Million Dollar Baby - Warning: Spoilers

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Spoilers!
Spoilers - Spoilers - Spoilers

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If you haven't seen the movie and you intend to do so, I strongly recommend you stop reading this thread. Major plot points will be revealed in this thread.

It seems like everybody loved this movie. It received numerous awards and garnered a lofty 95% approval rating on RottenTomatoes.com.

I liked the movie, but I have some serious issues with it, too. The performances are quite good. Writer/director Clint Eastwood does a nice turn as a grizzled and haunted boxing trainer. I've read that Eastwood doesn't rehearse a lot, or shoot a lot of retakes. I can believe this because his performances seem uneven sometimes, but he's mostly on the money here.

Hillary Swank is believable in a challenging role as a 31 year old novice following a dream. You can make a case that she progresses too quickly, but woman's boxing is a sport that's still in its infancy and this is Hollywood after all.

Morgan Freeman turns in a typically standout performance as a retired boxer who helps Eastwood manage a small gym in Los Angeles. Eastwood also uses Freeman as a narrater to frame his story. Freeman is a natural in that role, as seen in Shawshank Redemption. It was a safe choice and it added a lot to the film. I particularly enjoyed the way Freeman's character ruminated upon the nuances of the sweet science of boxing. Some pretty good stuff there. If the retired pug's philosophical ramblings on other topics seemed a bit too artful sometimes, it wasn't a distraction and again, this is Hollywood.

Okay, I guess its no surprise that Swank's character eventually wins a share of the title, but this is no predictable rags-to-riches boxing film. Eastwood has a mean sucker punch waiting for us and I think the old man dropped a horseshoe into his glove first.

Continued below...

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Let me say, that I had the following plot twist divulged to me before I saw the film and knowing it greatly diminished the dramatic impact of the movie for me. So much so, that I wonder how I would have reacted had I not known what was coming.

Last chance to quit reading.

Okay.

Swank's character goes on to fight a really nasty woman, fighting under the handle Billie The Blue Bear. During the course of this bout, Swank is cheapshotted with her back turned after the bell, she falls awkwardly and breaks her neck on the stool in her corner. This leaves her as a paraplegic and completely changes the tone of the movie.

I have a couple major problems with the whole way she was injured. First off, the character she's fighting, Billie The Blue Bear, is decribed as "a former prostitute" and "the dirtiest fighter in the sport". Okay, the ultimate opponent in any boxing movie has to be evil and remorseless, more Hollywood cliches, but what the heck.

I had a real problem with the actual fight and it almost ruined the movie for me. Calling Billie a dirty fighter hardly told the story. She committed more fouls in three rounds than Mike Tyson, Eusebio Pedroza and Fritzie Zivic did combined, during their entire careers. I have seen WWF fights that were more believable and the referee must have been hired by Vince MacMahon himself. Billie should have been DQ'ed five times before the final tragedy.

My other complaint was casting the amazing Lucia Rijker in the villain role. Rijker is by far the greatest female fighter who ever lived. Unbeaten as a kickboxing champ, unbeaten and totally unable to find opponents willing to face her as a boxer. Knowing that she's one of the greatest female athletes ever, it was kind of disheartening to see her wasted in a non speaking and slightly cartoonish role.

Anybody else see this movie? I wonder if I would have viewed it differently if I hadn't known what was coming. I'm pretty sure I would have. I get pretty squeamish about seeing women injured, and since I knew it was coming, I didn't let myself get too attached to Maggie. I also found her hillbilly family to be a little too cold and heartless to be believable.

Overall, it was a good film. Better than Eastwood's Mystic River, which was also hailed by the critics. Eastwood has certainly defied Hollywood's prejudice against the elderly. At 74, his career might never be hotter than it is right now.

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http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/2723/rijkerap6qa.th.jpg (http://img329.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rijkerap6qa.jpg)

Lucia Rijker

[Crushaholic]

I've never seen the movie and I don't intend to do so, but I knew about the plot twist when the whole Terri Schiavo thing was going on. People from both sides of the fence were using it to bolster their arguments.

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I've never seen the movie and I don't intend to do so, but I knew about the plot twist when the whole Terri Schiavo thing was going on. People from both sides of the fence were using it to bolster their arguments.

Extremists make the world a better place for all of us.

[Tredici]

It will be on pay per view soon. -- Now I'm too lazy to even go to the video store.... I will watch it just to see if it really deserved Best Movie Oscar.

Finding Neverland was kind of a weak nominee.

I liked The Aviator, Ray and Sideways. If Hollywood wanted to hand out a rags to riches story this one will have to go a ways to beat Ray, at least for me.

[Rock Chalk]

You know, I have heard many critics bash Eastwood in his directing, but most of his movies I have enjoyed. I have not seen this one, and did not intend to at the movies or on video but would wait till it came on HBO, as I do most movies that aren't big special effects extravaganza's (because, why sit in a theater full of morons making noise where I cant smoke weed or cigarettes, drink a beer, play with myself or anything else that might amuse me during a movie's boring moments when I can do all that at home). As it is, I am a big fan of Hillary Swank's acting skills and ever since that movie in Alaska with Al Pacino...insomniac or something, you know, with Robin Williams as the bad guy? Anyway, ever since that movie, I have become a fan. Didnt think she would amount to much when I first saw her in the mostly forgettable "The Next Karate Kid" but did enjoy her role in the totally bogus but fun nevertheless "The Core". Not much of a story there, not a good one, but a fun adventure like all of those campy journey to the center of the earth adventure movies.

And of course Morgan Freeman is just another reason to watch this movie when I have the chance.

[Kid A]

A very good movie. Not exactly an "inspirational true story" type like CInderella Man, but very moving. Everyone should see, even if only because it won best picture (which doesn't always mean much to me.)

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It will be on pay per view soon. -- Now I'm too lazy to even go to the video store.... I will watch it just to see if it really deserved Best Movie Oscar.

Finding Neverland was kind of a weak nominee.

I liked The Aviator, Ray and Sideways. If Hollywood wanted to hand out a rags to riches story this one will have to go a ways to beat Ray, at least for me.

I was surprised how much I liked Ray. Great performances throughout that film. Sideways was great, too. Only one movie made me laugh more this year. I liked The Aviator, but it needed to be tightened up a little. I couldn't get into Finding Neverland and stopped trying after about 40 minutes.

[Crushaholic]

I liked The Aviator, Ray and Sideways. If Hollywood wanted to hand out a rags to riches story this one will have to go a ways to beat Ray, at least for me.

Out of the Best Picture nominees, I've seen only those three and I liked all of them. Jamie Foxx definitely deserved his Oscar. I would have given Ray or the Aviator the Best Picture Oscar. Sideways was very good, but I didn't think it was worthy of a Best Picture nomination.

[gunns]

I also found her hillbilly family to be a little too cold and heartless to be believable.

When I saw this family I totally believed it. I work with people like that (see the welfare part) and there are so many like that. Sad part of our society.

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I also found her hillbilly family to be a little too cold and heartless to be believable.

When I saw this family I totally believed it. I work with people like that (see the welfare part) and there are so many like that. Sad part of our society.

I've worked in fields where I've seen people attempt to exploit the system, too. I guess I'm talking more about the attempted cash grab at the end, while she's laying their paralyzed.

[jonny1]

I've worked in fields where I've seen people attempt to exploit the system, too. I guess I'm talking more about the attempted cash grab at the end, while she's laying their paralyzed.

That is not unbelievable at all, if you have ever been through dealing with what people think is owed them from family members who have passed away. It can get ugly real quick.

I've seen all the best picture nominees except Sideways, and Million Dollar Baby was far and away the best picture.

[bronco militia]

.

I liked the movie, but I have some serious issues with it, too. The performances are quite good. Writer/director Clint Eastwood does a nice turn as a grizzled and haunted boxing trainer. I've read that Eastwood doesn't rehearse a lot, or shoot a lot of retakes. I can believe this because his performances seem uneven sometimes, but he's mostly on the money here.



I did not know the ending before hand, so I was very shocked at the ending. The ending will probably keep from watching it again. Not because I didn't agree with it, but because it really changed the entire movie for me. IMO, Definitely worthy of Best Picture, but not one to watch over and over again.

another great piece of work from Clint Eastwood.

[Tredici]

That is not unbelievable at all, if you have ever been through dealing with what people think is owed them from family members who have passed away. It can get ugly real quick.

I've seen all the best picture nominees except Sideways, and Million Dollar Baby was far and away the best picture.

I really enjoyed Sideways and have seen it twice. Oddball, quirky movie. I still have no idea how it was nominated for best picture, though. Not exactly the type of film Hollywood likes to pat itself on the back for.

[broncosteven]

Wife rented it last night. I bought into it the whole way & thought it was touching and a well crafted movie. I didn't think I would like it & so waited until DVD release.

I have trouble with alot of the big hollowwood movies that you have to suspend disbelief for. I knew the twist was coming because a comercial ran that showed he on a vent (which pissed me off). I agree the cheapshot was not easy to believe but they did setup the fact that Clint wanted Morgans char to help him, he had to get a Vegas local & during the fight Clint told him not to put the stool out so early so I bought it easier than a Drilling crew going in in simultanous Shuttle launches to divert asteroid & save the earth.

I thought this was a heartfelt & well made movie we need more movies at this pace based on people. Not Special Effects.

BTW I would have done the same thing & hope someone would do the same for me if I asked.

[broncosteven]

I really enjoyed Sideways and have seen it twice. Oddball, quirky movie. I still have no idea how it was nominated for best picture, though. Not exactly the type of film Hollywood likes to pat itself on the back for.


Sideways was Freaking Hesterical! I worked with a guy who was just like the dude getting Married. I thought it would be a chick (or gay) flick & laughed the hardest I have at a movie in a long time. Plus I still have a crush on Virgina Madsden from the 80's. Too bad she didn't get Naked!

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Sideways was Freaking Hesterical! I worked with a guy who was just like the dude getting Married. I thought it would be a chick (or gay) flick & laughed the hardest I have at a movie in a long time. Plus I still have a crush on Virgina Madsden from the 80's. Too bad she didn't get Naked!

Its funny how you see a lot of mismatched friends like the ones in Sideways. I love the part at the end when Thomas Haden Church explains to Paul Giammatti his plight as a slightly amoral sexual addict. The scene where they steal back the wallet had me in tears.