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Epsilon Motion Pictures
Lakeshore Entertainment
Malpaso Productions
Warner Bros. Pictures
Not part of a collection.
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.
Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.
CinemaSerf
Jan 25, 2026 · via TMDB
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. He’s not the only one with rocky family foundations. She comes from pretty poor, working class, stock and her mother (Margo Martindale) has little interest in the aspirations of her daughter, especially if it impacts on her benefits. “Maggie” proves to be resilient in the ring, makes some decent money and even manages to help her family but when tragedy stops her in her tracks, some hard truths and choices are going to have to be made, and true colours shown. Swank is superb here. Aside from the fact that she’s obviously trained hard to convince us visually, her characterisation oozes a strength, a dedication and an integrity that really comes off well. Eastwood is, as ever, sparing with his dialogue and he is by now a past-master at the less-is-more style of presentation as his burgeoning affection for “Maggie” grows in a suitably subdued, tough-love, fashion. Freeman, who narrates occasionally too, serves to anchor the film effectively and the effort from the enthusiastic Baruchel brings home that there is more to this sport than winning. The fight scenes are realistic and the production is designed to deliver a plausible look to a film that, as is so often true of those about boxing, shows us just how much of a lifeline - both psychological and physical, this can be. I felt the conclusion to be provocatively brave. It asks us questions well beyond the purview of a drama and takes us into the realms of ethics for which there is no obviously clear or agreeable solution. It's perhaps those final elements that turn this into something just a little more significant.
The Movie Mob
Nov 23, 2022 · via TMDB
**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 victory.
r96sk
Feb 9, 2022 · via TMDB
Unreal! I didn't expect <em>'Million Dollar Baby'</em> 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 Morgan Freeman is Morgan Freeman; what an actor and what a voice, using him as narrator was a great move. Elsewhere, and though less dramatically, Jay Baruchel, Anthony Mackie, Margo Martindale and Michael Peña also feature interestingly. It's quite the journey the film takes you on, which I just found utterly enthralling to watch unfold. Perfect pacing, perfect acting. I loved watching every second of it and will undoubtedly be revisiting it. I noted days ago that I was rather surprised to learn that Eastwood's <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/unforgiven/" rel="nofollow">Unforgiven</a>'</em> had been so heavily acclaimed, on this occasion with this 2004 film I am the complete opposite. I don't care much for awards et al., but I am delighted to see all involved receive their props for this. Chapeau! Marvellous, just marvellous.
Wuchak
Dec 19, 2018 · via TMDB
***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 amusement. Frankie and Maggie (Swank) slowly develop a father/daughter-type relationship and it’s touching. The third act, however, takes a left turn that is seriously downbeat. It departs from sports movie formula with a message that contradicts everything the first two acts pushed, which is inexplicable. Sure, I ‘get’ the point: A certain person basically sacrifices everything to do what’s (supposedly) best for the situation and honor the will of a dearly loved soul. Nevertheless, it’s a dark turn that leaves a sour taste because it refutes the positive message of the first two-thirds of the story. The film runs 2 hours, 12 minutes and was shot in Los Angeles. GRADE: B-/C+
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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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'
Brían F. O'Byrne
Father Horvak
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
Marcus Chait
J.D. Fitzgerald
Tom McCleister
Lawyer
Jamison Yang
Paramedic
Vincent Foster
Ref #3
Steven M. Porter
Ref #6
Ming Lo
Rehab Doctor
Miguel Pérez
Restaurant Owner
Ted Grossman
Ring Doctor #2
Ned Eisenberg
Sally Mendoza
Marco Rodríguez
Second (at Vegas Fight)
Brian T. Finney
Irish Fan #1
Spice Williams-Crosby
Irish Fan #2
Kim Strauss
Irish Fan #3
Kirsten Berman
Irish Fan #5
Susan Krebs
Rehab Nurse
Jason Williams
Las Vegas Fight Fan (uncredited)
Bruce Gerard Brown Jr.
Boxer (uncredited)
McKay Stewart
Sparring Boxer (uncredited)
Jude Ciccolella
Hogan (uncredited)
Kimberly Estrada
Perez (uncredited)
Sean O'Kane
Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Rosine 'Ace' Hatem
Maggie's First Opponent (uncredited)
Boni Yanagisawa
Maggie's Third Opponent (uncredited)
Christina Cox
Maggie's Fourth Opponent (uncredited)
Mimi Lesseos
Billie's Opponent (uncredited)
Henry Bumstead
Production Design
Tom Stern
Director of Photography
Kyle Eastwood
Additional Music
Buddy Van Horn
Stunt Coordinator
Erin Carufel
Stunt Double
Mimi Lesseos
Stunts
Rosine 'Ace' Hatem
Stunts
Michelle L. Shuffett
Technical Advisor
Robert Lorenz
Assistant Director
Clint Eastwood
Director
Joel Cox
Editor
Bobby Moresco
Co-Producer
Gary Lucchesi
Executive Producer
Robert Lorenz
Executive Producer
Albert S. Ruddy
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Clint Eastwood
Producer
Paul Haggis
Producer
Tom Rosenberg
Producer
Clint Eastwood
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1987 · 14 wins
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1978 · 13 wins
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1981 · 11 wins
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