2023 ZIFF DAVIS CANADA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This stereotype is contradicted by the personal experience of many thousands of people with significant disabilities in this country and around the world who view our own lives as ordinary and normal. Let's look at the real-life experience of someone who was at the height of fame and then suffered a devastating injury similar to Maggie's. While the fictional Maggie is convinced that her life is over after her injury, the real Christopher Reeve chose to define himself not as the movie star he had been, but rather by his future potential -- limited in some respects, but boundless nonetheless. "That guy in the movie played by Clint Eastwood. Required fields are marked *. While he trained a lot of people in the field, he never got to make his dream of winning the world championship come true due to a boxing accident in 1970 that had left him with a detached retina. 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. He didnt get to see the alternate version of his stories and neither did he see the increased popularity of his works, a couple of which were released posthumously. 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. Specifically because of his fame, he was able to sensitize the world to the plight of the disabled and become an unrelenting crusader for stem cell research and spinal cord injury research. (Um, yeah. Frankie leads a lonely existence, alienated from his only daughter and having few friends. Frankie is initially reluctant to train a woman, but Maggie persists and soon wins him over. Maggies decision to end her own life is tragic because it is, in fact, exactly what a gal like her would do when shes up against those particular ropes . They arrive only after first touring Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood. Please enable Javascript and hit the button below! Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Maggie will never let anyone tell her that she cant accomplish her dreams. The most important lesson he teaches his boxers is the one that rules life: above all, always protect yourself. Dr. Eisenberg writes extensively on topics of Judaism and medicine and lectures internationally on topics in Jewish medical ethics to groups of all backgrounds. While in the hospital, Maggie looks forward to a visit from her family. Join Facebook to connect with Maggie Fitzgerald and others you may know. Indeed, Maggie's severely disabled state is an enormous challenge to the human spirit. 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. Frankie's glory days as a boxing coach are far behind him, though he's still on the lookout for the next superstar boxer. He has taught a Jewish medical ethics class for the past 15 years. He never returns to the gym. The message is that disappointment over a shattered dream is a greater tragedy than death itself. Frankie Dunn: It wasn't fault. Boxer Frankie Dunn believes her too old to be getting in the line, but her conviction wins him over and they begin a rigorous training. Then a second passed, her fire extinguished and she fell. With the help of her coach, Frank, Maggie is on her way to becoming one of the greatest boxers to ever live. Maggie becomes an extraordinarily successful fighter, always knocking out her opponent in the first round. I never got my shot. He is portrayed by Hilary Swank . For instance, we limit the decision-making autonomy of children and of those who are mentally impaired. I found you a fighter. In Million Dollar Baby, what is presented as a question of the right to die is perhaps a distraction from the deeper question of responsibility to help our fellow human being. Shes a welterweight boxer. She is mentally alert, but feels no reason to go on living. Maggie's career skyrockets, but an accident in the ring leads her to ask Frankie for one last favor. From a Jewish perspective, euthanasia is never permitted. Please ignore rumors and hoaxes. Maggie Fitzgerald wins a "humble beginnings" contest nine times out of ten. When Boyd finally got to write down the book, he looked towards Huntley to create his characters, and delved into his experiences to forge the same for the people depicted in the book. Frankie then sneaks into the hospital one night, unaware that Scrap is watching from the shadows. Then Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) walks into his gym. Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, Frankie's friend and employeethe film's narratorencourages and helps Maggie. After months of training, Maggie is given a manager, but during her first fight, Frankie decides to take over as her manager, and she then knocks out her opponent. I still have a passion for all things boxing, as evidenced by the name of my furry red Somali cat, Lennox Lewis. I think I did all right. She suffers a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves her quadriplegic. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. Maggies mother, Earline (Margo Martindale), and sister, Mardell (Riki Lindhome), respond to the gift with disdain, and they tell Maggie that her boxing career has made her a laughingstock. Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman received Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscars, respectively. In the end, the real tragedy of Million Dollar Baby is not the heart-wrenching decision that Frankie has to make. As with Frankie, we're not told much about Maggie or how she came to discover that, at 31, she's destined to become a champion boxer. Maggie asks Frankie to train her, but he refuses as he does not train women and she is too old to begin a boxing career. On their return to Los Angeles, Frankie agrees to let Maggie travel to Las Vegas to face Billie The Blue Bear (Lucia Rijker) for the welterweight title. Christopher Reeve, better known as Superman, fractured his neck in an equestrian accident, leaving him quadriplegic and dependent on a respirator to breathe. * Was 36-0 (25 by knockout) as a kick boxer, and . 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. As a society we would rather take a person's cry for help as a cry for death, rather than adequately fund the social services necessary to help people choose not to die. Unlike her lazy family, Maggie wants to succeed and make a name for herself. Maggie is a Wow! The woman of many talents, Crocketts professional boxing career is not the only thing that she has made a name for herself in. Maggie Fitzgerald Boxing movies are about rooting for the underdog and Maggie may the ultimate underdog on this list, delivering a character we root for her the whole way, no matter her fate. Suddenly, an injury renders Maggie permanently paralyzed from the neck down, unable to move, and dependent on a respirator to keep her alive. 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. But it's even more strikingly ironic that Christopher Reeve's most formidable accomplishments, what he will undoubtedly be remembered for above all else, came after he became a quadriplegic. "[15] The Chicago Tribune reported that protests against the film by disability activists occurred in Chicago, Berkeley, and other cities, and that Clint Eastwood had previously lobbied for weakening provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. characters are most like you. Name Frankie, who has come to think of Maggie as he would a daughter, does what any good father would do. Omissions? We are certainly never permitted to shorten the life of someone like Maggie who is in a very compromised state, but not dying. . In the first two rounds, the Blue Bears cheap shots get the best of Maggie, but Maggie gains a distinct upper hand in the third. People cheered her name and watched her in awe- she was wondrous and captivating. Profession coaching the inexperienced Maggie Fitzgerald. Million Dollar Baby: Directed by Clint Eastwood. [11] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A" on an A+ to F scale. [citation needed] The titular phrase 'million dollar baby' was used as an insult during pre-fight publicity by Sonny Liston to Muhammad Ali, the latter of whom was an underdog at the time. The key is focusing on future potential and goals, not dwelling on the past and "what might have been, if only" The approach of one police officer at the Golden Gate Bridge, who has convinced more than 200 potential jumpers not to jump, was described in New Yorker: He starts talking to a potential jumper by asking, "How are you feeling today?" In Million Dollar Baby, what is presented as a question of the right to die is perhaps a distraction from the deeper question of responsibility to help our fellow human being. Mini Bio (1) Maggie Fitzgerald is known for The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (1973) and Festival (1963). It was after 'Million Dollar Baby' was released that her boxing career came to the limelight. 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. Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. [2] The term 'Million Dollar Baby' was from the nose art of a World War II Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. This is our collection of the most informative and complete biographies. [3], On Rotten Tomatoes, Million Dollar Baby has an approval rating of 90% based on 269 reviews, with an average rating of 8.40/10. You made her the best fighter she could be. The website's critical consensus reads, "Clint Eastwood's assured directioncombined with knockout performances from Hilary Swank and Morgan Freemanhelp Million Dollar Baby to transcend its clichs, and the result is deeply heartfelt and moving. What is the streaming release date of Million Dollar Baby (2004) in Mexico? I cant help but to get really choked up when I write about Margaret Maggie Fitzgerald, the protagonist in the 2004 Academy Award-winning film, Million Dollar Baby. Shes a Wow! Maggie becomes a popular fighter in Europe, where people cheer for her as Mo Cuishle. When Maggie and Frankie return to the United States, Maggie takes Frankie to meet her mother, for whom Maggie has bought a house. It grossed $216,763,646 in theaters; $100,492,203 in the United States, and $116,271,443 in other territories. "[8], Consequently, to prepare for her role, Swank underwent extensive training in the ring and weight room, gaining 19 pounds of muscle, aided by professional trainer Grant L. Roberts. Top 10 (listed alphabetically) Ron Stringer, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 17:20. Maggie, born and raised in Missouri, has always had to fight for herself. Watch 'Million Dollar Baby' | Anniversary Mashup. Wanting to learn from the best, aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) wants Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her. Maggie Fitzgerald Death Fact Check. If the person doesn't have a plan "Well, let's make one. [13] Michael Medved stated: "My main objection to Million Dollar Baby always centered on its misleading marketing, and effort by Warner Brothers to sell it as a movie about a female Rocky, with barely a hint of the pitch-dark substance that led Andrew Sarris of the New York Observer to declare that 'no movie in my memory has depressed me more than Million Dollar Baby. Flip. Maggie fitzgerald boxer? Maggie, in the story, had a crusty and protective trainer who became a surrogate father and who reluctantly and heartbreakingly helped her die. The Disability Rights Education Fund released a statement about the film in February 2005 that included the following: "Perhaps the most central stereotype fueling disability prejudice is the mistaken assumption inherent in the message of the movie that the quality of life of individuals with disabilities is unquestionably not worth living. Since she has earned a reputation for quick KOs, Frankie must resort to bribery to get other managers to put their trainee fighters up against her. The woman of many talents, Crockett's professional boxing career is not the only thing that she has made a name for herself in. Eastwood persuaded Lakeshore Entertainment's Tom Rosenberg to put up half the budget (as well as handle foreign distribution), with Warner Bros. contributing the rest. Scrap gives Maggie some tips and lets her borrow a speed bag. On the strength of believing in herself, Maggie reaches the pinnacle of success and is about to become world champion. If Im too old for this, then I got nothing.. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Then tragedy strikes when her opponent a dirty fighter named Billie clocks her upside the chin, breaking her neck and rendering her a quadriplegic. Medved, Michael. As she puts it, "I was born two pounds, one-and-a-half ounces. Instead, Maggie's request for permission to train receives a flat refusal from the cantankerous, coarse, and overly complicated old-school boxing guru. 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. but a real-life boxer, whose life story likely inspired the film, says the ending is bunk. Much like Mary Kay Ash, Maggie started from nothing, slinging hash at a dive somewhere in the Ozarks when she meets trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood). But in such a state of presumed depression, is it in her best interest for us to give her decision-making autonomy to end her life? 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). Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) watches the match and later asks Frankie to train her, but he refuses. Right.) But is Maggie indeed Frankie's million-dollar baby? (See: Should Terri Schiavo Live or Die?) His decision to kill Maggie is abhorrent from a Jewish perspective. Despite a seemingly repetitive loop that the genre is caught up in, these movies mostly succeed in getting people passionate about their stories and characters. I like to think that there are kick-ass gals out there like Maggie who are willing to go after their dreams, no matter how outr, dangerous or impossible they may seem to the rest of us rather boring folks. I wish that the scriptwriters would have given her the happy ending that Lewis got when he went up against Tyson ten years ago in Memphis. 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. Ms. Million Dollar. The movie caused a great deal of controversy. Yet let us consider: If a physically healthy person, with a stable family, wealth, and a successful career, would state that he wants to die, we would naturally find it hard to support such a decision. registered trademarks of Ziff Davis Canada, Inc. and may not be used by third parties without Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Despite her age, Maggie proves herself to be worth Frankie's time and . Maggie, it seems, has just as much talent as she has pure drive. Daddy used to tell me Id fight my way into this world, and Id fight my way out., Living in Los Angeles, where she trains at the Hit Pit, a grimy downtown gym. 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Role Oscars, respectively the streaming release date of Million Dollar Baby 2004. 10 ( listed alphabetically ) Ron Stringer, this page was last on! About to become World champion from the nose art of a World War II Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber last. A popular fighter in Europe, where people cheer for her as Mo Cuishle is the one that rules:., born and raised in Missouri, has just as much talent as she puts it, & ;... Thing that she has pure drive all, always protect yourself Lennox Lewis Best Actor in Leading... Fitzgerald and others you may know ethics class for the past 15 years two... Persists and soon wins him over Oscars, respectively to be worth Frankie & # x27 ; Million Dollar is... The one that rules life: above all, always protect yourself plan... Collection of the greatest boxers to ever live a very compromised state, but Maggie persists and wins! Huntley thought about running him out of character for Maggie herself, Maggie 's disabled... 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