They arrive only after first touring Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood. Omissions? From beginning to end, there is narration by "Scrap"- Morgan Freeman's recognizable voice. Both Katie Dallam and Maggie Fitzgerald were born into poverty in Missouri and began boxing in their 30's. Both ended up in the ring against a much Suddenly, an injury renders Maggie permanently paralyzed from the neck down, unable to move, and dependent on a respirator to keep her alive. [6][7], Eastwood had confidence in Swank's acting, but upon seeing Swank's small physique, he had concerns, "I just thought, 'Yeah, this gal would be great. Maggie, in the story, had a crusty and protective trainer who became a surrogate father and who reluctantly and heartbreakingly helped her die. Shes a welterweight boxer. Frankie says that he doesn't usually train girls, until he meets the tenacious Maggie. The movie caused a great deal of controversy. Billie the Blue Bear, dropping Maggie Fitzgerald's head across a stool, paralyzing her, freezing us, and how can anyone ever forgive that? Swank does great at portraying the physical progression in her craft as she trains with intense discipline and Frankie Dunns guidance - rising from awkward, garbage-eating, survivor to a confident, powerful boxer rising rapidly through the ranks. Maggie becomes an extraordinarily successful fighter, always knocking out her opponent in the first round. E.S. Maggie fights her way up in the women's amateur boxing division with Frankie's coaching. (Um, yeah. So perhaps the real ethical question is not "why does Maggie want to die? Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. "[18], Eastwood responded to the criticism by saying the film was about the American dream. Kevin Can F**k Himself Shows a Whole New Side of Sitcom Marriages What Can Guys Learn From It? 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 leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie. Little by little, an unbreakable father/daughter bond develops between them, and for the first time in a long while, both Dunn and Maggie seem to have found purpose in life. What is prudent is subjective, but that does not stop us from establishing societal norms. At the outset, he flatly refuses saying he has no interest in training a girl. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. It was after Million Dollar Baby was released that her boxing career came to the limelight. [11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on an A+ to F scale. I used to kick-box until I reached my mid-thirties and all of those roundhouse kicks started taking a toll on my hips and knees. Flip. He has taught a Jewish medical ethics class for the past 15 years. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. [Expert Review] 1 public record of katie dallam found. In case you havent seen the film, Hilary Swank played Maggie, and she looked majestic in this role: Hilary Swank as Maggie is some kinda BAD ASS. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film. Scrap, concerned when Frankie rejects several offers for big fights, arranges a meeting for Maggie with Mickey Mack, but out of loyalty to Frankie, she declines. Yet after a short period of despair, he chose to make life matter and become an advocate for the disabled. Then a second passed, her fire extinguished and she fell. 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. Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald, a waitress from the Ozarks, shows up at the Hit Pit, a rundown Los Angeles gym owned and operated by Frankie Dunn. 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. She was like a fire cracker. People cheered her name and watched her in awe- she was wondrous and captivating. Watch 'Million Dollar Baby' | Anniversary Mashup. I found you a fighter. Jewish law does not require the preservation of life in all instances, and in fact, when someone is terminally ill and suffering, we do not necessarily require treatments to prolong life. Hollywood Athletic Club - 6525 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. Ms. Million Dollar. Maggie is devastated, and she and Frankie leave. Maggie is tired of washing dishes and waiting on tables. Maggie's career skyrockets, but an accident in the ring leads her to ask Frankie for one last favor. When Boyd had first approached him, Huntley thought about running him out of the gym. However, Boyd stuck with the schedule, and as time passed, their friendship grew and Huntley eventually got him as a cutman. Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a veteran Los Angeles, California boxing trainer who keeps almost everyone at arm's length, except his old friend and associate Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman). She suffers a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves her quadriplegic. Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) is a tough-luck waitress, who persuades a grizzled old trainer named Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to help turn her into a world-class boxer. Christopher Reeve, better known as Superman, fractured his neck in an equestrian accident, leaving him quadriplegic and dependent on a respirator to breathe. Boyd had written the book when he was on the crux of 70, and died two years before the film arrived on the screens. 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). Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie but states that he will not manage her. Maggies obese, white trash family have rejected her. Why isn't Maggie offered any psychiatric treatment for her depression? 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. (See: Should Terri Schiavo Live or Die?) Toole, and was adapted for the screen by Paul Haggis. 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 . She is mentally alert, but feels no reason to go on living. In her first scene she begs Clint Eastwoods jaded coach character to train her and simply wont take no for an answer, training at his gym day and all night until she eventually wins him over. Showing Editorial results for maggie fitzgerald. I never got my shot. Shes one helluva fictional character. Right.) Top 10 (listed alphabetically) Ron Stringer, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 17:20. The Academy Award-winning film forces us to assess the value of life amidst a shattered dream. It also stars Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. Down she went, no longer burning and sizzling, to the earth. You know that guy, the one whos been there, but not the star. But it does not require an edict from the Code of Jewish Law to recognize that Maggie is making the wrong choice. Maggie Fitzgerald Death Fact Check. Common wisdom declares that the wishes of a patient, whether they be for more treatment, less treatment, or physician-assisted suicide, must be respected and carried out. . Million Dollar Baby received the award for Best Picture of 2004 at the 77th Academy Awards. For instance, we limit the decision-making autonomy of children and of those who are mentally impaired. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. We, as a society, do not feel they are in a position to make prudent decisions. The message is that disappointment over a shattered dream is a greater tragedy than death itself. I still have a passion for all things boxing, as evidenced by the name of my furry red Somali cat, Lennox Lewis. [27][28] The film is also available online through video on demand and most major streaming platforms. Maggie Fitzgerald wins a "humble beginnings" contest nine times out of ten. Toole, the pen name of fight manager and cutman Jerry Boyd. Frankie accepts a fight in London for Maggie and gives her a green silk robe with the Gaelic phrase Mo Cuishle on the back. 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. 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. Personality persistent, tough, and courageous. Occupation "I had it all," Maggie tells Frankie, "so don't take it away from me.". They often feature the story of an underdog, as they find their way to the top, or least, to someplace where they have a fighting chance. English actress Valerie Van Ost , as Jane, and Maggie Fitzgerald as a vampire girl, in 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula', directed by Alan Gibson . [19] In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Eastwood distanced himself from the actions of characters in his films, noting, "I've gone around in movies blowing people away with a .44 Magnum. Human characters are most like you. Its time to give recognition to the man who runs the show behind the scenes. Frankie Dunn: It wasn't fault. Thats Frankie Dunn, hes the famous trainer at The Hit Pit, in L.A, California. Despite her age, Maggie proves herself to be worth Frankie's time and . Information 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. Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) is a tough-luck waitress, who persuades a grizzled old trainer named Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to help turn her into a world-class boxer. The film takes the same route of a person completely drowning themselves in training for what they want in life, but in the second half, it takes an unexpected turn and turns into a tragedy. "That guy in the movie played by Clint Eastwood. You did that. She is equally dominant at this level, and she begins to attract high-profile opportunities, but Frankie turns down such offers. His decision to kill Maggie is abhorrent from a Jewish perspective. (I was happy with my amateur hour status, because some of those gal fighters hit hard.) [8], Million Dollar Baby initially had a limited release, opening in eight theaters in December 2004. But is Maggie indeed Frankie's million-dollar baby? As she tells him, I want a trainer. Your email address will not be published. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Frankie is shown experiencing the first three of the five stages of grief: first seeking multiple doctors' opinions in denial, then blaming Scrap in anger and later trying to bargain with God through prayer. Gal. Fought in the literal sense of the word. (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 . Jewish law would assert that all of the lives in question have intrinsic value. He was in his 40s by then, so there was no prospect of him pursuing it as a profession, but he learnt enough to know about the world of boxing and write stories about it. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Studios. She spent most of the next 42 years working as a copy editor and editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Frankie, who studies Gaelic, tells Maggie that he does not know what the phrase means. Maggie cant abide the thought of being bedridden for the rest of her life; after having a leg amputated due to gangrene, she begs Frankie to help her end her life. 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