Then Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) walks into his gym. Million Dollar Baby, American dramatic film, released in 2004, that was directed by Clint Eastwood and starred Eastwood and Hilary Swank. Almost uniformly, these people reported regretting their decision to jump. Maggie, a waitress from the Ozarks region of Missouri, starts working out at the gym. Mary Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald is a fictional character appearing in the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby. Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie. 'Million Dollar Baby' is amongst his finest films, a superb film, that almost reaches a Landmark level! Maggie Fitzgerald wins a "humble beginnings" contest nine times out of ten. 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. She has also written and directed plays, dabbled in music, and served as an advocate for animal and human rights. 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. No chance in the world of being what she needed to be. Several studios rejected the project even when Eastwood signed on as actor and director. Grew Up in utter poverty. It was because of you that she was fighting the championship of the world. 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. With the help of her coach, Frank, Maggie is on her way to becoming one of the greatest boxers to ever live. [22], Million Dollar Baby was listed on many critics' top ten lists for films released in 2004.[23]. I never got my shot. To take advantage of all of CharacTours features, you need your own personal After being fired from the television series Family Law, Haggis wrote the script on spec, and it took four years to sell it. Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods and What the Vietnam War Did to My Father, Best Sex Positions to Improve Your Sex Life. [4][5] The film was stuck in development hell for years before it was shot. As she understands her boxing career, If I was thinking straight, Id go back home, find a used trailer, buy a deep fryer and some Oreos. The message is that disappointment over a shattered dream is a greater tragedy than death itself. [16][17], Wesley J. Smith in The Weekly Standard also criticized the film for its ending and for missed opportunities; Smith said, "The movie could have ended with Maggie triumphing once again, perhaps having obtained an education and becoming a teacher; or, opening a business managing boxers; or perhaps, receiving a standing ovation as an inspirational speaker. Hilary Swank as Maggie is some kinda BAD ASS. The back of Maggie's robe has the phrase "Mo Cuishle". Despite a seemingly repetitive loop that the genre is caught up in, these movies mostly succeed in getting people passionate about their stories and characters. Required fields are marked *. It received critical acclaim and grossed $216.8 million worldwide. Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Profession coaching the inexperienced Maggie Fitzgerald. 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. [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. Join Facebook to connect with Maggie Fitzgerald and others you may know. Specifically because of his fame, he was able to sensitize the world to the plight of the disabled and become an unrelenting crusader for stem cell research and spinal cord injury research. The film played in theaters for six and a half months. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. Maggie Fitzgerald March 29, 2022 5-year and 30-year Treasury yields invert for the first time since 2006, fueling recession fears S&P 500 rises on Monday to extend two-week comeback, Nasdaq adds 1 . 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. According to CBS, Swank, like Fitzgerald, grew up in a trailer park and was a high. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. Boxer 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. She grew up knowing one thing: she was trash." "[8], Consequently, to prepare for her role, Swank underwent extensive training in the ring and weight room, gaining 19 pounds of muscle, aided by professional trainer Grant L. Roberts. Frankie is finally willing to arrange a title fight. People cheered her name and watched her in awe- she was wondrous and captivating. You know that guy, the one whos been there, but not the star. 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. 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. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. Instead, Maggie's request for permission to train receives a flat refusal from the cantankerous, coarse, and overly complicated old-school boxing guru. They arrive only after first touring Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood. 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. Maggie begins to dominate the fight, but Billie knocks her out with an illegal sucker punch from behind after the bell rings to end the round. He trained under Dub Huntley, who taught him the tricks of the trade while also introducing him to some well known names in boxing. Suddenly, an injury renders Maggie permanently paralyzed from the neck down, unable to move, and dependent on a respirator to keep her alive. However, managers stop pitting their fighters against her as a result, and Frankie, out of necessity, moves Maggie up to the next weight class. Boyd had picked up boxing pretty late in his life. For the 1941 film, see. Then a second passed, her fire extinguished and she fell. 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. Because of you Maggie got her shot. With Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. She suffers a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves her quadriplegic. [21], The Gaelic nickname for Swank's character comes from the original phrase a chuisle mo chro, meaning "O pulse of my heart"; one critic noted that the use of Gaelic in the film led to some interest in the language and the phrase. I like to think that there are kick-ass gals out there like Maggie who are willing to go after their dreams, no matter how outr, dangerous or impossible they may seem to the rest of us rather boring folks. 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). Corrections? Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film. Lewis has the Wow! Frankie is initially reluctant to train a woman, but Maggie persists and soon wins him over. (Spoiler Alert: If you don't want to know the film's plot twist, stop reading now.). Maggie becomes an extraordinarily successful fighter, always knocking out her opponent in the first round. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: You damn right. Knowing the fatherly affection Frankie has developed for Maggie, Frankie's priest warns him that he would never find himself again if he were to go through with Maggie's request. When Frankie sees that Maggie is a girl, he tells her to get out . His decision to kill Maggie is abhorrent from a Jewish perspective. registered trademarks of Ziff Davis Canada, Inc. and may not be used by third parties without However, fortunately, unlike the fate of Maggie in the film, Crockett didnt meet with any tragedy in her life. "I had it all," Maggie tells Frankie, "so don't take it away from me.". For instance, we limit the decision-making autonomy of children and of those who are mentally impaired. I am a great fan of his. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: Don't say that. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The last few minutes of Million Dollar Baby are a sobfest of epic proportions, and not in that cheesy Hallmark way, either. It garnered rapturous reviews and four Academy Awards, including that for best picture. Is Million Dollar Baby based on true events? Down she went, no longer burning and sizzling, to the earth. Frankie accepts a fight in London for Maggie and gives her a green silk robe with the Gaelic phrase Mo Cuishle on the back. What is the streaming release date of Million Dollar Baby (2004) in Mexico? It wasn't hard for Swank, as her journey to Hollywood mirrored that of her character Maggie Fitzgerald. Big Willie drops Frankie as his manager and signs with the more aggressive Mickey Mack (Bruce MacVittie). 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.". Toole, the pen name of fight manager and cutman Jerry Boyd. We need not look to the world of fiction for an answer. Maggie is alive and kicking. I wish that the scriptwriters would have given her the happy ending that Lewis got when he went up against Tyson ten years ago in Memphis. Ms. Million Dollar. Maggie, born and raised in Missouri, has always had to fight for herself. [8], Million Dollar Baby initially had a limited release, opening in eight theaters in December 2004. No, Million Dollar Baby is not based on a true story. Species 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. The shift in editing over to pages for the movies, characters, actors, directors, composers, crew and galleries is now fully in effect. [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. Let us analyze the issues raised by the movie: Why would someone ask to die and should we be willing to oblige? 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