of an actress, I find her unbearable to watch. Morgan Freeman always seems to play the same character but to my surprise Clint Eastwood is quite good in this film, his acting has never been better. The story and pace of the film is what leaves me disappointed. I just couldn't get into this weeper, oh well.

It has been quite a few years since Clint Eastwood was reamed by critics for starring and sometimes directing ultra-violent vigilante action thrillers. What they neglected to acknowledge is that Eastwood has always had a strong sense of story, and age has really sharpened his filmmaking techniques to a deeply resonant emotional level without the need for gimmickry or special effects. Nowhere is his immense talent more evident than in this acclaimed 2004 film, a low-key, patiently paced, three-person drama that takes a surprising turn that lifts the movie into something quite extraordinary. The only significant thing miscalculated is the movie's title, which seems almost too comically ironic for such an enriching film.

Written by Paul Haggis (Crash), the basic story is simple, almost deceptively corny sounding a bit like the distaff version of Rocky. A spunky female fighter from the wrong side of the tracks, Maggie Fitzgerald, wants a grizzled old trainer, Frankie Dunn, to guide her to become a professional boxer. Of course, the trainer owns a third-rate gym with an array of male fighters encompassing all the stereotypes. He also has an aged assistant, Scrap, who is of course, willing to champion Maggie's potential more than Frankie, at least at the beginning. Eastwood, however, belies the predictability and takes his story to a far deeper and more nuanced level than one would presume from this set-up. It turns out that Maggie is pushing 32 and considered over-the-hill for getting into the game. Frankie is estranged from his daughter, reads Yeats, studies Gaelic and goes to Mass every day mostly to annoy the young priest. Scrap was a contender trained by Frankie but lost an eye and his boxing future when a match went awry.

How these three characters interact with each other supplies the film's main pleasure, not really the obligatory boxing scenes that will assuredly make one wince by their realism. In fact, one of the more painful scenes in the movie is not in the boxing ring but in a new house that Maggie buys for her ungrateful mother, when Maggie comes to the revelation that she has no one but Frankie to provide emotional support in her life. This is not to say the film lacks humor, as Eastwood infuses a clever sensibility that subtly draws you into these characters' lives without hesitation. The story follows Maggie's ascension in the boxing world, and what happens beyond that development is devastating. While it is enough to say there is tragedy involved, leave it to Eastwood, in his straightforward, confident directorial approach, to make the last part of the story surprisingly life-affirming and not at all exploitative. Only a filmmaking master could pull off such a feat in such an honest and emotionally affecting manner.

As an actor, Eastwood continues to impress primarily by his innate connection to Frankie. Probably not since his surprisingly open-hearted turn in The Bridges of Madison County has he made himself so vulnerable onscreen, granted this time under the veneer of his hard-earned, leather-faced machismo. His sense of authority is never in question here, and he shows it off with great relish, especially as his character realizes how much more complicated life becomes as he grows older. Morgan Freeman plays Scrap with his customary humanistic skill. In fact, he provides the narration as a voiceover letter to Frankie's daughter in a manner that will remind you of his similar turn in The Shawshank Redemption. That's not to say his performance is unsurprising, as he and Eastwood have an easy rapport that plays to both actors' strengths. But the standout is Hilary Swank portraying Maggie with an emotional directness and piercing vulnerability that cuts right to the heart. Not only is she physically impressive in the gym and in the ring, but she elevates what could have been a one-note character into someone far more complex, intelligent and affecting. The film is wonderfully profound with superlative acting.

The three-disc 2005 DVD set is solid but rather light on extras. Disc One contains a pristine print transfer of the film but no commentaries from Eastwood or the cast. There are three extras on Disc Two. The first is an 18-minute featurette, "Born to Fight", which features interviews with the three stars and three other cast members, in particular, boxer/actor Lucia Rijker (who plays Maggie's fatalistic opponent) who discusses the ways in which the film parallels her career in boxing. The second is "The Producers' Round 15", a 13-minute short on the film's production process featuring Haggis, as well as producers Albert Ruddy and Tom Rosenberg. The last extra is a roundtable discussion, "James Lipton Takes on Three" with the three stars being interviewed in typical sequestered fashion by the erudite host of "Inside the Actors' Studio". Disc Three is the soundtrack CD of Eastwood's atmospheric musical score orchestrated by Lennie Niehaus conducting the Hollywood Studio Symphony.

You know, at the price of movies, it's cheaper to buy the DVD. So I buy the DVD, no problem. But be honest about what I'm getting. I thought I was buying some movie about an against-all-odds underdog woman boxer, not a political statement on euthanasia. And it is so preposterous that Swank's character (This role just reconfirms Swank is a man.) has fought & persisited & trained for all this time & then pow accident decides she will opt for dead in like 15 minutes. If I'm supposed to believe her character up until then, I believe her character would want to prove the doctors wrong & fight to walk & even box again. Please, this sucks. Eastwood, don't veil your statements with a boxing movie. Just retire already. The only thing right about it (& I say this about many movies) is having Morgan Freeman on the cast list.

This is an excellent movie. A real tear jerker at the end. I was anticipating something sad happening towards the end but I guess what is was wrong. I recommend this movie!

Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" is a parable and a meditation about greed, exploitation, and redemption. Eastwood himself stars as Frankie,a boxer who runs a gym. He "doesn't train girls" but the determined Maggie (Hilary Swank) wants to be a champion. Morgan Freeman stars as Eastwood's mentor&friend. Their relationship shows that true friendship transcends race. Freeman is an excellent actor; unfortunately, his near-constant voice-over gets intrusive&heavy-handed. Eastwood,show,don't tell!

Frankie is as determined as Maggie- he wants to win at any cost- and he pays the price. He exploits Maggie for the money, even pitting her against a famously brutal female boxer known for cheating. Frankie knowingly endangers Maggie&she naively accepts the challenge. However, Frank does have a conscience. He is repulsed whenever Maggie tells him to "put her down" if she is seriously injured.

"Million Dollar Baby" shows the seamy underside of female boxing. Boxing between men has an air of legitimacy, while female boxers live in a world of exploitation, treated as freaks. It also comes across as homoerotic. It's no wonder Maggie's redneck mother tells her to "get a man"-but maybe Maggie prefers being surrounded by bikini-clad babes&battling more muscular ones.

"Million Dollar Baby" is controversial because of it's "death with dignity" theme. The young priest warns Frank that if he puts Maggie out of her misery,it will lead to more tragedy. It's not a solution. The priest's prophecy comes true. Frank gives Maggie the lethal injection- and exiles himself from the human community. He doesn't live "happily ever after." On the other hand, Freeman's character is happily reunited with the boxer whose life he saved. Choosing life is redemptive. Some have painted "Million Dollar Baby" as propaganda. One wonders if they actually watched the movie, or if they're merely parroting what talk show hosts told them.

"Million Dollar Baby" has excellent acting,a beautiful score. Its weaknesses are Freeman's near-constant narration (though he has a wonderful baritone) and often stereotypical characters (such as Maggie's family) It's not one of the best Oscar-winning movies; it's still a champion.

With all the Murder Madness and Mayhem in the News I cannot help but believe we have become so De-sensitized ....that a Movie like this would be receiving Rave reviews and talk of Major Accolades !!! !!!
THE EMPEROR IS NAKED ...what is wrong with everyone, this movie is so outrageously unbelievable ...I respect Clint Eastwood and I admire Morgan freemans work as a actor but this Movie is utter Rubbish !!!..There are some places in our Souls that are reserved for the most damaging effects on our senses ..a place that we can retreat too in times of absolute unexplainable Madness ..but that is in REALITY I do not need to be taken there by a Movie ...after all ladies and gentlemen this is a ILLUSION a Story being read to us visually by the director with a cast of Characters ..if we ever reach the point in our minds eye that we cannot differenciate between what real and whats a illusion then we are really on a downword slide .

This film had its moments, but mostly, it was predictable and very unrealistic. What happened to her in the ring during her last fight is illegal and there is absolutetly no way in hell they would allow the other fighter to win that fight, as was mentioned by the white trash mother. I watch boxing and I was appalled at that scene. It pretty much ruined the movie for me from that point on. It could have been a good movie but instead it chose to go cliche.

Wonderful movie. I actually bought this movie to replace one I had that I loaned to someone and never got back. I have seen it several times, and will watch it again.

This film is a moving experience. The acting from all characters is great; the story is one of triumph . . . and ensuing tragedy, such as happens in many lives. The ending does not spell out exactly what has taken place,thereby allowing the viewer to imagine. An A-one movie, with great acting and directing by Clint Eastwood.

I've watched a lot of boxing movies, all with a different angle on things, all done in a different way, but this particuler boxing film is something else all together. Although much to do with boxing, I dont think this film was about boxing. It's about having a great passion for things, never giving up on what you believe in even when things seem too late. It showed me how certain things can change the way a person thinks for the better and then some of the tough descisions that life can deliver, in realiality not every great story is a happy one.

But apart from the fantastic morals that the piece displays, it is structured in a way that will allow everyone to find enjoyment within it. Drivin by some outstanding performances, the film has a warm touch, it can make you laugh and has the ability to make you cry all in the space of two hours.

The performances in this film are outstanding, Clint has directed in such a way that has allowed all the true human emotions to flow from his actors especially through Hillary Swank who presents to us almost every emotion humans have it seems.

To wrap this up I'd say this is another one of the great pieces for its time and that everyone should see it and also learn from it =) any person who hates this film i could say would be inhuman :P so watch it I couldnt reccomend you a better film in this category Enjoy!

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***


"Million Dollar Baby" is a plain and predictable movie which was confidently directed, and has three very good performances. I just cannot believe how many clichés it's got - the estranged daughter of Frankie (Eastwood) to whom he writes every week and receives every letter back not opened. This device was used for Freeman's character's narration - in the last scene of the film we realize that he was telling the story to Frankie's daughter to convince her that her father was a good man. The main character, Maggie the waitress (Hillary Swank) eating table scraps and counting pennies, makes a long trip to LA to be trained by Frankie to became a boxing champion - why is she so determined to have him as her trainer we'll never know. Her conversation with Frankie when she remembers her father and her dog, Axel that was put asleep when became sick - kind of lets you know what to expect in the end. The ominous descriptions of a German champion Billy the Blue Bear, "the dirtiest killing machine" - you know what will happen way before the movie takes it turn. It should've ended just after the turn with Maggie's death - the final round of the movie is despicable in its manipulation. It is hard for me to believe that Maggie practically fall apart from the lack of the proper care - it was shown that way to squeeze as many tears from the audience as possible. What it squeezed from me was anger and burning desire to hiss "Die already!!!" It is also quite predictable that all members of Maggie's family are the crude caricatures. By the way, her sister does not look like a redneck girl who keeps having babies and cheats on Welfare but this is a small detail. Final heartbreaking scene between Maggie and Frankie - in her last moment he told her what Gaelic phrase 'Mo cosúlacht' means and of course, it should make the audiences cry even harder. But if you think of it, Maggie had the robe with the sign for months, her many Irish fans kept greeting her with this phrase all the time - and she never was curious enough to find out (through the dictionary or just by asking any of her fans) what it meant. Again, it is a small detail but I hate to be manipulated by the cheap tricks and the movie has lots of them. Oh, I almost forgot the mentally retarded boy in the Frankie's Gym whose only purpose to be in the gym and in the movie was to provide a triumphant moment for Freeman's Scrap and the comical relief exactly in the right time.

You know, when I think of it, I hate the whole idea of women boxing - I find it unnatural, cruel, and absolutely unsympathetic (but it is me). If Maggie was able to safe a few pennies to get to that Gym, if she was so subtle, strong willed and determined to change her life, to pull herself out of the trailer park, to become somebody, to not be called "white trash", why did not she go to school - to better herself, to receive education. She was smart enough to know where she came from and to want to get out of there, so, why choose the way she chose? But I guess, the movie was not supposed to answer this question.

I believe that Eastwood is an incredible artist at almost 78 - with sure hand, great style, and sharp mind. I loved the music he wrote for the movie, I liked his acting (as well as Swank's and Freeman's) but for me, "Million Dollar Baby" was not the Best film of the year, not even close.

I like this in more than one way. It is a very interesting DVD I just wish the writer could have ended the movie it a little better. If you like boxing then you especially love it if you can great pass the fact that he boxer is a female.

If there's anything in this world that interests me less than boxing, I don't know what it is. Plus, this movie is burdened with a very stupid name. But it's a Clint Eastwood film about a female boxer, played by Hilary Swank, which received rave reviews from a large number of my Advanced English Writing students back in China. I bought this maybe two years ago, or maybe even longer ago than that. Finally, I watched it.

First thought. Clint has the ability to portray so much with an economy of effort that you can forget he's a damn fine actor.

Macho philosophy in quotable bite-sized nuggets. Okay, we have those.

Understated humor. Yep, got that.

Clint Eastwood as a gruff misfit who's really a soft touch. Yep, got that.

Morgan Freeman as the sidekick you wish you had. Yep, got that.

Whenever something really interests Clint as a movie maker, he will make you see why. We have an analysis of boxing that makes me say, "Welcome to the gym." You feel it on a level where words fail to express it. I almost understand why people are interested in participating. Almost. Why people watch a damn bloodsport will always remain beyond me.

And then, even though I knew from my students' writing that this was going to wind up raising the question of euthanasia, and that Clint shares my sentiments about it, I was wholly unprepared for the way it broke my heart. This has got to be the saddest movie I've seen in... well, maybe ever. If it doesn't break your heart, you don't have one.

It deserves every award it won or was nominated for, and I'm glad I saw it once. I don't think I've got the guts to see it twice, which surely means boxing isn't for me. Are you ready for some football?

A friend asked me recently if I liked boxing movies, and was surprised when I said yes. But this isn't a boxing movie. It's an ode to Clint Eastwood's self-image. Clint is a great comic actor; he's funny whether he's getting beaten or beating some poor fool to a pulp. In this droning fraud, he does neither. Instead he quotes the poetry of William Butler Yeats. I like poetry and I like boxing, but this is just pretentiousness on the part of an aging actor who has begun to take himself too seriously as a tough guy. Equally pretentious is the performance of Morgan Freeman as God... (or was that another movie...?). In fact the only quality bit in Million Dollar Baby is the performance of Hillary swank, which is almost good enough to save the project. To class this sentimental escape with such great boxing movies as Raging Bull or Cinderella Man is a disgrace and an outrage.

In the Winter of his career (he is now 76 or 77) Clint Eastwood continues to make quality films, which ignore the Hollywood 'market' and at least require you to engage your brain. Million Dollar Baby is another well directed, well acted and engrossing movie.

The stand-out performance is undoubtably Hilary Swanks as the gritty working class woman who wants to make it big as a boxer. You can see she obviously worked very hard to get into shape for this film. Both Eastwood and Morgan Freeman give good performances alongside Swank, although I'm sure it would have been a better film if Morgan Freeman had played Frankie, rather than Clint Eastwood. However this is arguable and we'll never know.

The film won 4 Oscars, and overall is a thought-provoking movie that deals with a difficult topic very well - and its well worth buying.

Clint Eastwood has truly grown as a director. From his early efforts like Play Misty for Me and The Outlaw Josey Wales to his middle character pieces A Perfect World and The Bridges of Madison County to his critically acclaimed works Unforgiven (Two-Disc Special Edition) and Letters from Iwo Jima / Flags of Our Fathers (Five-Disc Commemorative Edition), Clint Eaastwood has definitely shown a grasp for directing.

So this movie did not seem to be too different to expect from Mr. Eastwood. But it was. Coming off the success of Mystic River (Three-Disc Collector's Edition), Clint Eastwood returned with another critically acclaimed masterpiece. Following two wins in the acting category, Eastwood directed two more performers to Acaemy Awards in this female boxing story that is so layered and magnificient.

Clint Eastwood plays a boxing trainer that trains a new up and coming female boxer (Hilary Swank). Morgan Freeman (who won an Oscar) plays his former bocing trainee and provides the narration.

One of the best movies of the decade and possibly the best of 2004.

Highly recommended.

I made the grave mistake of watching this movie with my infant daughter a few nights back and by the time Frankie Dunn gets to explaining what `Mo Cushla' means to Maggie I was a complete and utter mess. Yes, I'm an emotional wreck when it comes to films that tug the heart strings, and `Million Dollar Baby' is just that kind of movie. It's funny because come Oscar season 2004 I was a huge supporter of this film but ended up getting caught up in the backlash especially with Swanks Oscar win. It's a shame because I unfortunately shelved this film for quite a while allowing the opinion of others to influence my opinion of this film. With the birth of my daughter I've been up plenty of nights with nothing much to do but watch movies to drown out the cries and `Million Dollar Baby' just so happened to be one of the first films I decided to watch again. I'm glad that I did, for as much as it drained me emotionally by the end it helped remind me why I was such a supporter of the film the year of its release. `Million Dollar Baby' is truly an astounding film.

To me it's hard really to categorize this film. If you haven't seen the movie you may want to read my review with the foreknowledge that while won't reveal the ending of the film I will divulge information you may not be privy to. `Million Dollar Baby' plays out like two separate films. There's the sports drama that unfolds throughout the first half and then there's the paced dramatic second half that has absolutely nothing to do with boxing. What ties these two halves together is the relationship drama unfolding between Frankie Dunn and Maggie Fitzgerald. It's one of the sweetest yet ultimately devastating father-daughter sagas in recent years. What makes this all the more involving are the stellar performances by Hilary Swank and Clint Eastwood. They are so in tune with each other, so connected with their characters and with their cast mates that you believe them through and through and that is the key factor in understanding and appreciating this film.

Maggie Fitzgerald is a middle-aged waitress who feels her life has wasted away without ever truly becoming what she wanted it to become. Her family is a vapid void of who she used to be, a carousel of white trash self centered bodies who take what they can and give nothing but heartache. They criticize Maggie for her dreams even when she attains them but welcome the checks she sends home every week. Frankie Dunn is a trainer at the end of his rope. He's losing his fighters because of his ethics and he's losing himself as he struggles to reconnect with his daughter who's given up on him years ago. Maggie believes Dunn to be the best trainer there is and wants nothing more than to be his fighter, but as Frankie so bluntly puts it, he don't train girls. Maggie is persistent though, and eventually she breaks him down. He agrees to train her on the condition that she will find herself another manager when the time is right, but when that time comes he realizes he can't let Maggie go. It's that realization that makes this film all the more heartbreaking.

The movie is far more than a `down on her luck girl becoming a prized fighter' type film. It's more about heart than anything else. Stripped bare of its boxing backdrop and you have a film about the deepest most remote parts of love, a love that can only exist between families. This is not about romantic or lustful love but about respect and admiration. Hilary Swank plays Maggie with such determination, such heart that you feel for her, you love her every step of the way. It's a shame to me that Hilary has only done two good films. Watching her in this film and even to a greater extent in `Boys Don't Cry' it's hard to imagine that she's the same actress to give us `The Core'. I can't decide if Swank is a good actress or a lucky one, but hating aside her performances in both `Million Dollar Baby' and `Boys Don't Cry' are brilliant. I will admit that Kate Winslet's performance in `Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' was better and more deserving of Oscar gold, but I can completely understand and get behind the academy's decision to crown Swank once again.

Clint Eastwood also pulls out a fascinating performance. The first time I saw this film I was so blown away but Swanks performance that I didn't truly grasp the magnificent portrayal of Dunn that Eastwood provides. His subtle variations of emotion are so expertly mannered that I can't help but wish they would have handed him the Oscar. He was so controlled here and watching his shift from arrogant and demanding to content and understanding to depressed and defensive as he comes to grips with Maggie's situation. He was, in a word, outstanding.

While I love Morgan Freeman and feel that his presence in this film is wonderful I am less impressed with his performance than with any other in the film. His Oscar win in my opinion was undeserved for his character is not all that impressive. In fact I feel that the idea of Eddie Dupris is more impressive than the limited amount of depth the script allowed for him. He could have been a more powerful presence but he lacked something that both Swank and Eastwood were able to deliver. I hate to single out Freeman as the flaw here because I truly love the actor but there really is nothing else in this film I can find fault with.

In the end the film, including Freeman, is a masterpiece of modern cinema. Sure it may appear sappy in some areas but ultimately it's rewarding in the same vein. It's a truly extraordinary accounting of a beautiful relationship between a girl in need of a father and a father in need of a daughter. It's a movie that will make the burliest of men cry and to me a film that can invest itself so deep in an audience as to evoke real emotions is a film that is deserving of all the praise it can receive. `Million Dollar Baby' is just that film. I'm sorry for ever allowing others to influence my opinion of you when I knew you were always a gem. I promise to never let that happen again.

Best picture? Really? Against The Ropes had more flavor than this. I can't even tell if this is supposed to be set in present day or like 30+ years ago, or if that ambiguity is intentional. The old trainer dude makes some arbitrary statements about "pride" and "heart" intended to pass for wisdom, and the way the other boxers in the gym behave makes it seem like a prison for the mentally disabled. Swank's character's manner of speaking like Huck Finn makes her seem at home in the asylum atmosphere, but there is no exploration of her progression as a fighter, it's just like one minute the trainer says she knows nothing and then suddenly she's convincingly winning all her fights. And what is the title supposed to mean?

It was only after I watched "$1M Baby" the second time, that it's power, via its simplicity, knocked me over. Eastwood has a way of allowing the audience to absorb the material, and, as mentioned in the extras, Paul Haggis' screenplay hadn't reached it's final draft before Eastwood decided that the primitive screenplay as it was would be more effective. It was a good decision. Characters are complete, and in the hands of the letter-perfect cast, there is no question about who these people are, what they want nor where they've been. Various plot twists keep things interesting, and there's a softness, even in the fight scenes, that makes you adore these people. Hilary Swank, once again, was in an Oscar race with Annette Bening. She deserved both. Excellent film!

While I'm not into women's boxing, per-se, this was nonetheless quite a powerful movie. The plot has an unexpected twist in it, and I would admonish people who view this movie NOT to find out what the twist is before watching it.

I swear, you could dress Clint Eastwood up in a pink dress, put little girly hairpins in his hair and he would STILL be more macho than the lot of we men. In this film, he portrays a past-his-prime boxing trainer who is without any top-notch contenders to teach.

Hilary Swank is a girl who shows up @ the gym some day, pays her dues and wants to get a trainer. Eastwood's character is reluctant to be her manager as he's never dealt with women boxers below. However, in the end her charm wins him over.

Morgan Freeman is great as an over-the-hill boxer who had a very bad experience in his final bout. His character is kind of the "stabilizing force" of the movie.

Hilary is toned & buff for the film. She looks sexy even with a broken nose and blood all over her face. On top of that, she's an accomplished actress. This will be one of the most memorable roles in this timespan of her career, although I have a feeling she will still be active as an actress in her 50's & 60's.

This is a sports movie, but it is a very atypical one. It is as much about Hilary's character as it is about her boxing prowess. Hilary portrays a girl trying to break away from poverty, and the thing she is best at is boxing. There is perhaps more character development in this film than any other movie I know of. That's always a plus for a sports film!

Clint Eastwood's `Million Dollar Baby' is about a gruff, macho boxing trainer who trains an enthusiastic young woman. Its description belies the fact that it is an unusually subtle and moving film.

Less ambitious than Eastwood's previous movie `Mystic River', `Million Dollar Baby' centers on Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), an irritable boxing trainer who runs a gym with Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman), a former boxer known as "Scrap-Iron", who also works as a janitor. Their life is somewhat stagnant until Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) interrupts their world. She is a southern girl who visits the gym every moment she is not waitressing. Maggie wants nothing but to be trained by Frankie. As convention has it, he at first refuses, due to her sex and age, but eventually gives in.

Yet the film is far from conventional. It does not have a catchy moral message or one-liners. Morgan Freeman's beautiful narration is both poetic and natural, as is all the dialogue. The characters, who could easily have been uninteresting stereotypes, are well drawn and portrayed with restraint. Eastwood's acting pales slightly in comparison to Freeman and Swank, but he fits his role perfectly. Frankie is hardened and quietly tormented, but he searches for assurance and tenderness.

Freeman is also superbly cast as Eddie, whose eye was knocked sightless in his final fight. He is witty and genuine; he cannot stand watching people fall short of their potential. Eddie is more than a saintly sidekick; he has an edge that allows him to view the world realistically.

Maggie is perhaps one of the kindest, most sincere characters in cinema. Swank is unquestioningly believable as an earnest girl driven by a desire to box. She is honest and strong-minded and does not box for the violence (unlike some of her opponents, including a particularly scary boxer played by Lucia Rijker). However, like the other characters in this film, Maggie is alone.

Maggie and Frankie find glory in her boxing career. It is not because she is uncommonly talented; it is because she strives for success and because the two of them find satisfaction meeting the other's expectations. More importantly, Maggie and Frankie find each other, and their relationship is far less cliché than it sounds.

A few moments are predictable and exaggerated, including Maggie's redneck family. But overall, `Million Dollar Baby' is poignantly humanistic and timeless.

Absolutely marvelous. I missed this flic in its theatrical run. What a pleaseure to see and hear it in so excellent a format. GO HD DVD!!!!!

This was great movie that started as a model for inspiration to all those who feel they are trapped in rut of poverty. Hilary Swank does a tremendous job portraying a red-neck trailer-trash that is trying to break the cycle of poverty and sees herself doing the only thing she knows how to do, fight.

The ever intimidating Clint Eastwood play the reluctant boxing trainer that regrets not taking previous fighters to the next level and sees Swank as "just a girl" and Eastwood does not train girls. After Swank's character will just not give up Eastwood finally gives in and becomes one of the biggest thorns in Eastwood's side.

The ending is emotional and brings in a sense of melancholy that never fades. This film was a great portrayal of the trials and tribulations that come from rising from the depths of poverty mixed with the risks of boxing. Great Film!!

Every once and a while, and sometimes even more often than that, there comes a film that critics practically drool over. Erupting headlines shoot like geysers from The New York Times, Rotten Tomatoes, and IMDB. I get excited when there's a film like this, because I'm excited to see it and get my own opinions on it. Unfortunately, many times, I don't exactly like the film. For 2004, that film is Million Dollar Baby.

Hilary Swank plays Maggie Fitzgerald, a southern 31-year-old from Missouri who has come from a broken home, and has one dream: to win the title of a boxing championship. Clint Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn, the acclaimed boxing manager. "I don't train girls," is Dunn's immediate reflex once Maggie asks him to train her. Eventually, Dunn takes her as a trainee and eventually manages her boxing career, and the two of them begin an extremely strong, non-romantic emotional bond as Maggie advances towards her dream.

Of course, there's more complex elements to the story than that, but really, that's it in a nutshell. For some reason, I believe that the all-star cast (Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman) helped bring this mediocre film to it's blockbuster status, and also helped it go on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Yes, you'll hear critics say it's "Remarkable" and "The best film of the year" but none of them will ever say "Unique." Quite simply, because, there is nothing original about this film at all. There are so many films about someone going after their dreams I've lost count, and frankly, most of them are better and less appreciated than Million Dollar Baby.

Of course, there are some huge highpoints this film has hit. One--Clint Eastwood really was the right choice for director. He did a superb job with the film, made it detailed without making it boring, and made it an easier film to watch without having to concentrate super-hard like you're taking the SATs in high school. Two--Paul Haggis's incredibly talented writing skills shine through like rays of sun through a thin white bed sheet in this film. It's not so much that the screenplay was original, funny, and creative like the Oscar-winning one of Little Miss Sunshine, but it was so extraordinarily well written and the dialogue is extremely realistic. Three--astounding performances by Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman (in my opinion, ALL of them worthy of Oscars) bring the film to its feet. Mixed with Paul Haggis's exquisitely written screenplay, it's almost like you're watching a documentary. And in no way is that a bad thing!

Now we'll go back to the negative points for a bit. My least favourite thing about Million Dollar Baby is the ending. I can't really say much without ruining the film for you, but it was evident they were going for a very emotional and hard-hitting ending. Unfortunately, I didn't feel it. I get very emotional at sad films and am considered a rather emotional person, but the ending felt very rushed, overworked, and sloppily done. If they had spent another few weeks working on the ending, the ending alone would have made this film a classic.

Overall--don't get me wrong. This is a GOOD film. It's just very overrated, and in my opinion, isn't deserving of all people say it's cut out to be. And definitely not worthy of the Best Picture Oscar.

One of the things I will never understand is how this film won Best Picture and Best Actress. I love Clint and Hilary, but this film was boring and nothing special. It wasn't aweful, but in reality it shouldn't have even been nominated. It was, once again, dark and I fell asleep twice. Hilary Swank won the Oscar, once again stealing it from Annete Benning who deserved it. Swank just put on a bad accent and it was not a great performance. The Aviator sshould have won ultimately but it didn't. I was dissapointed

Abandon any notions that Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" is another routine underdog-rises-to-the-top boxing tale. This is a film more concerned with examining the hard choices that life sometimes asks us to make.

Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) asks Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) to train her as a boxer. Frankie refuses because he says she is too old and a girl. Yet, the defiant Maggie continues to insist and, with the support of Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman), gets Frankie to change his mind. Soon she is on the fast track to success but a terrifying accident abruptly changes her life and forces Frankie to make a difficult decision.

Eastwood never resorts to melodrama or cheap manipulative tricks in "Million Dollar Baby" to examine the value of one's personal dignity. He instead uses his veteran directing talents to weave together a heartbreaking story that refuses to supply any easy answers. Maggie's quick professional ascension may stretch credibility a bit but this is a minor quibble. Anchored by strong performances throughout, especially that of Swank's, "Million Dollar Baby" is a compelling piece of filmmaking that will undoubtedly linger in your mind for quite some time.

A good movie, but a sad one. Hillary Swank is the best, and so is Clint Eastwood.

From the haunting music accompanying the movie, the fascinating and intriguing characters and finally to the bitter, heart-wrenching ending, this is a movie that encapsulates great movie making, with a heart.

The film starts by showing Eastwood's character trying to "protect" his prized boxer from fighting for the Title. Gradually, we learn that he is not protecting those people around him, but only himself. Over time, his initial dislike for Fitzgerald turned into a fatherly love. In the finale, although much criticism was placed on the film's ending, i honestly believe that he did what he did out of sheer fatherly love for Fitzgerald, and that Fitzgerald herself would've warranted the act.

Sure, a lot of films made has heart in it. Take for example, the insecurity and jealousy of Jake La Motta in Martin Scorcese's Raging Bull (great performance by Robert De Niro!) and also Braddock's ferocious love for his family in Ron Howard's Cinderella Man. But rarely do we see a film which brings us to understand Eastwood's character - his frailty, his unrequited love for his daughter, and his passion for boxing.

Without this great ensemble of a cast - Clint Eastwood, Hillary Swank and Morgan Freeman, and of Eastwood's superb directing and composing, the movie would've suffered from the style-over-substance syndrome, which this movie is definitely and utterly not.

Clint Eastwood has done some beautiful cinematic work in his lifetime, but this one takes the cake. There's something magical about Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood together on screen (again). I don't know what it is, but it works. And Hillary Swank is magnificent! This movie takes you on an emotional ride of realism that comes full circle by movies end. This movie is great!

Excellent! I got it because Clint Eastwood was involved and loved it for the total content