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). 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. You made her the best fighter she could be. ", but why there is not a greater offering of emotional support? Frankie's glory days as a boxing coach are far behind him, though he's still on the lookout for the next superstar boxer. 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. As a society we would rather take a person's cry for help as a cry for death, rather than adequately fund the social services necessary to help people choose not to die. He is portrayed by Hilary Swank . Eventually, he relents, and the two form a close bond that will irrevocably change them both. Gal in my book because her character has deep personal meaning. Toole, the pen name of fight manager and cutman Jerry Boyd. Browse 46 maggie fitzgerald stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [1][2] Filming took place in Los Angeles and film sets at Warner Bros. Maggie falls, hitting her head on the stool in her corner. Portrayed by She grew up knowing one thing: she was trash." Frankie, who studies Gaelic, tells Maggie that he does not know what the phrase means. He is portrayed by Hilary Swank. "[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. This article is about the 2004 film. She is equally dominant at this level, and she begins to attract high-profile opportunities, but Frankie turns down such offers. He didnt get to see the alternate version of his stories and neither did he see the increased popularity of his works, a couple of which were released posthumously. Since she has earned a reputation for quick KOs, Frankie must resort to bribery to get other managers to put their trainee fighters up against her. Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) has trained and managed some incredible fighters during a lifetime spent in the ring. According to CBS, Swank, like Fitzgerald, grew up in a trailer park and was a high. Maggie's rough around the edges, but shows a . From beginning to end, there is narration by "Scrap"- Morgan Freeman's recognizable voice. 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. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. When Boyd had first approached him, Huntley thought about running him out of the gym. However, Boyd stuck with the schedule, and as time passed, their friendship grew and Huntley eventually got him as a cutman. . Your email address will not be published. Eastwood had his daughter Morgan Colette appear in a brief role as a girl who waves to Swank's character at a gas station. Maggie fights her way up in the women's amateur boxing division with Frankie's coaching. Let us analyze the issues raised by the movie: Why would someone ask to die and should we be willing to oblige? Human It was after 'Million Dollar Baby' was released that her boxing career came to the limelight. His only friend, Scrap, an ex-boxer who looks after Frankies 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. [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. Boxing movies are about rooting for the underdog and Maggie may the ultimate underdog on this list, delivering a character we root for her the whole way, no matter her fate. Margaret Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormond (died 1542), daughter of Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare and Alison FitzEustace Margaret Fitzgerald (supercentarian) (1896-2009), Canadian supercentenarian A main character in the film Million Dollar Baby, played by Hilary Swank This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. Find out how you match to her and 5500+ other characters. The key is focusing on future potential and goals, not dwelling on the past and "what might have been, if only" The approach of one police officer at the Golden Gate Bridge, who has convinced more than 200 potential jumpers not to jump, was described in New Yorker: He starts talking to a potential jumper by asking, "How are you feeling today?" He respects her wishes and ushers her into that big ring in the sky. The film was named the third "Best Film of the 21st Century So Far" in 2017 by The New York Times.[26]. Maggie will never let anyone tell her that she cant accomplish her dreams. Frankie becomes reluctant to train her, but the two form a close bond that will irrevocably change them both. One man told New Yorker magazine that upon jumping, "I instantly realized that everything in my life that I'd thought was unfixable, was totally fixable -- except for having just jumped. Maggie fitzgerald boxer? He trained under Dub Huntley, who taught him the tricks of the trade while also introducing him to some well known names in boxing. Million Dollar Baby is classical in the clean, clear, strong lines of its story and characters, and had an enormous emotional impact". Challenge proving her family wrong and boxing her way to the championship. 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. Daddy used to tell me Id fight my way into this world, and Id fight my way out., Living in Los Angeles, where she trains at the Hit Pit, a grimy downtown gym. '"[citation needed][14], In early 2005, the film sparked controversy when some disability rights activists protested the ending. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Down she went, no longer burning and sizzling, to the earth. As she tells him, I want a trainer. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: You damn right. Maggie Fitzgerald Maggies mother, Earline (Margo Martindale), and sister, Mardell (Riki Lindhome), respond to the gift with disdain, and they tell Maggie that her boxing career has made her a laughingstock. Maggie Fitzgerald is a hillbilly who is poor, works as a waiter, and steals food to put together some savings (Swank, Eastwood and Freeman, Million Dollar Baby). A horrified Frankie refuses, so Maggie later bites her own tongue in an attempt to bleed to death. Maggie becomes a popular fighter in Europe, where people cheer for her as Mo Cuishle. When Maggie and Frankie return to the United States, Maggie takes Frankie to meet her mother, for whom Maggie has bought a house. . The Academy Award-winning movie, Million Dollar Baby, strikes deep at the issues of self-worth and the value of life. Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film. Hollywood star Hilary Swank rose to fame in the late 90s with one of her most incredible performances her portrayal of Brandon Teena in the biographical movie Boys Don't Cry.In 2004 the actress portrayed aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald in Clint Eastwood's sports drama movie Million Dollar Baby.For both of her performances, Hilary won an Academy Award in the category Best Lead Actress. Please select which sections you would like to print: Pat Bauer graduated from Ripon College in 1977 with a double major in Spanish and Theatre. 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. As the Torah teaches, "Do not stand idly by as your neighbor's blood is shed" (Leviticus 19:16). If Im too old for this, then I got nothing.. More details are available in the progress report. For the 1941 film, see. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It does not matter whether we discuss a despondent disabled, boxer, fully cognizant of her condition such as Maggie; a woman who has remained in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years, such as Terri Schiavo; or an old man lying unconscious on his deathbed, feeling (as far as we know) no pain and having no interaction with his environment. When Frankie sees that Maggie is a girl, he tells her to get out . But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her. 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. Hilary Swank bagged her second Oscar for the sheer determination and heartbreaking emotion on display as Maggie Fitzgerald, a 31-year-old waitress desperately clinging to her dream of becoming a boxer. Gender Down she went, no longer burning and sizzling, to the earth. The message is that disappointment over a shattered dream is a greater tragedy than death itself. Scrap gives Maggie some tips and lets her borrow a speed bag. Problem is, this is the only thing I ever felt good doing. 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). [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. Boyd had picked up boxing pretty late in his life. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Frankie Dunn: It wasn't fault. The fictional Fitzgerald was a Missourian born into trailer-home poverty who in her early thirties sees a chance for independence in the nascent world of women's boxing. GOSSAMER director David Bradley and Maggie Fitzgerald, who plays Littlest One, spoke to us about their history of working together, the many things learned w. If you have any unfortunate news that this page should be update with, please let us know using this form. Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. Ms. Million Dollar. Some writers excoriated it as being a politically motivated piece to argue in favour of legalizing euthanasia, while disability-rights activists complained that the movie wrongly gave the impression that people living with a disability would be better off dead, maintaining that a better ending would have shown Maggie overcoming her despair and embracing her new life. But it does not require an edict from the Code of Jewish Law to recognize that Maggie is making the wrong choice. Wanting to learn from the best, aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) wants Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her. in spades. registered trademarks of Ziff Davis Canada, Inc. and may not be used by third parties without Interests boxing, her only calling in life. People cheered her name and watched her in awe- she was wondrous and captivating. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It also stars Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. If we can get her trained up. [8], Million Dollar Baby initially had a limited release, opening in eight theaters in December 2004. Million Dollar Baby was theatrically released on December 15, 2004, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Maggie, in the story, had a crusty and protective trainer who became a surrogate father and who reluctantly and heartbreakingly helped her die. Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie. (Note to readers: This story reveals a key plot twist in "Million Dollar Baby.") The film tells us the story of a poor but feisty young woman, Maggie (Hilary Swank), who wants Frankie (Clint . Bent on becoming a professional boxer, plucky 31-year-old Missouri waitress Maggie Fitzgerald sets foot in silver-haired trainer Frankie Dunn's run-down gym. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Information Much like Mary Kay Ash, Maggie started from nothing, slinging hash at a dive somewhere in the Ozarks when she meets trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood). It is based on a screenplay by Paul Higgins, who adapted it from the collection of short stories, Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner, written by F.X. The movie caused a great deal of controversy. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Frankie is shown experiencing the first three of the five stages of grief: first seeking multiple doctors' opinions in denial, then blaming Scrap in anger and later trying to bargain with God through prayer. After losing a leg to gangrene, Maggie asks Frankie to kill her, as living in this condition is intolerable to her, but he will not. On the strength of believing in herself, Maggie reaches the pinnacle of success and is about to become world champion. With Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel. explicit permission. She was like a fire cracker. While in the hospital, Maggie looks forward to a visit from her family. As an actor, I had my reservations with him, but as a storyteller, I have truly inhaled him. but a real-life boxer, whose life story likely inspired the film, says the ending is bunk. Mini Bio (1) Maggie Fitzgerald is known for The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (1973) and Festival (1963). Search instead in Creative? The two travel to Europe as she continues to win; Maggie eventually saves up enough of her winnings to buy her mother a house, but her mother berates Maggie for endangering her government aid, claiming that everyone back home is laughing at her. Dr. Eisenberg writes extensively on topics of Judaism and medicine and lectures internationally on topics in Jewish medical ethics to groups of all backgrounds. Let's look at the real-life experience of someone who was at the height of fame and then suffered a devastating injury similar to Maggie's. Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald, a waitress from the Ozarks, shows up at the Hit Pit, a rundown Los Angeles gym owned and operated by Frankie Dunn. I was wrong to say that. ", So we need to ask: Is Maggie's decision to die reasonable? Clint Eastwood is a legendary film personality. Million Dollar Baby was theatrically released on December 15, 2004, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Maggie not only proves to be the boxer he always dreamed of having under his wing, but a friend who fills the great void he's had in his life. Right.) characters are most like you. Maggie Fitzgerald wins a "humble beginnings" contest nine times out of ten. [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. [11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on an A+ to F scale. Please ignore rumors and hoaxes. Please enable Javascript and hit the button below! [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. 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