Clint Eastwood has no desire to retire from Hollywood. In his advancing years, the veteran actor and director has decided to spend more time behind the camera than in front of it. Eastwood will make an exception and return to acting if one of his films contains a role he feels perfectly suited for. 2004´s "Million Dollar Baby" is one such film and the last time that Eastwood has stepped in front of the camera. "Million Dollar Baby" took home Best Picture and captured yet another Best Director Academy Award nomination, following "Mystic River," "Unforgiven," and precluding "Letters from Iwo Jima." As was the case with "Unforgiven," Eastwood brought home the Oscar for Best Director for "Million Dollar Baby" and helped further his legacy as one of Hollywood´s truly great talents.
In addition to its Best Picture and Best Director statues, the film also won awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Hilary Swank and for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Morgan Freeman. Bringing home four of the major categories in an Academy Awards show is an accomplishment. The film had garnered nominations for Best Achievement in Editing (Joel Cox), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Clint Eastwood) and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (Paul Haggis). With so much talent and so many accolades for Clint Eastwood´s "Million Dollar Baby," the film has received a ton of critical praise and is one of the rare Best Picture victors that is appreciated by audiences and critics alike.
Hilary Swank is a thirty one year old waitress, Maggie Fitzgerald. She has one goal and one desire in life and that is to become a boxer. She barely survives on her salary, but saves what money she can to pay for lessons and buy the equipment needed to train to be a boxer. One thing she lacks is a mentor and trainer. She finally decides on approaching Frankie Dunne (Clint Eastwood) to bring her desires to fruition and train her to be a boxer. Frankie declines her offer, as he has no desire to take on a girl as a student and a boxer. However, his janitor and friend Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman) helps fuel Maggie´s desires by giving her a few lessons after hours and talking Frankie into letting her train at the gym. Eddie goes as far as giving Maggie a speed bag of Frankie´s to train with. This is much to the chagrin of Frankie, but he finally decides to let her train at his gym and find´s her both a manager and a trainer.
After seeing Maggie nearly fail at the hands of a less talented trainer, Frankie angrily agrees to managing and training Maggie as one of his own boxers. She is older than most boxers, lacks many of the technical skills, but possesses brutal power. Very quickly, Maggie rises among the ranks and is forced to move up in weight classes when her opponents refuse to fight her. Frankie is reluctant to give Maggie a title shot, but finally agrees. Sadly, Maggie´s title shot ends in tragedy when her opponent shoves her to the mat and she is critically injured and crippled by her fall. Maggie´s fight in the ring is lost, but she begins a fight for survival and Frankie´s original reluctance to train her finds the rugged old man looking at the young girl through the eyes of a fatherly figure and having to deal with the morality, guilt and pain associated with Maggie´s paralysis and sadness.
Eastwood knows how to pick a winner and he does so in character and as the architect of this Best Picture winner. "Million Dollar Baby" is a wonderfully engaging film that is an emotional rise and fall for both Hilary Swank´s character and the audience. As Maggie rises to the top, it is easy to cheer her and Frankie on. When she is hurt and paralyzed, the disappointment is for both the characters and the audience. Eastwood knows how to pick a story that entertains and analyses the human condition. "Million Dollar Baby" finds a diamond in the rough with Maggie and shows how a sad and lonely old man can find himself and salvation with giving up his demons and training Maggie. He is then brought down and must evaluate his own existence when Maggie is paralyzed after his involvement with her. This is a great film that deserved all of the awards it brought home. It this is the last time we seen Clint Eastwood in front of the camera, then he went out on top. It is a shame he did not bring home the Best Actor, but he did earn the Best Director award. He is a living legend that continues to churn out memorable experiences and this is one of his best.
In addition to its Best Picture and Best Director statues, the film also won awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Hilary Swank and for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Morgan Freeman. Bringing home four of the major categories in an Academy Awards show is an accomplishment. The film had garnered nominations for Best Achievement in Editing (Joel Cox), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Clint Eastwood) and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (Paul Haggis). With so much talent and so many accolades for Clint Eastwood´s "Million Dollar Baby," the film has received a ton of critical praise and is one of the rare Best Picture victors that is appreciated by audiences and critics alike.
Hilary Swank is a thirty one year old waitress, Maggie Fitzgerald. She has one goal and one desire in life and that is to become a boxer. She barely survives on her salary, but saves what money she can to pay for lessons and buy the equipment needed to train to be a boxer. One thing she lacks is a mentor and trainer. She finally decides on approaching Frankie Dunne (Clint Eastwood) to bring her desires to fruition and train her to be a boxer. Frankie declines her offer, as he has no desire to take on a girl as a student and a boxer. However, his janitor and friend Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman) helps fuel Maggie´s desires by giving her a few lessons after hours and talking Frankie into letting her train at the gym. Eddie goes as far as giving Maggie a speed bag of Frankie´s to train with. This is much to the chagrin of Frankie, but he finally decides to let her train at his gym and find´s her both a manager and a trainer.
After seeing Maggie nearly fail at the hands of a less talented trainer, Frankie angrily agrees to managing and training Maggie as one of his own boxers. She is older than most boxers, lacks many of the technical skills, but possesses brutal power. Very quickly, Maggie rises among the ranks and is forced to move up in weight classes when her opponents refuse to fight her. Frankie is reluctant to give Maggie a title shot, but finally agrees. Sadly, Maggie´s title shot ends in tragedy when her opponent shoves her to the mat and she is critically injured and crippled by her fall. Maggie´s fight in the ring is lost, but she begins a fight for survival and Frankie´s original reluctance to train her finds the rugged old man looking at the young girl through the eyes of a fatherly figure and having to deal with the morality, guilt and pain associated with Maggie´s paralysis and sadness.
Eastwood knows how to pick a winner and he does so in character and as the architect of this Best Picture winner. "Million Dollar Baby" is a wonderfully engaging film that is an emotional rise and fall for both Hilary Swank´s character and the audience. As Maggie rises to the top, it is easy to cheer her and Frankie on. When she is hurt and paralyzed, the disappointment is for both the characters and the audience. Eastwood knows how to pick a story that entertains and analyses the human condition. "Million Dollar Baby" finds a diamond in the rough with Maggie and shows how a sad and lonely old man can find himself and salvation with giving up his demons and training Maggie. He is then brought down and must evaluate his own existence when Maggie is paralyzed after his involvement with her. This is a great film that deserved all of the awards it brought home. It this is the last time we seen Clint Eastwood in front of the camera, then he went out on top. It is a shame he did not bring home the Best Actor, but he did earn the Best Director award. He is a living legend that continues to churn out memorable experiences and this is one of his best.
Clint Eastwood has no desire to retire from Hollywood. In his advancing years, the veteran actor and director has decided to spend more time behind the camera than in front of it. Eastwood will make an exception and return to acting if one of his films contains a role he feels perfectly suited for. 2004´s "Million Dollar Baby" is one such film and the last time that Eastwood has stepped in front of the camera. "Million Dollar Baby" took home Best Picture and captured yet another Best Director Academy Award nomination, following "Mystic River," "Unforgiven," and precluding "Letters from Iwo Jima." As was the case with "Unforgiven," Eastwood brought home the Oscar for Best Director for "Million Dollar Baby" and helped further his legacy as one of Hollywood´s truly great talents.
In addition to its Best Picture and Best Director statues, the film also won awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Hilary Swank and for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Morgan Freeman. Bringing home four of the major categories in an Academy Awards show is an accomplishment. The film had garnered nominations for Best Achievement in Editing (Joel Cox), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Clint Eastwood) and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (Paul Haggis). With so much talent and so many accolades for Clint Eastwood´s "Million Dollar Baby," the film has received a ton of critical praise and is one of the rare Best Picture victors that is appreciated by audiences and critics alike.
Hilary Swank is a thirty one year old waitress, Maggie Fitzgerald. She has one goal and one desire in life and that is to become a boxer. She barely survives on her salary, but saves what money she can to pay for lessons and buy the equipment needed to train to be a boxer. One thing she lacks is a mentor and trainer. She finally decides on approaching Frankie Dunne (Clint Eastwood) to bring her desires to fruition and train her to be a boxer. Frankie declines her offer, as he has no desire to take on a girl as a student and a boxer. However, his janitor and friend Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman) helps fuel Maggie´s desires by giving her a few lessons after hours and talking Frankie into letting her train at the gym. Eddie goes as far as giving Maggie a speed bag of Frankie´s to train with. This is much to the chagrin of Frankie, but he finally decides to let her train at his gym and find´s her both a manager and a trainer.
After seeing Maggie nearly fail at the hands of a less talented trainer, Frankie angrily agrees to managing and training Maggie as one of his own boxers. She is older than most boxers, lacks many of the technical skills, but possesses brutal power. Very quickly, Maggie rises among the ranks and is forced to move up in weight classes when her opponents refuse to fight her. Frankie is reluctant to give Maggie a title shot, but finally agrees. Sadly, Maggie´s title shot ends in tragedy when her opponent shoves her to the mat and she is critically injured and crippled by her fall. Maggie´s fight in the ring is lost, but she begins a fight for survival and Frankie´s original reluctance to train her finds the rugged old man looking at the young girl through the eyes of a fatherly figure and having to deal with the morality, guilt and pain associated with Maggie´s paralysis and sadness.
Eastwood knows how to pick a winner and he does so in character and as the architect of this Best Picture winner. "Million Dollar Baby" is a wonderfully engaging film that is an emotional rise and fall for both Hilary Swank´s character and the audience. As Maggie rises to the top, it is easy to cheer her and Frankie on. When she is hurt and paralyzed, the disappointment is for both the characters and the audience. Eastwood knows how to pick a story that entertains and analyses the human condition. "Million Dollar Baby" finds a diamond in the rough with Maggie and shows how a sad and lonely old man can find himself and salvation with giving up his demons and training Maggie. He is then brought down and must evaluate his own existence when Maggie is paralyzed after his involvement with her. This is a great film that deserved all of the awards it brought home. It this is the last time we seen Clint Eastwood in front of the camera, then he went out on top. It is a shame he did not bring home the Best Actor, but he did earn the Best Director award. He is a living legend that continues to churn out memorable experiences and this is one of his best.
In addition to its Best Picture and Best Director statues, the film also won awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Hilary Swank and for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Morgan Freeman. Bringing home four of the major categories in an Academy Awards show is an accomplishment. The film had garnered nominations for Best Achievement in Editing (Joel Cox), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Clint Eastwood) and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (Paul Haggis). With so much talent and so many accolades for Clint Eastwood´s "Million Dollar Baby," the film has received a ton of critical praise and is one of the rare Best Picture victors that is appreciated by audiences and critics alike.
Hilary Swank is a thirty one year old waitress, Maggie Fitzgerald. She has one goal and one desire in life and that is to become a boxer. She barely survives on her salary, but saves what money she can to pay for lessons and buy the equipment needed to train to be a boxer. One thing she lacks is a mentor and trainer. She finally decides on approaching Frankie Dunne (Clint Eastwood) to bring her desires to fruition and train her to be a boxer. Frankie declines her offer, as he has no desire to take on a girl as a student and a boxer. However, his janitor and friend Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman) helps fuel Maggie´s desires by giving her a few lessons after hours and talking Frankie into letting her train at the gym. Eddie goes as far as giving Maggie a speed bag of Frankie´s to train with. This is much to the chagrin of Frankie, but he finally decides to let her train at his gym and find´s her both a manager and a trainer.
After seeing Maggie nearly fail at the hands of a less talented trainer, Frankie angrily agrees to managing and training Maggie as one of his own boxers. She is older than most boxers, lacks many of the technical skills, but possesses brutal power. Very quickly, Maggie rises among the ranks and is forced to move up in weight classes when her opponents refuse to fight her. Frankie is reluctant to give Maggie a title shot, but finally agrees. Sadly, Maggie´s title shot ends in tragedy when her opponent shoves her to the mat and she is critically injured and crippled by her fall. Maggie´s fight in the ring is lost, but she begins a fight for survival and Frankie´s original reluctance to train her finds the rugged old man looking at the young girl through the eyes of a fatherly figure and having to deal with the morality, guilt and pain associated with Maggie´s paralysis and sadness.
Eastwood knows how to pick a winner and he does so in character and as the architect of this Best Picture winner. "Million Dollar Baby" is a wonderfully engaging film that is an emotional rise and fall for both Hilary Swank´s character and the audience. As Maggie rises to the top, it is easy to cheer her and Frankie on. When she is hurt and paralyzed, the disappointment is for both the characters and the audience. Eastwood knows how to pick a story that entertains and analyses the human condition. "Million Dollar Baby" finds a diamond in the rough with Maggie and shows how a sad and lonely old man can find himself and salvation with giving up his demons and training Maggie. He is then brought down and must evaluate his own existence when Maggie is paralyzed after his involvement with her. This is a great film that deserved all of the awards it brought home. It this is the last time we seen Clint Eastwood in front of the camera, then he went out on top. It is a shame he did not bring home the Best Actor, but he did earn the Best Director award. He is a living legend that continues to churn out memorable experiences and this is one of his best.
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