Tighten your boxing gloves and hold onto your feels as we cover Million Dollar Baby. Patreon shout out to Kolby Told Me, wndrsoul, Ben (Filmbusters) and Dem Fancy Dinosaurs.

Stats

Released: 2004
Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenplay: Paul Haggis
Budget: $30,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $216,763,646

Breakdown and Analysis

  • You can watch this film of it and think one day and it transforms you perception as you watch it. A lot of the times we watch movies and don’t get the proper lead up to crescendo.
  • When Morgan Freeman narrates, you know you are in for a good time.
  • The story had a refined focus which allowed us to live and breathe in Maggie’s world.
  • KT did not care for the use of shade and lighting. Jordan Peele went to the Clint Eastwood school of Directing. Just a baby qualm.
  • There are two different types of soundtrack, one that embodies the intentions of the film. Second, melts into the background, that so beautifully weaves itself into the dialogue.
  • The relationship between Frankie and Maggie is a dynamic that was so compelling.
  • Maggie is one of the most admirable characters. We start to see the lack of nurture in the nature/nurture discussion. When people have everything going against them, it’s understandable when they want to sit and watch the world burn. But that wasn’t Maggie. She pulled herself up and tried to make something for herself. You have relatable moments of her struggling financially. Needing to decide how far you are going to extend yourself, more than you ever would.
  • It was great to see her before we saw her struggle. In the narration, Scrap mentions there was one thing Maggie knew, she was trash. It could have been from an 8 mile approach but this focused on her grit and then we see where she has come from.
  • It really is a craft. Being able to write a narrative, you really have to choose your moments. It really is a conscious organism. To choose when to reveal parts of the story because it tailors our viewing experience. If you do it right, and it is acting well, there is no character KT can’t relate with.
  • Perserverance is a major theme in this film. Maggie is 31, waiting tables but when she is boxing, this is where she is herself. The fact she didn’t let people discourage her, made her more compelling. Wanting to see her succeed.
  • Frankie is dealing with some demons. Clint Eastwood seems to gravitate to roles of hardened old men that are softened by the protagonist.
  • The emotional balance that was spent between Eastwood and Swank is something that actors of lesser cree would not be able to achieve. It was a delight to witness.
  • This film transcends beyond just being a boxing movie. Maggie tells Frankie about her father and the dog. It’s foreshadowing, foreboding and forthcoming as well. It wasn’t blatantly obvious, it was imparting a piece of yourself.
  • The boxing is to further illustrate the growth, the highs and lows and the tonality. It only serves to further the narrative of Maggie, like John Wick.
  • The film takes us through Scrap’s observations. We are not in the characters thoughts, it is all from his perspective. It creates an added layer of complexity and mystery. He wrote the longest letter in the history.
  • The vehicle of the dog symbolism, when we move further into when she is in the hospital room. Prompting Frankie to do the same with her. As viewers, it was clear, if Maggie couldn’t have the life she could have and it couldn’t be the same. Slowly her independence, her freedoms and her triumphs were overshadowed by keeping her alive. We are seeing Maggie struggle it was a clear decision. But to put yourself in the role of the characters, it becomes almost impossible to make this decision. Frankie saw Maggie as his daughter. He wanted her to see there was still hope. He was not ready. Maggie had experienced more than she ever would have imagined.
  • Euthanasia is a heavy and very personal matter. If someone you love is struggling and they genuinely want you to help, those loved ones should not be prosecuted for that.
  • Frankie was like a ghost, he isn’t done with this world and he is gonna kepp lingering until his business is deal.
  • In regards to the realtionship with Frankie’s daughter. It was hard to focus when foundational questions with the core narrative aren’t being answered. It obviously played out in his relationship with Maggie. Anything that wasn’t resolved with his daughter was being reconciled in his dynamic with Maggie. To be able to see this play out in the film was beautiful. You might know your coping mechanisms aren’t healthy and to your detriment. It’s once thing to know and it’s a whole other thing to take action on it. And that’s exactly what we were facing with Frankie. He wasn’t ready to deal with any of it. This is seen with him holding Big Willie back and not taking him further in his career.
  • If you don’t deal with your shit, it will manifest itself if other ways. Sometimes without your knowledge.
  • When you have a story and expanding characters, Danger was someone that was useless but also harmless. He was like a lovable Ziggy from The Wire. He’s not good for much but he is all heart.
  • If you want to watch a great moment of comeuppance, watch the fight with Scrap and Anthony Mackie’s character.
  • Fully encompassing, wholly realised narrative with secondary characters you care about. You expect a great protagonist. What we love to see are secondary characters that have more than one dimension that you care about and answers some of the questions you have about them.
  • Frankie, Maggie and Scrap. What Maggie wasn’t initially getting from Frankie, she got from scrap. The tied together the loose ends of the film and revealed his narration is through writing a letter to Frankie’s daughter. It was enough to know the daughter was being reached out to that KT didn’t need anymore questions answered.
  • Redemption is always available to you. We didn’t know what miscomings he had with this family, sometimes there is too much hurt to forgive. But he gained through Maggie. He also was offered, whether he took it or not, through Scrap’s character. You may have burned a bridge but you are not wholly discarded as a person. People make mistakes and you need to come back stronger.
  • Just because they are biologically your family doesn’t mean they are good for you. If you are bringing bad vibes to KT’s life, she cuts them out. We moved further into the film where her family finally come to visit her in hospital. Family are the only people that treat you like shit yet you continue to allow them in your life. So much growth with Maggie and standing strong against her family and making clear.
  • Alternate titles: Wholly realised character development, Squabbling Old Men.
  • The friendship between Frankie and Scrap is so heartwarming. When you’ve known someone for that long, you can squabble over the pettiest things. Friendship bolstered in understanding and withstood some tough times.

Unrelated but vital points

  • Oti watched this film inbetween his 100th time of watching Baby Boy.
  • Knives Out is not worth us covering in an episode so us mentioning it needs to satiate ya. How is it a whodunnit when it was literally presented to you.
  • Is it KT Eastwood? Is Clint Eastwood her daddy?
  • KT does not condone spoil shaming, Oti likes his Game of Thrones shaming. There are people that have holes in their foundational viewing experience.
  • We are close to 40 epsiodes and Oti still cannot get Michael B Jordan’s name correctly.
  • Oti submitted his socks to the set. Apparently socks with no holes is a fundamental design flaw.
  • Having Morgan Freeman and not getting him to narrate is like paying Gordon Ramsay to shout at you and not cook. If ya nasty.
  • From KT’s mouth to Oti’s ears.
  • KT still ascertains that Mick Foley was early Kane.
  • Oti enjoys KT’s Rikishi smiley faces lol
  • Oti is working on his Australian screenplay ‘Dundee Wankery’. Think Blue Lagoon.

For Your Reference

Oti’s pick

[imdb style=”gray”]tt1057500[/imdb]

KT’s pick

[imdb style=”gray”]tt1205489[/imdb]