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. She did not tell Eastwood about the infection because she thought it would be out of character for Maggie. I never got my shot. With such an inspiring and heart-breaking tale at the same time, one is bound to wonder if it is true? 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. Frankie becomes reluctant to train her, but the two form a close bond that will irrevocably change them both. She was like a fire cracker. The film played in theaters for six and a half months. She went to school in Bellingham, where she lived with her family, until she was 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. 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. He trained under Dub Huntley, who taught him the tricks of the trade while also introducing him to some well known names in boxing. Because of you Maggie got her shot. 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. Then Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) walks into his gym. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) has trained and managed some incredible fighters during a lifetime spent in the ring. 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. 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. 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. It was after Million Dollar Baby was released that her boxing career came to the limelight. There are no opening credits after the title is shown. 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. [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. The Disability Rights Education Fund released a statement about the film in February 2005 that included the following: "Perhaps the most central stereotype fueling disability prejudice is the mistaken assumption inherent in the message of the movie that the quality of life of individuals with disabilities is unquestionably not worth living. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro Maggie Fitzgerald Maggie's rough around the edges, but shows a lot of grit in the ring and he eventually relents. She has also written and directed plays, dabbled in music, and served as an advocate for animal and human rights. Wanting to learn from the best, aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) wants Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her. Get entertainment recommendations for your unique personality and find out which of 5,500+ A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. On the strength of believing in herself, Maggie reaches the pinnacle of success and is about to become world champion. 2023 ZIFF DAVIS CANADA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Occupation Hollywood Athletic Club - 6525 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. Then Maggie Fitzgerald walks into his gym and then his life changes. But that doesn't mean I think that's a proper thing to do". Maggie is devastated, and she and Frankie leave. 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. Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. Maggie fights her way up in the women's amateur boxing division with Frankie's coaching. Theyve shunned her ever since she became a boxer. Your email address will not be published. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie but states that he will not manage her. 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 . A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. Thats Frankie Dunn, hes the famous trainer at The Hit Pit, in L.A, California. 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). 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. And she's a damn good boxer too, starting off . Scrap, concerned when Frankie rejects several offers for big fights, arranges a meeting for Maggie with Mickey Mack, but out of loyalty to Frankie, she declines. She has also written and directed plays, dabbled in music, and served as an advocate for animal and human rights. Lewis has the Wow! 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. Maggie is alive and kicking. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. As a tribute to her, I bestowed my hero, Gage, in Someone Like You with a very special surname: Fitzgerald.. Maggie soon develops bedsores and undergoes an amputation for an infected leg. She is mentally alert, but feels no reason to go on living. But it does not require an edict from the Code of Jewish Law to recognize that Maggie is making the wrong choice. . like the boxer in million dollar baby, katie dallam was a missouri girl who grew up in poverty. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. Maggie soldiers on through it all until she has the chance at a million dollar pot in Vegas. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: You damn right. 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. From beginning to end, there is narration by "Scrap"- Morgan Freeman's recognizable voice. A fulfilling life requires hope for the future -- new vistas to reach, new goals to achieve. Please enable Javascript and hit the button below! But is Maggie indeed Frankie's million-dollar baby? For the 1941 film, see. Let us analyze the issues raised by the movie: Why would someone ask to die and should we be willing to oblige? The film was released on VHS and DVD on July 12, 2005, and all editions of the Region 1 DVD, except for the "Deluxe Edition", came with a paperback copy of the book Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner. Billie the Blue Bear, dropping Maggie Fitzgerald's head across a stool, paralyzing her, freezing us, and how can anyone ever forgive that? Mary Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald is a fictional character appearing in the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby. Million Dollar Baby: Directed by Clint Eastwood. Fought in the literal sense of the word. I still have a passion for all things boxing, as evidenced by the name of my furry red Somali cat, Lennox Lewis. It received critical acclaim and grossed $216.8 million worldwide. [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. A horrified Frankie refuses, so Maggie later bites her own tongue in an attempt to bleed to death. It was after 'Million Dollar Baby' was released that her boxing career came to the limelight. It grossed $216,763,646 in theaters; $100,492,203 in the United States, and $116,271,443 in other territories. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: Don't say that. 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. He was in his 40s by then, so there was no prospect of him pursuing it as a profession, but he learnt enough to know about the world of boxing and write stories about it. 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. 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. Down she went, no longer burning and sizzling, to the earth. Right.) She is a transplant from working-class Missouri who arrives in Frankie Dunn's gym seeking his expertise. 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. 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. 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. Actress (6 credits) 2022 golden possum (video short) katie 2022 brave girl (tv series . Omissions? Hilary Swank as Maggie is some kinda BAD ASS. We are certainly never permitted to shorten the life of someone like Maggie who is in a very compromised state, but not dying. Corrections? We typically grant decision-making autonomy only where someone has a legitimate right and ability to decide. Frankie's glory days as a boxing coach are far behind him, though he's still on the lookout for the next superstar boxer. Name 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. Maggie Fitzgerald Obtain more information on scheduling a lecture or learning more about Jewish medical ethics by visiting Dr. Eisenberg at www.daneisenberg.com, When Leonard Cohen Sang for Israeli Soldiers During the Yom Kippur War, How to Prevent Civil War: Arguing for the Sake of Peace, Top Six Rules Every Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Should Follow. As she tells him, I want a trainer. On June 8, 2002, the U.K.s Lennox Lewis showed the planet that might makes right when he won against Mike Tyson by glorious KO and claimed the title of heavyweight champion of the world. [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. Judaism recognizes that a person has the autonomy to make healthcare decisions, but insists that they must do so in a prudent manner (see "Doctor Knows Best?"). Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie but states that he will not manage her. Human Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald, a waitress from a Missouri town in the Ozarks, shows up in the Hit Pit, a run-down Los Angeles gym owned and operated by Frankie Dunn, an old, cantankerous boxing trainer. He later goes to Maggies room, tells her that Mo cuishle means my darling, my blood, and accedes to her request. I cant help but to get really choked up when I write about Margaret Maggie Fitzgerald, the protagonist in the 2004 Academy Award-winning film, Million Dollar Baby. Shes a Wow! [20] Roger Ebert stated that "a movie is not good or bad because of its content, but because of how it handles its content. Frankie is finally willing to arrange a title fight. Frankie Dunn believes her too old to be getting in the line, but her conviction wins him over and they begin a rigorous training. She trained for nearly five hours every day, winding up with a potentially life-threatening staphylococcus infection. If we can get a little bit more bulk on her, to make her look like a fighter'She was like a feather. Million Dollar Baby (2004) See production, box office & company info. Is it really possible for a person to want to live following an injury like Maggie's? To take advantage of all of CharacTours features, you need your own personal Gradually making her way upwards, she becomes notorious for taking out opponents in the first round while earning herself the moniker of "Mo Cuishle." We need not look to the world of fiction for an answer. Required fields are marked *. Frankie Dunn: It wasn't fault. She retired Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. "My 'Million Dollar' Answer," OpinionJournal/Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (17 February 2005). Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie. According to CBS, Swank, like Fitzgerald, grew up in a trailer park and was a high. Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. 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. Million Dollar Baby was theatrically released on December 15, 2004, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Maggie fitzgerald boxer? Daddy used to tell me I'd fight my way into this world, and I'd fight my way out." Living in Los Angeles, where she trains at the Hit Pit, a grimy downtown gym. but a real-life boxer, whose life story likely inspired the film, says the ending is bunk. She spent most of the next 42 years working as a copy editor and editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Maggie asks Frankie to train her, but he refuses as he does not train women and she is too old to begin a boxing career. [22], Million Dollar Baby was listed on many critics' top ten lists for films released in 2004.[23]. She is equally dominant at this level, and she begins to attract high-profile opportunities, but Frankie turns down such offers. Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, Frankie's friend and employeethe film's narratorencourages and helps Maggie. Then a second passed, her fire extinguished and she fell. Problem is, this is the only thing I ever felt good doing. Interests boxing, her only calling in life. Then, "What's your plan for tomorrow?" 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