Million Dollar Baby Movie
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Storyline
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.
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...
| Morgan Freeman | Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris |
| Hilary Swank | Maggie Fitzgerald |
| Jay Baruchel | Danger Barch |
| Mike Colter | Big Willie Little |
| Lucia Rijker | Billie 'The Blue Bear' |
| Brian F. O'Byrne | Father Horvak |
| Anthony Mackie | Shawrelle Berry |
| Margo Martindale | Earline Fitzgerald |
| Riki Lindhome | Mardell Fitzgerald |
| Michael Pena | Omar |
| Benito Martinez | Billie's Manager |
| Bruce MacVittie | Mickey Mack |
| David Powledge | Counterman at Diner |
| Joe D'Angerio | Cut Man |
| Clint Eastwood |
8.20 out of 10 (77134 votes)
Visitor Reviews
"Do not confuse this one with "Rocky"!
posted on 28 Aug 2009This movie is definitely one of the best, if not the best picture(s) of 2004, and probably one the best pictures I have ever seen! This film is surely one of Clint Eastwood's best pictures ever! The chemistry between the powerhouse talents of Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Hillary Swank is just extraordinary to say the least! This movie is so full of purpose until it hurts! One of the major components for me in this movie is the fact that it targets boxing from the women's perspective, showing that women's boxing is truly no different than men's boxing just in gender! Hillary Swank gives an unforgettable performance, and in my eyes is a shoo in come Oscar time! A must see for boxing fans and Oscar-caliber film fans alike!
Good Movie Till Horrible Cliché Ending
posted on 28 Aug 2009I picked up this movie a few years back, but something held me back from watching it. A bad feeling, a warning, a prickling of the scalp .. not sure, but I waited almost 4 years before I finally took the plastic off the DVD ... and now I wish it was still sitting on the shelf. Don't get me wrong, this movie had me for the first three quarters. There was a great chemistry built up between Eastwood and Swank, and Freeman gave the observers eye to the whole drama. How often do we see a movie about women's boxing? About a woman's dream of being world boxing champion? That in and of itself is a good subject for a movie, and throw in the interpersonal dramas of Eastwood's character interacting with the driven character of Hilary Swank and there were many good screen moments.Then we have the title fight. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind a sad ending to a movie if its the logical conclusion of where the movie has been leading. But this movie went totally off the rails into la-la land sentimentality! The last half hour of this movie I could barely watch, knowing where it was going and powerless to stop it. Like watching that train wreck from a distance ... helpless, hating what you are seeing, but unable to tear your eyes away. I would give the first 3/4's of this movie a strong 8/10 ... but the last half hour or so (everything post-title fight) a dismal 4/10. What great potential this movie had to be a classic. Instead, it will be the award winning movie that everyone forgets.
Best Boxing Movie Since Rocky 1.
posted on 26 Aug 2009Wow, what a movie, the performances are amazing in the movie. Hilary Swank has definitely evolved from her early days in the business (anyone remember The Next Karate Kid). Clint Eastwood just proves how good of an actor he is, and how good a director he can be. I know many people doubted Clint Eastwood as a director, but he definitely proves everyone wrong. Morgan Freeman, again, gives such a great performance, he is probably one of the best actors in history.The fight scenes are simply amazing, if you've seen Ali, many of the camera movements look like Ali's just updated a little bit. This movie will make you laugh and it will definitely make you cry. Morgan Freeman knocking out one of the younger fighters was hilarious. But the movie really doesn't get funny when we see the last fight and fighter she is fighting, Billie The Blue Bear, knocks Maggie down head first into the stool. From that point, i can't blame a person for crying because the acting from the scenes where Maggie Fritzgerald is in the hospital look so real and are so good. Maggie's parents, people watching the film, probably want to shoot them.Overall, i haven't seen a boxing movie this good since Rocky 1. Million Dollar Baby is a movie that will remain a true classic, and we don't see many films anymore that is good through out the whole 100% of the movie, this movie will make you laugh and it will you cry. If you haven't seen this movie, buy it now, believe me, don't waste your money on just renting it for 3 or 5 days, this you will want to keep.
Million Dollar Baby
posted on 26 Aug 2009by Morgan Young.In this movie that features award winners, Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman, you are taught a lesson: never let anyone stop you from fulfilling your dream. Scrap (Morgan Freeman) was a retired fighter. He cleaned Frankie Dunn's (Clint Eastwood) gym, and he always saw the good in everyone. Scrap was the one who saw something in Maggie (Hilary Swank) way before Frankie did.Maggie was a small town girl from southwestern Missouri. She grew up knowing that she would never amount to anything more than trash. All she wanted was someone to believe in her. Even without the approval of her family and others around her Maggie never let go of her dream of being a big time boxer. She always kept her unshakable focus.Frankie hated taking risks and never allowed himself to get close to anybody. That all changed, however, when he met Maggie. He took a chance and agreed to train her, not knowing that she would win him over. They would both face 'a battle that would demand their hearts and courage' stated by Scrap. They grew to have a strong friendship and found a sense of family in each other that both had lost a long time ago.As you follow the journey of Maggie and Frankie you will not only grow to cherish their friendship, you will see that the real magic in boxing is 'fighting battles beyond endurance and risking everything for a dream that no one sees but you'! No matter what, always remember the one key rule: "Always protect yourself." You will learn what happens if you don't, but only if you go see Million Dollar Baby!
formulaic and self-indulgent
posted on 24 Aug 2009While this comment goes against the tide of popular opinion, I believe that "Million Dollar Baby" is tediously self-indulgent and formulaic. From the opening moments of this overly-long, predictable movie, the audience is presented with one clichéd situation after another - in fact towards the end of the film, one can practically see the kitchen sink descending! Many of the characters are nothing more than stereotypes - particularly the boxer's trashy and unscrupulous family.Swank's acting skills cannot be faulted, but one becomes very tired of Eastwood's deeply soulful gazes, as he metamorphoses from an impatient curmudgeon, reluctant to undertake the training of a "girlie" boxer to a deeply caring father-figure. None of the characters is explored in depth. Instead we have hackneyed situations, inducing a strong sense of deja vu. Haven't we encountered these themes and these character types in one form or another before? Morgan Freeman is an extremely capable actor, but hasn't he assumed a similar persona in many other films? "Shawshank Redemption" comes to mind, for a start.I realize that "Million Dollar Baby" will have much popular appeal, since the film demands no challenging cerebral activity from its viewers, but instead shamelessly manipulates their emotions. For my part, I found the movie to be a nauseating concoction of schmaltz, political correctness and predictability.
It sure got heart...
posted on 20 Aug 2009** SPOILER ALERT **Recap: No fighter with just heart is going to win anything. I think it was those words that introduced us to the movie. Frankie Dunn, an old boxing trainer has just led his protégé, Big Willie, to victory and a championship match might be near. Dunn is reluctant though, and finally, Big Willie leaves for another manager. One day, Maggie Fitzgerald turns up at the gym, asking for Dunn to be her trainer. He refuses, but lets her train at the gym, since she paid for six months training in advance, and the gym needs the money badly. But at the gym works an old retired boxer, Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupuis, or Scrap in short, gives the girl some hints. Dunn, still reluctant, sees her progressing and finally he concedes and becomes her trainer. Maggie got talent and patience, and finally it pays off. She quickly makes a name for herself, Mo Cuiishle, a nick name given to her by Dunn. Finally, she gets her championship match, but now the competition is though, will she make it?Comment: At the start, I didn't think I would like this move very much. But it has, like the three main characters Dunn, Maggie and Scrap, a big heart and when it was time for the championship match, I found that I actually did care. Both Eastwood and Freeman is starting to get old, but they still can act and act well. So does Swank, though she's not that old yet. One could actually divide the movie into two halves, as it has a break (literally) in the middle. The first half deals with the training and boxing, and the way to the championship match. It is the part I liked best, because it was there I found the most heart, the most joy, and the will to take the next step. Such feelings are infectious. The second half is much more about humanity, relations and almost another story. The heart and joy (quite naturally) was lost, and even if it was interesting and joy was exchanged to sorrow and concern, it never got as good as the first part. One should say though that it didn't end like I thought it would at the start of the movie, and in a movie that's almost always positive. Though the story now is very different, the acting is still very good, I think especially Eastwood gives a good performance. One final thought though, I believe the movie treads on thin ice, considering the end (I'll try not to reveal it). I felt Dunn got something of a hero label, that one should be very careful to hand out, as it concerns a very difficult matter. I won't judge one or the other way, just note the above. But maybe that's another good thing about the movie, it actually made me think about some serious and difficult matters, I hope I was not the only one to do so...7/10
A movie like they USE TO make them! GREAT!
posted on 18 Aug 2009I just saw "Baby" yesterday and I'm still half in a daze over the impact it made on me. The characters were excellently portrayed. So what if all of the actors cast for their parts have remained little changed from other similar roles? They may be typecast, but isn't it better to get actors with experience in their role situations than trying to get others to ADAPT to characters very UNLIKE their own personalities? Would you want the three main characters to be portrayed by Matt Damon, Eddie Murphey, and Kate Winslet? Could they ADAPT? Who cares if they could? The casting director did his job. The cast is perfect and the writing was right on the mark. I am a boxing fan and I have been since my teenage days (I'm now 62) and I was impressed with the near accuracy of the films boxing sequences. Even the ending---which leaves many unanswered questions--was perfect. I hope that the motion picture academy recognizes the brilliance of this film and bestows several Oscars to its participants.ONE THING MORE:I must confess that I haven't read ALL the comments made earlier regarding this film, but I suspect that few if any of the commentators noticed something I did about the movie.It contained little or NO PROFANITY and little if any SMOKING! How great to realize that these are two ingredients we can do without--in the movies AND in our lives.WHY DOES THE FILM INDUSTRY USE THE TERM "contains ADULT language" in its ratings? The term should be "contains PROFANITY!" NORMAL adults don't speak with profanity. People I care to associate with need not use profanity---even when they get EXCITED!! How do they manage to express their aggression without profanity, some of you may wonder. It CAN be done and IS done by most adults.Is the lesson we want to teach youngsters---adults swear like crazy and that's O.K.?? Kids, you just wait until you are grown up and then YOU can turn into a real ADULT idiotic potty mouth who only knows seventeen words beyond "Muttha fu----."Industry----use the phrase "contains PROFANITY" instead of "adult language" PLEASE!Enough said--more than enough-- Clint, keep up the great movie-making. This one will be hard to beat.
brilliant
posted on 18 Aug 2009I loved this movie precisely because it was nothing to do with boxing. Clint Eastwood focused more on the raw emotion of all the actors than rough boxing matches. The ending of this film really tugs on your heartstrings. The lighting of the movie is another indication that Clint Eastwood is as good at directing as he is at acting. Every character is almost hidden in shadows, giving the impression that all is not as it seems. Morgan Freeman gives an amazing performance and his narration really helps.This film has everything, comedy, sport, comedy, and a little love. If you haven't already, go and see this movie, I t is brilliant.
Hated It
posted on 18 Aug 2009Am flabbergasted that this garnered so many awards & excellent reviews. It was painful to sit through. I can only see it as a Mad Magazine satire. First the conventional "Rocky" plot ("You're too old to be a boxer." See her run on the beach & hit the bag all night.) Then a prolonged death scene. The film was packed w/ stereotypes: trailer trash, dimwitted country boy from Texas, kindly Morgan Freeman (will he ever play a scumbag?). The scene of Morgan Freeman knocking out the young buck was right out of "Cocoon".Why would the Oakie trailer trash family need Maggie to sign away her assets? Unless she'd made a will stating otherwise all would revert to them anyway. Why wasn't Frankie arrested for murder? Why don't we see the emotional effect that killing her had on him? Is running off & eating in a diner in the Ozarks supposed to be an answer?
Worthy - perhaps overly-so and very Americanised in its self conscious protesting of valuable issues
posted on 16 Aug 2009Million Dollar BabyMillion Dollar Baby 7/10 Hilary Swank, as she did in Boys Don't Cry, has transformed herself physically for the part. Emotionally, intellectually, physically and - in terms of determination - spiritually, she *is* the character, and it's a stunning achievement. (She plays an underprivileged girl who wants to succeed as a boxer and eventually persuades Clint Eastwood to coach her.)Sadly, while it's an undoubtedly well (enough) made film, the directing, and acting elsewhere, is to my mind hardly of the calibre to justify the accolades the film is receiving generally. America, if not many other Western audiences, have become so inured to that self-congratulatory style where the camera zooms in for a close up and the actor holds an expression slightly longer than necessary for that 'Oscar moment'. These audiences, in my opinion, should get out more to some good traditional French cinema and see how lacking such Hollywoodized performances are compared to the European tradition of acting in a more 'natural' and believable way.Another reason for the over-hype on Million Dollar Baby, is probably because the themes towards the end of the film (without giving too much away) now firmly belong to the almost trendy political left wing liberalism that many like to embrace. Whilst possibly putting myself in that camp, I am not in this case convinced that the way it is dealt with here justifies the extravagant kudos the movie has acquired over its more cinematic merits. I can only give it 7/10, but if I were in America (USA) I'd probably give it more, simply because it may have some good socially effect in that morally moribund and religiously intolerant country.Million Dollar Baby is a very good film, but over-long and too full of it's own self-importance for my taste.
Terrible movie in many ways
posted on 16 Aug 2009I thought I was going to see THE movie of the year. Must have been a bad year.Aside from the factual inaccuracies of the portrayal of a quadriplegic woman, the stereotypical "white trash" family, the cartoonish boxing, and the ridiculous "Danger" character, it was OK.In the end, the movie proves to be a cheap political statement, and sends a terrible message in the process. I was paralyzed from the shoulders down at age 18. I'm not on a ventilator as Swank's character is, but I am totally dependent on others for feeding, dressing, etc.This movie just perpetuates the myth that sustaining such an injury leads to a meaningless life. Swank can choose between school and death, and she chooses death. Thank you for setting the disabled community back a few more years.What have I done differently? I've gone to college, lived on my own, and work as a respected journalist in the community. Where is the story about someone like me? Why does every disabled person in a movie have to be a punchline in a joke or depressed and angry? For the record, my feelings about the message don't have any bearing on my feelings about the quality of the film. It just wasn't that great.My opinion is the only reason it received such acclaim is a) Clint Eastwood, and b) it deals with a controversial subject. We know Hollywood loves to wax on political issues. If you watch this movie, please realize that the depiction of Swank as a quadriplegic is poorly researched. Hit me up if you want to know what it is really like.
Slow, boring, and lacking in emotion
posted on 14 Aug 2009I know I'm in the minority regarding this movie, but I have to say that I found it slow, boring, and lacking in emotion. Eastwood seemed to feel that each point needed to be dwelled upon for an extended period of time. Numerous times during this movie, I kept saying to myself, "OK, you've made your point, now move on!". I found this movie devoid of any emotion and totally numb. I also can't understand how Hillary Swank was nominated for an Academy Award for this movie. Her performance was nowhere near her exceptional performance in Boys Don't Cry. Also, the priest said that he has seen Frankie at mass every Sunday for 23 years!. Yet the priest looked under 40. He became a priest at 17?!
Eastwood's Powerful Epic brings out the best in everything
posted on 14 Aug 2009Million Dollar Baby, if nothing else, brings forth the best performances you are likely to ever see out of both Eastwood as director and actor and Hilary Swank who really does perform above and beyond. Eastwood has been one of my favorite actors for a long time, more so his new work in the last 20 years...ie: Mystic River, True Crime, A Perfect World, Absolute Power and so on. I think he has come into his best work in his later years. When accepting his lifetime achievement award several years ago he stated that his best work was still ahead of him and that was the truth!! Million Dollar Baby is the rarely told story of a female Boxer who has the passion and heart but lacks the training. Eastwood plays a rough and tough former trainer turned cut man who is so passionate about boxing and protecting his boxers and when one of his prime boxers leaves him for another manager his sense of responsibility is quite shaken. Enter Swank as the tough as nails Maggie who won't give up on trying to get Eastwood to train her despite his insistence that he "doesn't train girls." Her insistence and his lack of faith in his boxers causes them to team up and their bond becomes unbreakable as her intense spirit and his rough exterior but faithful interior comes together. Enter the incomparable Morgan Freeman as Mr. Scrap, the former boxer who Eastwood trained back in their hey day. Scrap has leaved in Eastwood's gym and cleans the floors and is just kind of there to offer wisdom, even when it's not needed. Like it or not, they are all each other has.The story is powerful and the action is intense. The fight scenes hold nothing back and they are brutal and gory but you barely notice with all the amazing heart in this film. The story really has little to nothing to do with boxing but rather about these people...not just Maggie and Frankie and Mr. Scrap but even the other people around them from Maggie's family, to Danger the mentally handicapped boy who wants to box more than anything.Eastwood, Freeman and Swank perform their characters so beautifully. Granted Frankie played by Eastwood is the typical gruff and rough kinda character you'd expect from Eastwood but he plays it like no other could and he puts real soul into the character. Swank deserves all the praise as Maggie Fitzgerald. Her character is unique and interesting, and tough, and emotional, all at once and we really get to see where she came from, where she was going...we see her at her highs and lows and you can't stop watching her. Swank is brilliant!! Freeman's character adds real class and his narration of the story adds a grim bleakness to the story. It's a very sad and touching story from beginning to end and it's an instant classic that any lover of film must see. I don't know why I'm not smacking a 10 out of 10 on this...something holds me back from that but no one will be disappointed with this. Eastwood's direction is dead on, and the entire story is so gritty and dark but with this slight ray of light and hope and love and passion and dedication. It's one of the most unique films ever made. I admit I'm a huge boxing film fan...there doesn't seem to be many films that can go wrong when it places itself in the midst of boxing (I also more recently ADORED Cinderella Man), there is just something very passionate about boxing. This is well worth the watch for something very powerful and real. Definitely watch it!! 9/10
Excellent !!!
posted on 14 Aug 2009Million Dollar Baby is an exceptional journey of one's life that is extraordinarily brilliant in its aspect. A powerful masterpiece from Clint Eastwood is unique in itself, and cannot be criticized in any way. Hilary Swank delivered a performance of her lifetime that only Clint Eastwood could derive from her. Morgan Freeman as always was on the top of his game, and at last I would say Clint Eastwood is a better director than an actor. He left out no tangible elements in the film that we in real life compromise with. Three different characters were so beautifully brought together; it gave you no time to ponder about the elongated scenes.A young woman, determined to be a pro boxer enters the lives of two aging men, once renowned in the field. Her sheer determination convinces the trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to escort her to the top of the game. Conviction came from none other than Frankie's coworker Eddie Scrap (Morgan Freeman), who believes in Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank). This a stimulating film about life and its consequences, winner of multiple Academy Awards.This film deserves a 10 out of 10 rating, as there was a scarcity of good films made in 2004. I was totally astounded and left speechless after the magnificent ending and the understanding of two characters that led to each other's end. This is a marvelous film, that deserved the fame it collected around the world. If anybody has missed this masterpiece, they are missing the best and finest of Hollywood film industry.
This movie stinks!
posted on 12 Aug 2009I didn't get the point of the movie! The lady becomes this great boxer then, she becomes a quadriplegic. Now she wants to die, so her coach pulls the plug. OK, I didn't find this movie entertaining at all. It had no point. You are thinking that the girl is gonna win some huge fight and the she doesn't. Oh, and her big, fat, stupid mother, I just want to clank her in the face. The boxer girl buy her mother a house, but the mother is worried about losing her welfare so she's screaming at her kid for getting her this house. This part really...whatever. That's all I have to say about the bad, Bad, BAd, BAD movie!........................................
Oh Yeah Go Baby
posted on 12 Aug 2009In my drive to give out my Oscars I am hurtling through the contenders. I was sure Mr. Foxx was a shoe-in for Best Actor in Ray. This however is the Best Picture of the Year. Clint could come away with three including actor and director. This movie immediately moves into my top 50 and it would win against much stronger fields than this years. I don't like - small spoiler- tearjerkers. This one crushed me. I will remember this movie and Clint reaching for new levels he had only hinted at. If they give it to Clint as Best Actor the age factor will tip the scales in his direction and he is unfortunately getting on in years and may not get another shot.John Wayne got it for the "honor " of the role he played - instead of Red River or the Shootist roles where he genuinely deserved to win. This one Clint has clearly earned.
An Excellent Addition To Any Movie Collection. Million Dollar Baby Is Simply Put, Brilliant.
posted on 10 Aug 2009After months of hearing about Million Dollar Baby and the hype surrounding it, I finally got to see it. I actually went in with low expectations but was very pleased to find out that it lives up to the hype! It really is that good.Million Dollar Baby is basically about a tough woman named Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) who lives for boxing and wants to go as far as she can with it. Therefore, she finds the right person she wants to train and manage her and refuses to quit until he accepts her. As you can imagine, the boxing plays a huge role in this story but around half way to three quarters of the way through, the movie takes an unexpected dark turn. I don't go into many details because I don't want to spoil it. I saw this movie without hearing a thing about it and I believe it was much better not knowing what to expect or even what kind of movie it starts off as and metamorphoses into.I know from what I have written, the movie seems a bit cliché'd, and certain parts may be, but the movie itself is nothing but a cliché. It is a great story that is more about the boxer than boxing. While I was expecting somewhat of a female Rocky, it became something quite different. If you are expecting another Girl Fight, Honeybee, etc., look someplace else because you will get well more than expected here.Hilary Swank plays the boxer very convincingly. She obviously went through an immense amount of training to ready herself for this role and I have to say, she nailed it. Not only does she show us what she has in the ring, she shows us she can act with the best of them.I like to compare Clint Eastwood to John Wayne. Not just here but in almost every movie. They are similar because they always play the same roles. Some people may hate me for saying this, but this is the first Eastwood film that I really liked. Blood Work was all right, but this movie is much better. I give him kudos for his director and producing talents here. Anyone can act the same part for 50 years and get it right. I don't mean this as an insult, but just so you know not to expect anything new from him.Morgan Freeman plays Eddie Dupris, a former boxer who is narrating the story. He also seems to be a mediator between Frankie (Eastwood) and Maggie, at least until Frankie accepts her.Add Danger (Jay Baruchel) for comic relief as the semi-retarded wannabe boxer and you have a nice little movie.Million Dollar Baby is an outstanding movie which I can compare to American Beauty in 1999. I went into both without expectations and left knowing that I had seen something great and simply put, brilliant. 10/10
Probably wouldn't crack my top 50 of 2004
posted on 10 Aug 2009I don't understand all the praise. Sure, it's a pretty good movie, but it's flat, obvious, and not at all memorable. Eastwood's last film, Mystic River, was ten times better. Hilary Swank plays a boxer who persists in trying to get trainer Clint Eastwood to make her his student. He finally does accept her, especially after his friend, Morgan Freeman, who works as a janitor in his gym, convinces him of her talent. Most of the movie is a pretty straightforward boxing drama. Swank and Eastwood become each other's surrogate father and daughter, both making up for lost loved ones (Swank's father is dead, and Eastwood's daughter refuses to talk to him). The final act adds a tearjerker. There is also a poorly developed subplot about a few of the regulars at Eastwood's gym. It's slow, but mostly entertaining. Swank is good, but nowhere near the level that she hit with Boys Don't Cry. It's impossible to believe that Eastwood got nominated, especially over Paul Giamatti for Sideways. His direction is fine, but he can barely speak. Plus, he's so old it looks like his skeleton is trying to escape from his body. Morgan Freeman isn't especially great in his supporting role. He can't speak clearly, either. He narrates the film, and it can often be very hard to understand him. Million Dollar Baby is worth seeing, but it certainly isn't award-worthy. 7/10.
Uplifting Yet Sad..Not typical Eastwood Fare...
posted on 08 Aug 2009this is the kind of movie you have to see only once. Not like any of Clint Eastwoods other movies, either as director or actor, where the 25th viewing is as enjoyable as the first! This one hits you so deep in the gut(pardon the boxing pun) that once is definitely plenty. You will most likely never forget it. There have been only a few movies so sad and so heartfelt that the emotional chord it strikes leaves you in such a state you don't want to go there again. Kind of like a funeral for someone you loved. I sincerely admire Hillary Swank as an actress. Her 2 most amazing roles that both won her Oscars, have her dying in the end. She does it better than anyone. She has a humanity to her roles that reminds me of Audrey Hepburn at her best. The only other actress I know today that has this same quality is Natalie Portman. Watch her amazing performance at the age of 13 in The Professional. It is like she and Hillary are cast from the same amazing mold. MDB is a great movie. It may have an ending some may not agree is right, but it fits. It almost seemed like 2 different movies. A Rocky type of story at first, then a story about the issue of life. I highly suggest watching it once. That is all you will need.
a knockout punch
posted on 28 Aug 2009I grew up watching Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates on "Rawhide." Who could have imagined, looking at his unlined face and watching his easygoing manner, that he would ever have developed into the filmmaker that he has? Though we should have known Clint was something special - in those days, it was nearly impossible to move from a hit TV show into films, as the typecasting was even worse than it is today. But Clint did it.Unfortunately for me, I knew the plot and ending of this film before walking into the theater. Because of the staggered release of MDB, it was almost impossible not to. I would have liked to assess the impact not knowing the twists and turns of the plot.That being said, I found this a beautifully-realized story about dreams, courage, and the true meaning of family.The three principals did a tremendous job. Hillary Swank is so much more than an actress. She is able to break a role down down to its simplest elements and becomes the character. There is never anything overdone in her work. She is one of the finest actresses we have. Morgan Freeman is one of the finest actors we have. And Clint Eastwood? Well, he's just one of the finest directors we have. Congratulations, Rowdy.