MILLION DOLLAR BABY

US, 2004, 137 minutes, Colour.
Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman.
Directed by Clint Eastwood.

If you intend to see this Clint Eastwood film about a female boxer which has plenty of bouts as well as some serious issues and don’t want to know about the twist turns, it is better to go to see the film and not read on.

On the other hand, if you are reading further, you have seen the film and are thinking over its questions.

Eastwood has proven himself not only a legendary screen presence but also one of Hollywood’s most important directors. After the success of Mystic River, it is, at first, a surprise that he has turned his attention to the world of boxing. He is obviously at home in this world as he plays a grizzled trainer with guilt memories of abandoning his daughter and being responsible for fighters’ injuries. In his old age, he is trying to be protective, especially of his champions. He also goes to Mass every morning and spars with the priest over personal spirituality and theological and moral issues. His best friend and sometime confidant is Scrap (Morgan Freeman), former fighter and general manager and cleaner upper of the gym. The gym attracts some good fighters and some oddballs as well, all tolerated by Frank (Eastwood) – except for Margaret Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) who is from a ‘white trash’ background but who has a knockout gift for fighting. He says she is not tough enough – girlie! Naturally, she wears him down and mellows a lot of his sourness (although he studies Gaelic and reads Yeats).

The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman in his wonderful resonant voice that he used in The Shawshank Redemption. The first two acts of the film focus on Frank, Scrap and Margaret’s training. The second act is Margaret’s success in the ring. Not knowing what was to come, the scene of Margaret’s knockout at the hands of a vicious fighter was more than a shock. It was disbelief. This means that the third act is not what we might have been expecting. Margaret is a quadraplegic, entirely dependent on nursing and machines. She is abandoned by her greedy hillbilly family but Frank is absolutely devoted. Then she asks him to turn off the machines. Frank’s crisis is not only the morality of doing this, but also what effect it will have on him and his guilt about fighters’ injuries, destroying a second chance at having a daughter, not being protective enough.

He discusses the issue with the priest who is rather cold yet challenging. This means that the resolution of the film is based on emotional response to the situation, the morality of using extraordinary means to keep a person alive, the request for assisted suicide (a theme which is central to the Spanish film, The Sea Inside). It leaves the audience who has gone to see a boxing movie going out of the cinema needing to give more thought to the moral issues, at an intellectual principle level and at an emotional level, to ask whether compassion is the final criterion – and what are the immediate and long-term consequences.

Million Dollar Baby, so well directed by Eastwood, with excellent performances, especially by Hilary Swank as the fighter. It is a film for questioning and reflection.

1. Acclaim for the film, Oscars and other awards? A mood of 2004?

2. The work of Clint Eastwood, director, actor? His style, his interest in storytelling, strong characters and action?

3. The boxing world: gyms, rings, training, the bouts? Homes and apartments? The church? Hospital? The south? The diner? The film rarely going outside? The musical score?

4. The tradition of boxing films, the bouts, the training, competition, life at the gym, dressing-rooms, the journalists, the managers, the commentators, the audiences? This film explaining the various skills?

5. The voice-over, Morgan Freeman and his tone, dignity? His views, his experience, his own career, the bout, the loss of his eye? His comment that boxing was more than the fans? His kindness, seeing dangers? His willingness to let Maggie have a go, his continually challenging Frank? His comments on Frank’s reputation, skills, imagination and magic of boxing, dreams of success?

6. Frank, a Clint Eastwood character, his age, crusty, his relationship with friend? His prayer at home at night, his petitions, the memory of his family, the letters written to his daughter and returned? Going to Mass, needling the priest, discussion about the Trinity, the Immaculate Conception? His seeing Maggie, refusal? His comments about his gym, inexpensive bleach? Maggie and her wanting to pay, his seeing her work, discovering she had the speed bag, arguing with her, her age and being too old, giving her the bag? A man of feeling, his training Willie, Willie and the money for the car, Willie’s return, his leaving him? His protective attitudes and the people that had been hurt, especially Morgan Freeman? His learning Gaelic? His giving in to Maggie?

7. Maggie, watching the training, approaching Frank, calling him “Boss”? The flashbacks and the comment about her being from somewhere between Nowhere and Goodbye? Southern trash? Working in the diner, saving the coins? Her training, Morgan Freeman and his advice, giving her the speed bag? Taking the meat and pretending it was for her dog, poverty? Running on the beach? As a waitress and the customers, the information from Frank about moving her feet, moving while she served people? Her giving in to Frank?

8. Morgan Freeman’s character, a good man and wise, helping Maggie, having only one eye, cleaning, protecting? Abstemious, the holes in his socks? Gym life, the office, his own room? His relationship with Danger, the others taunting Danger, Danger and his being soft in the head, his dreams? The banter? Danger and his question about ice in the bottle? The bout with Danger and the fight, his being hurt? Morgan Freeman and his challenging the opponent, knocking him out?

9. Willie, the training, the fights – not having the possibility of championship, the money for the car, his wife’s gratitude, leaving Frank?

10. The rapport between Frank and Morgan Freeman, talking easily together, remembering the past, the bonds, the bets? His offering Freeman to be his second and his refusal, staying with the gym, cleaning the toilet?

11. The interactions between Maggie and Frank, training, her possibilities, not questioning Frank, the experience of hurt, Morgan Freeman watching, the KOs in the initial bouts, Frank’s advice not to do this, her continually doing this? His payment of a manager, her not leaving Frank, his taking over during the bout when the manager was not helpful? Claiming her as his fighter?

12. Maggie and her fights, Morgan Freeman and his comments, the knockouts, the going up a grade, the experience of the broken nose and her fighting on, going to the UK and the surprise win? Her touring?

13. Maggie as Frank’s substitute daughter, Katie and his memories, regrets, the letters? Maggie as champion, a successful daughter? His advice to her about getting a house? His spoiling her, going to Las Vegas, the pipers, the Gaelic robe? Macushla and its meaning?

14. Frank and his Catholicism, twenty-three years at Mass every day, prayers at home, the encounters with the priest, the priest and his exasperation and swearing at Frank, the taunts, the theological discussions? The importance of the ending, Frank praying about taking the life support away, the discussion with the priest, the priest talking about his regrets and not being able to forgive himself, and, if he took off the life support, that he would be lost?

15. The house, the visit to the family, Maggie buying the house for her mother, the upset sister, the mother and her concern about welfare grants and medicine, their meanness? Advising Maggie to get a man, saying that people laughed at them, Frank observing? Maggie and her watching the little girl at the service station, waving to her, regrets?

16. Maggie and the story about Axel, the dog and the three legs, “I got nobody but you”? Going to the diner, praising the pie, memories of her father and telling Frank, Frank and the possibility of buying Ira’s diner?

17. Las Vegas, the challenger, East Germany, playing dirty, Morgan Freeman watching on TV? Elbowing during the fight, the referee comments, the dirty fighting, her hitting Maggie and her falling and crashing against the stool?

18. The hospital, Frank and Morgan Freeman’s visits, her feeling hurt? The injuries, the prospects? Frank and his discussions, trying to get her to go to study, being with her, reading Yeats? The flashbacks and his memories? Her having to lose her leg? His washing and caring for her?

19. The family’s visit, taunting her that she lost, wanting her to sign the document and their greediness, their threats, her strong reaction and her threatening to sell the house over them?

20. Her growing helplessness, not being able to breathe, the long time washing her, dressing her for the wheelchair? Frank spending the time, wanting her to study? The memories, the fact that she had her shot and Morgan Freeman’s explanation that this was an achievement?

21. Maggie and her concerns, her time passing? Asking Frank to do what her father did for Axel? His moral dilemma? Saying that her life had gone? His asking her not to request this? Her insisting that she was asking? Her biting her tongue, the blood, her almost dying? The stitches, her biting them out again, padding her tongue? Her desperation?

22. Frank in the church, with the priest, reminiscing about Maggie’s strong will? His wanting to keep her with him, a sin to kill her, a sin to keep her alive? His being urged to step aside? His final decision, explaining what he was doing to Maggie, the insertion in the drip, turning it off?

23. Maggie’s achievement? Morgan Freeman’s comment about Frank’s disappearance – and the possibility that he bought the diner?

24. Clint Eastwood’s achievement in producing a boxing film, personal drama, raising controversial moral issues about assisted suicide?