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Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) has worked as a waitress since she was thirteen, and in all those
years, she has always nurtured the dream of becoming a professional boxer. To her, it is not only the way out of her impoverished life but especially the means by which she
can make something of herself and gain some self respect. She asks Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) a grizzled old boxing trainer to take her on but he refuses saying he
doesn't train girls. Besides, she is too old at 31. Despite the curt refusal, she spends her free time, even late nights, practicing on punching bags at Frankie's seedy
gym. She gets the sympathy of Scrap (Freeman Morgan), Frankie's wash-out ex-protégé and now his best friend. Touched by Maggie's persistence, Scrap tries to win Frankie
over to Maggie's cause. Eventually Frankie relents and after two years of his tutelage, Maggie vanquishes all her opponents in the ring. Now the darling of boxing
aficionados, Maggie wants to try for the title. But Frankie is reluctant. He has been too cautious to pit his fighters for the title since Scrap lost his eye.
But convinced by Scrap to give Maggie a chance, Frankie relents and bears the brunt of the responsibility for the decision.
Million Dollar Baby no doubt deserves its place among the great cinematic masterpieces. Following the success of his other acclaimed work
MysticRiver,
Clint Eastwood as director has crafted this magnum opus with great simplicity, directness and truth, devoid of frills, gimmicks and sensational special effects that the film touches the heart intensely. With his leisurely and unhurried style of directing, Eastwood allows his characters to unravel their humanity and their own personal tragedies as they intertwine each other's life. Nothing melodramatic in their acting but rather understated, the three main leads (Eastwood, Morgan, Swank) awe us with their exceptional performances. Based on
Rope Stories, Stories from the Corner
by "F.X. Toole", the storyline is enriched by the characterization and masterful photography at times with the use of shadows and light in alternation. Everything gels in this film including the unobtrusive music composed by Eastwood himself.
Million Dollar Baby impresses with its technical excellence; moreover, it has strong emotional impact. One cannot remain unaffected while viewing the struggles of the hardworking Maggie, disciplined, self-sacrificing and determined to pursue her dream. She has nothing to start with except a fighting spirit to meet life's challenges and the belief in one's potential. She has shown that even the nearly impossible can happen with great faith and much hope. Another heartwarming value shown in the film is that of love and concern for each other beyond the business arrangements between the characters. Usually, we expect the support, understanding and concern from our biological family, but with people who are unfortunately bereft of that, like Frankie, Scrap and Maggie, a special caring relationship can meet their emotional needs.
There are negative values in the film, too. One concerns Frankie's daughter. Frankie
writes her letters weekly but these are returned unread. He has gone to daily mass for 23 years perhaps to atone. What grievous sin has Frankie done that she can never
be open to reconciliation? Since no one is sinless, can one be so unforgiving? Then there is the ungrateful greedy family of Maggie. We must have heard of similar
stories about our OFW's, how a wife or daughter works herself to the bone abroad to help her family at home, only to be unappreciated because she did not give more or she
did not give what was preferred. Then there is the use of euthanasia. Many may have undergone the same torment that grips Frankie when Maggie requests him. For
the love of Maggie, should he or shouldn't he do it? We empathize with Frank and others in the same predicament. But our Creator in His infinite wisdom has a plan for
each and we cannot play God by taking away the life of someone even if it means the end of suffering. For the way the problem is resolved, CINEMA gives a rating of 2.5.
(Date Reviewed: 4 March 2005)
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