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Written by Cori Gonzalez-Macuer
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MILLION DOLLAR BABY
By Cori Gonzalez - Macuer
 Fans of the sports genre know that many elements go into making a sports film seem genuine and realistic. Many directors have tried and very much failed to achieve this feat by settling for poor choreography and over the top performances. Clint Eastwood’s 2004 feel good hit, Million Dollar Baby, showcases the brutal sport of boxing in a raw and hilarious light in perhaps the best sports film since 1999’s surprise hit, Soccer Dog.
Multi-talented broad, Hillary Swank (Beverly Hills 90210, The Next Karate Kid) stars as Maggie Fitzgerald, a no holds barred girl from the wrong side of the tracks trying to make it in life and in the ring. She joins a local gym with the sole mission to be taken under the hairy wing of legendary boxing coach Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood). Frankie is from the old school of boxing with an adamant mentality that women don’t belong in the ring. Much of the first quarter of the movie is spent with Frankie refusing to be Maggie’s coach (I didn’t really feel sorry for her as I had seen the trailer for the movie and read the plot on the back of the DVD that largely suggested he would indeed be coaching her at some point as the film progressed). After much pestering from Maggie, Frankie gives in only after his good friend and fellow boxing enthusiast Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris,  played by Martin Freeman (The Office, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) convinces him to take a chance on the young borderline lesbian.
After the spectacular spaceship sequence, we begin to see Maggie as an everywoman. She is no better or worse than her peers but through hard work and persistence manages to overcome the odds and the negativity Frankie brings towards her by proving herself, not only to him, but to the entire gym. Her first fight is short and sweet. The choreography is great, as is the cinematography. You can almost feel the punch and smell the sweat as the camera becomes as much a player in the bout as the actual fighters.
After a few fights, Frankie starts to realise that he has a potential champ in his corner. As their relationship grows, so does Maggie's wallet and the calibre of her opponents. Her relationship with her estranged family however, is the only dark aspect of the film. An issue she deals with by hiring Little Louie, played by Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos) to quietly take care of. With her family "out of the way", Maggie starts to prepare herself for the big championship bout with German champ, Billie "The Blue Bear", a former prostitute with a whole lot of vent up feminist anger that needs to get out.
 The build up to the fight is huge and the bout does not disappoint. Maggie gives it her best but it is not quite enough against the German. "The Blue Bear" winning by knockout resulting in paralysis.
The movie takes a twist as we find out that Maggie is not only left paralysed, but will have to have her leg amputated as a result of gangrene or something like that. *Film buffs out there would be interested to know that for the part of Maggie, Swank actually had her own leg cut off during filming.
 Frankie realises that no matter how much coaching or encouragement he gives Maggie, nothing can turn the hands of time to when she wasn’t facing a lifetime in a wheelchair. He thinks about the possibility of re-enacting the Back to the Future trilogy but quickly dismisses it as he recalls his anger upon hearing that Michael J Fox had replaced original Marty McFly, Eric Stoltz. Frankie was a big fan of Eric Stoltz.
The film comes to a hilarious wrap up when Maggie dies. This does not alter the mood of the comedy which is primarily due to Eastwood’s comic ability as a director. The dance sequence is great, showcasing Martin Freeman’s great voice and Swank's kinky side. Like many of Eastwood’s films as a director, physical humour is pivotal in this little gem. Swank and Eastwood portray an odd couple in the same vein as Jerry Lewis and former Rat Packer Dean Martin during their peak in the '60s and '70s. It’s no wonder Martin Freeman won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Dupris which seemed to have an uncanny similarity to his much loved character from The Office, Tim Canterbury. All in all, this is a must see and stands as one of the great sporting comedies of recent years.
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