Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Wuchak December 19, 2018

★ 6/10

***Female “Rocky” with a downbeat and contradictory close*** Released in 2004 and directed by Clint Eastwood, “Million Dollar Baby” stars Eastwood as a cantankerous boxing trainer who owns a working class gym in Los Angeles, which is maintained by one of his former boxers, the narrator of the story (Morgan Freeman). A waitress from the sticks of Missouri (Hilary Swank) shows up and asks that Frankie (Eastwood) train her, which he refuses to do because she’s too old at 32 and he “doesn’t train girls,” probably because he had an unexplained falling out with his daughter years earlier. Eventually he begrudgingly agrees. The bulk of the film is basically a female version of “Rocky” (1976), except that I prefer the potent drama in this one. The three main characters are well fleshed-out with an all-around reverent tone, not to mention an occasional bit of mild amusem…

r96sk February 9, 2022

★ 10/10

Unreal! I didn't expect 'Million Dollar Baby' to be so astonishingly brilliant. I've said it many a time before but for full context, I do not read up about films before watching them - aside from making sure the film isn't part of a franchise, checking the run time and seeing the genre - so I was expecting this to be a cliché-filled, but still great, sports flick. It's so much more than that. It's way more deeper and has an everlasting impact that I hadn't anticipated. Even across the opening chunk I was predicating the obvious cliché ending, but as the film progresses and, especially, as the final portion rolls around it just absorbed my total attention - I was fully engrossed... hook, line, and sinker. Some film! The cast are simply stunning. Clint Eastwood gives an absolutely fantastic performance, Hilary Swank is truly sensational - especially at the end, damn - and Morga…

The Movie Mob November 23, 2022

★ 3/10

**Million Dollar Baby is an extremely well-done film that takes an abrupt turn to deal with incredibly sobering subjects that are definitely not what I thought I signed up for.** I know it’s supposedly a masterpiece, and I will lose some cred for saying this, but Million Dollar Baby was a dreadful movie. I spent the first half of the film falling in love with the hopeful, talented, and inspiring Maggie Fitzgerald and her redeeming of the cranky and lonely trainer, Frankie Dunn. But when the second half takes its giant turn, the story shifts from an endearing sports narrative about overcoming opposition and redemption to hopelessness and agony. Clint Eastwood directed a powerful story with impressive mastery, but the subject matter robbed the film of any enjoyment. For many, Million Dollar Baby deserved Best Picture at the Oscars. For me, I wish The Incredibles had claimed that victo…

CinemaSerf January 25, 2026

★ 7/10

The curmudgeonly “Frankie” (Clint Eastwood) runs a boxing gym with his stalwart “Eddie” (Morgan Freeman) that’s full of testosterone-charged no-hopers like “Berry” (Anthony Mackie) all going through the motions. The only exception is the young “Barch” (Jay Baruchel) who fancies himself as the best welterweight in the world, but who clearly couldn’t pull a pint let alone a punch. One afternoon, they notice a girl. Yep, a girl in their gym. “Frankie” tells “Maggie” (Hilary Swank) that he doesn’t train girls, and that her being tough isn’t enough. She’s persistent, though, and targets the less grumpy “Eddie” before gradually proving that she might have what it takes to make the big time. What now ensues sees her relationship with "Frankie" develop and for her to become something akin to the daughter we know he has become estranged from over the years. H…