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Movies / On DVD / Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Baby

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Million Dollar Baby (2004)

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Reviews Counted:220

Fresh:201

Rotten:19

Average Rating:8.3/10

Consensus: Critics are calling Clint Eastwood's latest a knockout, with fine performances and filmmaking that elevate clichéd material to new emotional heights.

Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Released a little over a year after the grand success of his Oscar-winning feature MYSTIC RIVER, Clint Eastwood returns to the director's chair for MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Eastwood also stars, in the... Released a little over a year after the grand success of his Oscar-winning feature MYSTIC RIVER, Clint Eastwood returns to the director's chair for MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Eastwood also stars, in the role of Frankie Dunn, a down-on-his-luck former boxing manager who spends the twilight years of his life running a small, dilapidated gym in downtown Los Angeles. Frankie's previous career was blighted by an injury to one of his prize fighters, Scrap (Morgan Freeman), who lost the sight in his right eye during a particularly brutal bout; Scrap now wiles away the hours working as a cleaner in Frankie's gym. Wary of similar occurrences being inflicted on the prestigious young talent that passes before him, Frankie lets a succession of great boxers slip through his fingers. But when the brash, confident young boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) strides into the gym, Frankie's life is irretrievably altered. Initially refusing to train Maggie due to her gender and age, Frankie relents when faced with her tenacity, spirit, and burning ambition. The combination of Maggie's talent and Frankie's tutelage paves the way for the adroit fighter to rise steadily through the ranks of women's boxing, with the unlikely coupling forming a genuinely touching bond in the process. Clint Eastwood has crafted a boxing film fit to stand alongside classics such as RAGING BULL and ROCKY with MILLION DOLLAR BABY. The scenes between Eastwood and Freeman are a delight to watch, with the two old hands pulling off masterfully understated performances as a couple of men teetering on the brink of failure. Likewise, Swank puts in a powerful turn as Maggie, further emphasizing her penchant for unusual roles, and perhaps even bettering her incredible, Oscar-winning showing as Teena Brandon in BOYS DON'T CRY. [More]

Starring: Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Jay Baruchel

Starring: Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Jay Baruchel, Christina Cox

Director: Clint Eastwood

Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenwriter: Paul Haggis
Producer: Tom Rosenberg, Albert S. Ruddy, Paul Haggis, Clint Eastwood
Composer: Clint Eastwood
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Million Dollar Baby

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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After the somewhat hysterical Mystic River - a flawed work dominated by a powerhouse performance from Sean Penn - this is a far more balanced piece, anchored by three terrific turns and some lean direction from Eastwood.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
02/20/08
James Mottram
James Mottram
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Quietly quite magnificent.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

To steal from Ali, this one floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Colin Kennedy
Colin Kennedy
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The fight scenes are well-handled and Eastwood includes several nice touches, such as the way Maggie practically gallops into every fight, or the smile on Frankie's face when she wins her first match.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
01/15/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Ripe with boxing movie clichés and slow to the point of distraction, this melancholy tale of an ageing trainer and the girl pugilist he takes under his wing nonetheless packs a stunning emotional punch.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/15/05
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This film has a quiet confidence that catches the rhythms of both a strong story and engaging performances

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/16/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

"Million Dollar Baby" is a tragic film about an innately paternal man's desperate need to overcome his own emotional traps and the loyal girl who facilitates his growth by her steely will and stubborn drive.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
04/18/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: CHUD | comment Comment
02/27/09
Nick Nunziata
Nick Nunziata
CHUD

Million Dollar Baby adds to Clint Eastwood's legacy in ways we might not have expected. It explores emotional terrain as he hasn't done before, and it gives him a kind of role that he has never had before.

Full Review Source: Bright Lights Film Journal | comment Comment
02/02/09
Tony Macklin
Tony Macklin
Bright Lights Film Journal

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Kit Bowen
Kit Bowen
Hollywood.com

Like Eastwood, it's a relic that dazzles you with its footwork, daring and class.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
08/01/08
Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is Eastwood's weakest work in years, perhaps because it yokes itself to a hot-button theme instead of a story that resonates.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment 4 Comments
07/18/08
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

A devastating act of mercy for one character may very well cost the soul of another.

Full Review Source: BrandonFibbs.com | comment Comment
02/28/08
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
BrandonFibbs.com

Easily Mr. Eastwood's best film since Unforgiven.

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

Million Dollar Baby is a strong contender, but it suffers a TKO in the last round.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment 3 Comments
03/03/07
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby is a masterpiece, pure and simple, deep and true.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
02/06/07
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

what's great about Eastwood, is how he turns cliche to cinematic archetype, and throws in a modern twist at the same time

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
09/10/06
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

Performances throughout are superb.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
01/17/06
Jim Schembri
Jim Schembri
Sydney Morning Herald

Though conventional in many respects, it feels like no other boxing film ever made, due largely to Eastwood's unmistakable presence on both sides of the camera.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Million Dollar Baby

August 21, 2009: Billy Bob Thornton Weighs Pound for Pound Opens in new window
Billy Bob Thornton will play a retired boxer whose life takes an unexpected turn in Ron Shelton's "Pound for Pound," an adaptation of the book by "Million Dollar Baby" author... More...

March 20, 2008: Clint Eastwood Directing, Starring in Gran Torino
For a guy who's continually rumored to be done with acting, Clint Eastwood is doing a pretty good job of staying busy in front of the camera. More...

May 24, 2007: Screenwriter Paul Haggis Enticed Back to "Bond 22"
If you liked "Casino Royale," (and who didn't?) you'll be happy to know that the screenwriting trio is now back in action for the 22nd Bond flick. More...

February 26, 2007: How Does "The Departed" Rank Among Oscar's Best?
So Martin Scorsese finally has his long-overdue, much-deserved Oscar. But where does "The Departed" stack up in the annals of Academy history? More...

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