A Million Dollar Movie...

In 2004, Clint Eastwood produced, directed and starred in the best boxing movie I have ever had the pleasure of watching on the silver screen.

I love "Rocky" movies...because I love "Rocky" movies. I do not expect every actor in a "Rocky" flick to garner an academy award, but there I sit anyway as the final boxing scenes unravels. But in "Million Dollar Baby"I expect the three main characters played by Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman and Eastwood to walk onto the stage at the Academy Awards and pick up their Oscar.

I expect it. I want it to happen. And I would have been shocked if it didn't happen.

The movie won for Best Picture. Eastwood collected the Best Director Award. Freeman the Best Supporting Actor Award. And Swank boxed her way to the Best Actress of the Year Award.

Jamie Foxx won the Best Actor Award for "Ray" and he not only had to beat out Eastwood, but Johnny Depp (Finding Neverland) and Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda). I'd hate to have been the judges on that one.

Swank's character, Maggie, walks into the boxing gym at the beginning of "Million Dollar Baby" and captures our hearts and she doesn't let loose until the very end. I walked out of the movie, desperately wanting to change the ending. The movie was that good. As for Freeman and Eastwood, they were both outstanding -- Freeman as "Scrap" and Eastwood as "Frankie". They were together in the academy award winning western, "The Unforgiven". I didn't think they could top those performances. I was wrong. Buy the DVD. See it over and over again. Make plenty of popcorn and bring plenty of tissue.
(Reviewed on Amazon, under the reviewer's name, Daniel H. Price)