And she's a damn good boxer too, starting off . Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. explicit permission. Then Maggie Fitzgerald walks into his gym and then his life changes. Is it really possible for a person to want to live following an injury like Maggie's? When Boyd finally got to write down the book, he looked towards Huntley to create his characters, and delved into his experiences to forge the same for the people depicted in the book. As with Frankie, we're not told much about Maggie or how she came to discover that, at 31, she's destined to become a champion boxer. But that doesn't mean I think that's a proper thing to do". Hilary Swank as Maggie is some kinda BAD ASS. It garnered rapturous reviews and four Academy Awards, including that for best picture. Big Willie drops Frankie as his manager and signs with the more aggressive Mickey Mack (Bruce MacVittie). 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. Problem is, this is the only thing I ever felt good doing. Personality persistent, tough, and courageous. 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. 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. Hilary Swank. He secures Maggie a $1 million match in Las Vegas against the WBA women's welterweight champion, Billie "The Blue Bear" Osterman, a German ex-prostitute who has a reputation as a dirty fighter. Updates? Frankie Dunn: It wasn't fault. Jewish law would assert that all of the lives in question have intrinsic value. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). characters are most like you. The most important lesson he teaches his boxers is the one that rules life: above all, always protect yourself. Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. She eventually finds a. However the correct spelling in Irish Gaeilge is "Mo Chuisle". account. A study was done of those who survived attempted suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. The highs in Maggies arc are matched by the crushing lows later in the film when Fitzgeralds impressive, undefeated streak is derailed by a freak accident. Suddenly, an injury renders Maggie permanently paralyzed from the neck down, unable to move, and dependent on a respirator to keep her alive. 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. In the academy award-winning film, the injured boxer begs her coach to kill her because she can't face life as a quadriplegic, and he complies. 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. (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 . 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. 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. [12], Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film four stars and stated that "Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby is a masterpiece, pure and simple," listing it as the best film of 2004. 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. [11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on an A+ to F scale. English actress Valerie Van Ost , as Jane, and Maggie Fitzgerald as a vampire girl, in 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula', directed by Alan Gibson . Million Dollar Baby was theatrically released on December 15, 2004, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: You damn right. Maggies decision to end her own life is tragic because it is, in fact, exactly what a gal like her would do when shes up against those particular ropes . Thats Frankie Dunn, hes the famous trainer at The Hit Pit, in L.A, California. How Dan Foglers Boyhood Dreams Turned Into Adult Realities, Use Womens History Month as Your Excuse to Watch These Cinematic Masterpieces. Clint Eastwood is a legendary film personality. For the 1941 film, see. For instance, we limit the decision-making autonomy of children and of those who are mentally impaired. . The message is that disappointment over a shattered dream is a greater tragedy than death itself. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. All we know, from the montages of her workouts at the Hit. Maggie walked through that door with nothing buts guts. Maggie Fitzgerald I still have a passion for all things boxing, as evidenced by the name of my furry red Somali cat, Lennox Lewis. Joel Cox, Eastwood's editor for many years, was nominated for Best Film Editing, and Paul Haggis was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay award. Because of you Maggie got her shot. Then a second passed, her fire extinguished and she fell. Clint Eastwood was awarded his second Best Director Oscar for the film, and also received a Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination. We typically grant decision-making autonomy only where someone has a legitimate right and ability to decide. (I was happy with my amateur hour status, because some of those gal fighters hit hard.) Down she went, no longer burning and sizzling, to the earth. Its time to give recognition to the man who runs the show behind the scenes. Frankie becomes reluctant to train her, but the two form a close bond that will irrevocably change them both. 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. Million Dollar Baby (2004) It received critical acclaim and grossed $216.8 million worldwide. 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). When Frankie sees that Maggie is a girl, he tells her to get out . 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). 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. The woman of many talents, Crockett's professional boxing career is not the only thing that she has made a name for herself in. Big Willie drops Frankie as his manager and signs with the more aggressive Mickey Mack (Bruce MacVittie). Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Hillary Swank in the lead role, the Academy Award winning film follows the story of a waitress named Maggie Fitzgerald who decides to pursue a career in boxing. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. However, managers stop pitting their fighters against her as a result, and Frankie, out of necessity, moves Maggie up to the next weight class. Portrayed by Then Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) walks into his gym. Best Sound Editing (Sound Effects & Foley), "The Fabulist: Paul Haggis Reflects on His Career Los Angeles Magazine", "Paul Haggis: 'You have to question your beliefs', "Million Dollar Baby Built on Prejudice about People with Disabilities", "Why 'Million Dollar Baby' infuriates the disabled", "Eastwood Wins Suit Over ADA / But jury says resort needs improvements", "Opinion | Fighting Words (Published 2005)", "Metacritic: 2004 Film Critic Top Ten Lists", "Ebert and Roeper Top Ten Lists (2000-2005)", "The 25 Best Films of the 21st CenturySo Far", US News article: Million Dollar Maybe, A real-life version of Maggie Fitzgerald, Another possible real-life Maggie Fitzgerald, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), DallasFort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film, Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Foreign Film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Million_Dollar_Baby&oldid=1139737510, Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award-winning performance, Films featuring a Best Drama Actress Golden Globe-winning performance, Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award-winning performance, Films whose director won the Best Directing Academy Award, Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film winners, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Pages using multiple image with manual scaled images, Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. ", but why there is not a greater offering of emotional support? Maggie will never let anyone tell her that she cant accomplish her dreams. It was after Million Dollar Baby was released that her boxing career came to the limelight. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie but states that he will not manage her. Maggie Fitzgerald Death Fact Check. Right.) Dr. Eisenberg writes extensively on topics of Judaism and medicine and lectures internationally on topics in Jewish medical ethics to groups of all backgrounds. We need not look to the world of fiction for an answer. Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: Don't say that. Watch 'Million Dollar Baby' | Anniversary Mashup. Female People cheered her name and watched her in awe- she was wondrous and captivating. Jewish law approaches the preservation of life as a moral obligation, but recognizes that there are times, particularly when a patient is terminally ill, when intervention should not be performed. She trained for nearly five hours every day, winding up with a potentially life-threatening staphylococcus infection. Showing Editorial results for maggie fitzgerald. With the help of her coach, Frank, Maggie is on her way to becoming one of the greatest boxers to ever live. A heartbroken Frankie seeks other opinions to no avail and then has her transferred to a rehabilitation clinic in Los Angeles. 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. It grossed $216,763,646 in theaters; $100,492,203 in the United States, and $116,271,443 in other territories. As a tribute to her, I bestowed my hero, Gage, in Someone Like You with a very special surname: Fitzgerald.. Maggie lands hard on her corner stool, breaking her neck and leaving her a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. Why isn't Maggie offered any psychiatric treatment for her depression? You did that. 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. 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. As she tells him, I want a trainer. [20] Roger Ebert stated that "a movie is not good or bad because of its content, but because of how it handles its content. Despite a seemingly repetitive loop that the genre is caught up in, these movies mostly succeed in getting people passionate about their stories and characters. "My 'Million Dollar' Answer," OpinionJournal/Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (17 February 2005). Then tragedy strikes when her opponent a dirty fighter named Billie clocks her upside the chin, breaking her neck and rendering her a quadriplegic. Boyd had written the book when he was on the crux of 70, and died two years before the film arrived on the screens. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Maggie Fitzgerald and others you may know. It also stars Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. Frankie is also reluctant to let Big Willie fight in a title match. In the end, the real tragedy of Million Dollar Baby is not the heart-wrenching decision that Frankie has to make. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. Research overwhelmingly shows that people with disabilities find satisfaction in our lives to the same degree, or greater, than does the general public. Frankie's glory days as a boxing coach are far behind him, though he's still on the lookout for the next superstar boxer. * Ill get around to Jill later shes definitely another Wow! Maggie Fitzgerald wins a "humble beginnings" contest nine times out of ten. I never got my shot. Maggie, born and raised in Missouri, has always had to fight for herself. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. No one would consider it moral to yell "jump" to a person standing on a high ledge. Such was the life of Margaret (Maggie) Fitzgerald, known by her fans as "Mo Chuishle". As she understands her boxing career, If I was thinking straight, Id go back home, find a used trailer, buy a deep fryer and some Oreos. 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. If Im too old for this, then I got nothing.. 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. Is Million Dollar Baby based on true events? "She came from southwestern Missouri," Scrap explains, "the hills outside the scratchy-ass Ozark town of Theodosia, set in the cedars and oak trees, somewhere between nowhere and goodbye. 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). 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. Get entertainment recommendations for your unique personality and find out which of 5,500+ 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. Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) has trained and managed some incredible fighters during a lifetime spent in the ring. The shift in editing over to pages for the movies, characters, actors, directors, composers, crew and galleries is now fully in effect. 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. Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) watches the match and later asks Frankie to train her, but he refuses. 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