Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

F.X. Toole (stories)
Paul Haggis (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 January 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Beyond his silence, there is a past. Beyond her dreams, there is a feeling. Beyond hope, there is a memory. Beyond their journey, there is a love.

Plot:

A hardened trainer/manager works with a determined woman in her attempt to establish herself as a boxer.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Boxing | Waitress | Boxing Trainer | New House

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 45 wins & 29 nominations

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Frankie Dunn
Hilary Swank	...	Maggie Fitzgerald
Morgan Freeman	...	Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris
Jay Baruchel	...	Danger Barch
Mike Colter	...	Big Willie Little
Lucia Rijker	...	Billie 'The Blue Bear'
Brian F. O'Byrne	...	Father Horvak (as Brian O'Byrne)
Anthony Mackie	...	Shawrelle Berry
Margo Martindale	...	Earline Fitzgerald
Riki Lindhome	...	Mardell Fitzgerald
Michael Peña	...	Omar
Benito Martinez	...	Billie's Manager
Bruce MacVittie	...	Mickey Mack
David Powledge	...	Counterman at Diner
Joe D'Angerio	...	Cut Man

Also Known As:

Rope Burns (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, some disturbing images, thematic material and language.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Irish Gaelic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Malaysia:18SG | Iceland:14 | Spain:13 | Portugal:M/16 | India:UA | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Ireland:15 (video rating) | Brazil:12

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Athletic Club - 6525 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Clint Eastwood was the only nominee for the Best Actor Oscar in 2005 to play a fictitious character. All four of the other nominees portrayed real people in their respective films.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Frankie & Maggie leave Maggie's hometown of Theodosia, MO, they pass a road sign with "160" inside a Missouri outline, the correct sign for Missouri State Highway 160. However, the main highway through real-life Theodosia (in far southern Missouri, just north of the Arkansas border and east of Branson) is U.S. Highway 160.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: [Narrating] Only ever met one man I wouldn't wanna fight. When I met him he was already the best cut man in the business. Started training and managing in the sixties, but never lost his gift.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Robot Chicken: Shoe (#3.5)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Boxing Baby

Outstanding

Saw this last night in LA without much knowing what to expect. Hadn't read many reviews...only knew I liked the work of the three main stars. Swank carries the film and is at her absolute best. The last 45 minutes are some of the most powerful film-making I can remember. Eastwood is also in top form but allows Swank's performance to trump his own. Freeman is outstanding and might have done enough to earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination. This is so much more than a boxing movie, but it's right there with "Raging Bull" and "Rocky". I saw "The Aviator" two days ago and enjoyed "MDB" more.

However, the film is not without fault...Eastwood has a tendency to allow scenes to go on too long and to fill them with too much dead air. The dialogue at times appears a little too ad-libbed. There are some minor logical inconsistencies. But the positives far outweigh the negatives.