After months of training, Maggie is given a manager, but during her first fight, Frankie decides to take over as her manager, and she then knocks out her opponent. [6][7], Eastwood had confidence in Swank's acting, but upon seeing Swank's small physique, he had concerns, "I just thought, 'Yeah, this gal would be great. Is it really possible for a person to want to live following an injury like Maggie's? Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie but states that he will not manage her. A fulfilling life requires hope for the future -- new vistas to reach, new goals to achieve. She is mentally alert, but feels no reason to go on living. [9] In its later wide release opening, the film earned $12,265,482 in North America and quickly became a box-office hit both domestically and internationally. 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. Boyd had written the book when he was on the crux of 70, and died two years before the film arrived on the screens. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. 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). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It was after Million Dollar Baby was released that her boxing career came to the limelight. Maggie Fitzgerald The Blue Bear has a reputation for aggressiveness and for fighting dirty. Why isn't Maggie offered any psychiatric treatment for her depression? The controversy failed to dent the films popularity. Grew Up in utter poverty. 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 . E.S. I used to kick-box until I reached my mid-thirties and all of those roundhouse kicks started taking a toll on my hips and knees. Maggie falls, hitting her head on the stool in her corner. As an actor, I had my reservations with him, but as a storyteller, I have truly inhaled him. Jewish law does not require the preservation of life in all instances, and in fact, when someone is terminally ill and suffering, we do not necessarily require treatments to prolong life. Fought in the literal sense of the word. But that doesn't mean I think that's a proper thing to do". He never returns to the gym. Owing to his intense training, Huntley got Boyd a job as a cutman, through which he got to meet Juli Crockett, whom he called the inspiration for the character of Maggie Fitzgerald. Maggie is alive and kicking. Frankie becomes reluctant to train her, but the two form a close bond that will irrevocably change them both. 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. Or that shed have given Frankie a glimmer of hope and picked a potato chip from the bowl a la Jill Kinmont* in The Other Side of the Mountain., Maggie fights on in my imagination. We need not look to the world of fiction for an answer. She is equally dominant at this level, and she begins to attract high-profile opportunities, but Frankie turns down such offers. 2023 ZIFF DAVIS CANADA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Scrap gives Maggie some tips and lets her borrow a speed bag. The woman of many talents, Crocketts professional boxing career is not the only thing that she has made a name for herself in. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Wanting to learn from the best, aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) wants Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her. It was because of you that she was fighting the championship of the world. His decision to kill Maggie is abhorrent from a Jewish perspective. 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. 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. They often feature the story of an underdog, as they find their way to the top, or least, to someplace where they have a fighting chance. Indeed, Maggie's severely disabled state is an enormous challenge to the human spirit. Ms. Million Dollar. In her first scene she begs Clint Eastwoods jaded coach character to train her and simply wont take no for an answer, training at his gym day and all night until she eventually wins him over. Maggie's rough around the edges, but shows a . Without hope of recovery, she attempts suicide, before finally persuading Frankie to help her die. Unlike her lazy family, Maggie wants to succeed and make a name for herself. 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. The film takes the same route of a person completely drowning themselves in training for what they want in life, but in the second half, it takes an unexpected turn and turns into a tragedy. Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film. She spent most of the next 42 years working as a copy editor and editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Maggie lands hard on her corner stool, breaking her neck and leaving her a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. Knowing the fatherly affection Frankie has developed for Maggie, Frankie's priest warns him that he would never find himself again if he were to go through with Maggie's request. People cheered her name and watched her in awe- she was wondrous and captivating. How Dan Foglers Boyhood Dreams Turned Into Adult Realities, Use Womens History Month as Your Excuse to Watch These Cinematic Masterpieces. 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. explicit permission. Actors/Actresses With the help of her coach, Frank, Maggie is on her way to becoming one of the greatest boxers to ever live. 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. Then a second passed, her fire extinguished and she fell. Maggie, it seems, has just as much talent as she has pure drive. Dr. Eisenberg writes extensively on topics of Judaism and medicine and lectures internationally on topics in Jewish medical ethics to groups of all backgrounds. Gal in my book because her character has deep personal meaning. Frankie Dunn: It wasn't fault. No chance in the world of being what she needed to be. characters are most like you. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. As the Torah teaches, "Do not stand idly by as your neighbor's blood is shed" (Leviticus 19:16). 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. Studios. Frankie, who has come to think of Maggie as he would a daughter, does what any good father would do. If she dies today you know what her last thought would be? I was wrong to say that. Frankie is finally willing to arrange a title fight. Flip. Boxer account. 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?" Ziff Davis, LLC BBB Business Review. [2] The term 'Million Dollar Baby' was from the nose art of a World War II Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. Maggie is a gifted student and supported by the experienced mentorship of Frankie, she makes her presence known in the amateur league. Accompanied by an attorney, their sole concern is to get Maggie's assets transferred to them. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. 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. Maggie, born and raised in Missouri, has always had to fight for herself. The woman of many talents, Crockett's professional boxing career is not the only thing that she has made a name for herself in. 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. Despite her age, Maggie proves herself to be worth Frankie's time and . The Academy Award-winning film forces us to assess the value of life amidst a shattered dream. 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. Maggie's career skyrockets, but an accident in the ring leads her to ask Frankie for one last favor. Maggie is tired of washing dishes and waiting on tables. The bystander on the street would presume that the potential jumper is distraught and needs emotional support and help. Theyve shunned her ever since she became a boxer. 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. Medved, Michael. 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. [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. * Was 36-0 (25 by knockout) as a kick boxer, and . "[18], Eastwood responded to the criticism by saying the film was about the American dream. We take for granted a world where patient autonomy is the overriding ethical principle to which all other considerations must bend. From a purely humanitarian approach, we may still question her autonomous decision. It also stars Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. Scraps narration informs viewers that Frankie never returned to the gym, and it emerges that the story that he has been telling is the text of a letter that he has been writing to Frankies estranged daughter. Maggie is devastated, and she and Frankie leave. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. If it doesn't work out, you can always come back here later.". And both took a. But is Maggie indeed Frankie's million-dollar baby? 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. Maggie, a waitress from the Ozarks region of Missouri, starts working out at the gym. Problem is, this is the only thing I ever felt good doing. Million Dollar Baby was based on stories in Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner (2000), written by veteran boxing trainer and manager Jerry Boyd under the pen name F.X. Gender Maggie begins to dominate the fight, but Billie knocks her out with an illegal sucker punch from behind after the bell rings to end the round. The movie caused a great deal of controversy. Maggie, in the story, had a crusty and protective trainer who became a surrogate father and who reluctantly and heartbreakingly helped her die. According to CBS, Swank, like Fitzgerald, grew up in a trailer park and was a high. I am a great fan of his. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: You damn right. 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. Frankie's glory days as a boxing coach are far behind him, though he's still on the lookout for the next superstar boxer. ", Often we fail to recognize that a cry for death is really a cry for help. She grew up knowing one thing: she was trash." Million Dollar Baby: Directed by Clint Eastwood. Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. 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. 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). I like to think that there are kick-ass gals out there like Maggie who are willing to go after their dreams, no matter how outr, dangerous or impossible they may seem to the rest of us rather boring folks. He trained under Dub Huntley, who taught him the tricks of the trade while also introducing him to some well known names in boxing. She then asks Frankie to help her die, declaring that she got everything she wanted out of life. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. I dont want charity, and I dont want favors.. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [4][5] The film was stuck in development hell for years before it was shot. (Um, yeah. Challenge proving her family wrong and boxing her way to the championship. A heartbroken Frankie seeks other opinions to no avail and then has her transferred to a rehabilitation clinic in Los Angeles. Find out how you match to her and 5500+ other characters. He is portrayed by Hilary Swank . Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. She ignited, flared, and became the brightest flame that lit up the night sky. It grossed $216,763,646 in theaters; $100,492,203 in the United States, and $116,271,443 in other territories. Scrap's narration is revealed to be a letter to Frankie's daughter, informing her of her father's true character. Maggie, born and raised in Missouri, has always had to fight for herself. In case you havent seen the film, Hilary Swank played Maggie, and she looked majestic in this role: Hilary Swank as Maggie is some kinda BAD ASS. Frankie then sneaks into the hospital one night, unaware that Scrap is watching from the shadows. She dies today you know what her last thought would be, informing her of her father 's character. Mentally alert, but as a kick boxer, plucky 31-year-old Missouri waitress maggie Fitzgerald foot. Her presence known in the amateur league a shattered dream of washing dishes and waiting on.! Come back here later. `` History Month as Your neighbor 's blood is shed '' ( Leviticus 19:16.... 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