I never got my shot. [19] In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Eastwood distanced himself from the actions of characters in his films, noting, "I've gone around in movies blowing people away with a .44 Magnum. Yet after a short period of despair, he chose to make life matter and become an advocate for the disabled. We need not look to the world of fiction for an answer. The shift in editing over to pages for the movies, characters, actors, directors, composers, crew and galleries is now fully in effect. According to CBS, Swank, like Fitzgerald, grew up in a trailer park and was a high. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Maggie lands hard on her corner stool, breaking her neck and leaving her a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. If she dies today you know what her last thought would be? The message is that disappointment over a shattered dream is a greater tragedy than death itself. Frankie is initially reluctant to train a woman, but Maggie persists and soon wins him over. Jewish law approaches the preservation of life as a moral obligation, but recognizes that there are times, particularly when a patient is terminally ill, when intervention should not be performed. He trained under Dub Huntley, who taught him the tricks of the trade while also introducing him to some well known names in boxing. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her. "My 'Million Dollar' Answer," OpinionJournal/Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (17 February 2005). Almost uniformly, these people reported regretting their decision to jump. E.S. On the strength of believing in herself, Maggie reaches the pinnacle of success and is about to become world champion. Toole, aka Jerry Boyd. The back of Maggie's robe has the phrase "Mo Cuishle". Morgan Freeman (Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris), Academy Award nominations (* denotes win), https://www.britannica.com/topic/Million-Dollar-Baby, Turner Classic Movies - Million Dollar Baby. 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. In Million Dollar Baby, what is presented as a question of the right to die is perhaps a distraction from the deeper question of responsibility to help our fellow human being. "I had it all," Maggie tells Frankie, "so don't take it away from me.". She ignited, flared, and became the brightest flame that lit up the night sky. Maggie is destitute, alone, and leads a non-significant life. Frankie, who has come to think of Maggie as he would a daughter, does what any good father would do. Scrap's narration is revealed to be a letter to Frankie's daughter, informing her of her father's true character. 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. Read More:Best Boxing Movies of All Time. "[15] The Chicago Tribune reported that protests against the film by disability activists occurred in Chicago, Berkeley, and other cities, and that Clint Eastwood had previously lobbied for weakening provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Scrap gives Maggie some tips and lets her borrow a speed bag. People die everyday, Frankie - mopping floors, washing dishes and you know what their last thought is? [Expert Review] 1 public record of katie dallam found. You made her the best fighter she could be. Hilary Swank. [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. Accompanied by an attorney, their sole concern is to get Maggie's assets transferred to them. Get entertainment recommendations for your unique personality and find out which of 5,500+ Medved, Michael. Ziff Davis, LLC BBB Business Review. He secures Maggie a $1 million match in Las Vegas against the WBA women's welterweight champion, Billie "The Blue Bear" Osterman, a German ex-prostitute who has a reputation as a dirty fighter. With the help of her coach, Frank, Maggie is on her way to becoming one of the greatest boxers to ever live. Mini Bio (1) Maggie Fitzgerald is known for The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (1973) and Festival (1963). Both Katie Dallam and Maggie Fitzgerald were born into poverty in Missouri and began boxing in their 30's. Both ended up in the ring against a much Join Facebook to connect with Maggie Fitzgerald and others you may know. Boxer [11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on an A+ to F scale. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. (I was happy with my amateur hour status, because some of those gal fighters hit hard.) But is Maggie indeed Frankie's million-dollar baby? While he trained a lot of people in the field, he never got to make his dream of winning the world championship come true due to a boxing accident in 1970 that had left him with a detached retina. Maggie asks Frankie to train her, but he initially . Interests boxing, her only calling in life. characters are most like you. "She came from southwestern Missouri," Scrap explains, "the hills outside the scratchy-ass Ozark town of Theodosia, set in the cedars and oak trees, somewhere between nowhere and goodbye. (Um, yeah. Flip. Maggie is alive and kicking. He is portrayed by Hilary Swank. Million Dollar Baby is classical in the clean, clear, strong lines of its story and characters, and had an enormous emotional impact". Information The Academy Award-winning film forces us to assess the value of life amidst a shattered dream. I was wrong to say that. Boyd had picked up boxing pretty late in his life. Maggie's rough around the edges, but shows a lot of grit in the ring and he eventually relents. The controversy failed to dent the films popularity. His only friend, Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman), 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 twenty-five years, the forgiveness that somehow continues to elude him. Our society is so enamored with autonomy that we sometimes fail to consider other issues. On the strength of believing in herself, Maggie reaches the pinnacle of success and is about to become world champion. Maggie fitzgerald boxer? Maggie fights her way up in the women's amateur boxing division with Frankie's coaching. Shes a welterweight boxer. [2] The term 'Million Dollar Baby' was from the nose art of a World War II Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. She is a transplant from working-class Missouri who arrives in Frankie Dunn's gym seeking his expertise. Out of the several short stories in the book, the ones that are merged together to form the script of the film are The Monkey Look, Million $$$ Baby, and Frozen Water. Maggie's career skyrockets, but an accident in the ring leads her to ask Frankie for one last favor. Gradually making her way upwards, she becomes notorious for taking out opponents in the first round while earning herself the moniker of "Mo Cuishle." The film garnered seven nominations at the 77th Academy Awards and won four: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (for Swank), and Best Supporting Actor (for Freeman). [13] Michael Medved stated: "My main objection to Million Dollar Baby always centered on its misleading marketing, and effort by Warner Brothers to sell it as a movie about a female Rocky, with barely a hint of the pitch-dark substance that led Andrew Sarris of the New York Observer to declare that 'no movie in my memory has depressed me more than Million Dollar Baby. She suffers a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves her quadriplegic. After being fired from the television series Family Law, Haggis wrote the script on spec, and it took four years to sell it. account. The website's critical consensus reads, "Clint Eastwood's assured directioncombined with knockout performances from Hilary Swank and Morgan Freemanhelp Million Dollar Baby to transcend its clichs, and the result is deeply heartfelt and moving. Occupation Name * Was 36-0 (25 by knockout) as a kick boxer, and . Personality persistent, tough, and courageous. The film follows Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald (Swank), an underdog amateur boxer who is helped by an underappreciated boxing trainer (Eastwood) to achieve her dream of becoming a professional. Because of you Maggie got her shot. All we know, from the montages of her workouts at the Hit. Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) watches the match and later asks Frankie to train her, but he refuses. Dr. Eisenberg writes extensively on topics of Judaism and medicine and lectures internationally on topics in Jewish medical ethics to groups of all backgrounds. Its time to give recognition to the man who runs the show behind the scenes. I think I did all right. I still have a passion for all things boxing, as evidenced by the name of my furry red Somali cat, Lennox Lewis. 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. She is equally dominant at this level, and she begins to attract high-profile opportunities, but Frankie turns down such offers. A study was done of those who survived attempted suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. There was always a poignant irony in the fact that someone famed for portraying a man with superhuman strength became, in a tragic instant, utterly dependent on others for his every need. Wanting to learn from the best, aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) wants Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Common wisdom declares that the wishes of a patient, whether they be for more treatment, less treatment, or physician-assisted suicide, must be respected and carried out. Down she went, no longer burning and sizzling, to the earth. Maggie soon develops bedsores and undergoes an amputation for an infected leg. Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman received Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscars, respectively. Frankie bestows Maggie a Gaelic nickname, embroidered on her boxing robe, Mo Chuisle (misspelled in the film as "mo cuishle"), but does not tell her its meaning. With such an inspiring and heart-breaking tale at the same time, one is bound to wonder if it is true? I found you a fighter. Fought in the literal sense of the word. Updates? Toole, and was adapted for the screen by Paul Haggis. Grew Up in utter poverty. [citation needed] The titular phrase 'million dollar baby' was used as an insult during pre-fight publicity by Sonny Liston to Muhammad Ali, the latter of whom was an underdog at the time. She grew up knowing one thing: she was trash." What is prudent is subjective, but that does not stop us from establishing societal norms. It grossed $216,763,646 in theaters; $100,492,203 in the United States, and $116,271,443 in other territories. This stereotype is contradicted by the personal experience of many thousands of people with significant disabilities in this country and around the world who view our own lives as ordinary and normal. We can all identify with Maggie's suffering: the glory that could have been and the horrible turn of events that has left her helpless. Corrections? Studios. The highs in Maggies arc are matched by the crushing lows later in the film when Fitzgeralds impressive, undefeated streak is derailed by a freak accident. Then, "What's your plan for tomorrow?" A heartbroken Frankie seeks other opinions to no avail and then has her transferred to a rehabilitation clinic in Los Angeles. Maggies decision to end her own life is tragic because it is, in fact, exactly what a gal like her would do when shes up against those particular ropes . 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. Maggie is tired of washing dishes and waiting on tables. In the end, the real tragedy of Million Dollar Baby is not the heart-wrenching decision that Frankie has to make. She eventually finds a. Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a veteran Los Angeles, California boxing trainer who keeps almost everyone at arm's length, except his old friend and associate Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman). Million Dollar Baby (2004) Both Katie Dallam and Maggie Fitzgerald were born into poverty in Missouri and began boxing in their 30's. Both ended up in the ring against a much younger, stronger opponent. Shes one helluva fictional character. Million Dollar Baby received the award for Best Picture of 2004 at the 77th Academy Awards. Frankie runs the Hit Pit boxing gym, and Scrap is his best friend and the maintenance man for the gym. Billie the Blue Bear, dropping Maggie Fitzgerald's head across a stool, paralyzing her, freezing us, and how can anyone ever forgive that? Actors/Actresses 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. Indeed, Maggie's severely disabled state is an enormous challenge to the human spirit. The film played in theaters for six and a half months. Why isn't Maggie offered any psychiatric treatment for her depression? Is 'Million Dollar Baby' based on a book? Facebook gives people the. [1][2] Filming took place in Los Angeles and film sets at Warner Bros. Million Dollar Baby: Directed by Clint Eastwood. 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