Million Dollar Baby: DVD Release

Million Dollar Baby: You know it's a boxing movie, you know it won several Academy Awards, and you may be aware of controversial plot elements, which, while it was in theater release, caused some further controversy over whether some conservative talk show hosts were deliberately sabotaging the movie by revealing what is meant to be a surprise. I will not be commenting on this other than saying the following:

Movies are made to tell a story. What characters do in a film, shouldn't be interpretted by anyone as a call to action, but simply as fictional characters making choices. You can choose to feel these were right choices or wrong choices--it's your perogative. I will also note that I did have the movie's twist spoiled for me, and I think knowing what was going to happen made me view the movie more uneasily, and, had it not been spoiled, it would have been far more effecting. So... I don't give a crap about your politics, and please, if you don't already know what's going to happen, don't look for spoilers (it'll ruin it a little). Can I just review it now?

Hilary Swank plays Maggie, a dirt-poor woman from the sticks, who travels to the gym owned by boxing trainer, Frankie, played by Clint Eastwood (who also directs), hoping the gritty-voiced old-timer will make her a boxer. Morgan Freeman rounds off the cast as an injured former boxer who helps maintain the gym and acts as narrator.

I'll say up front that I was a little confused at first over when exactly this movie is supposed to take place. It became easily apparent soon into the movie that it takes place now (first clue: prominently displayed ad for The Apprentice on the side of a bus). It does seem to me, however, that many of the characters seem to have stepped out of a different time, several decades earlier. I think the movie gets over this, and I didn't really care by the end, but for the first third or so, the gritty realism clash with the slightly stereotyped characters. The characters are expanded, for the most part, though, which is a good thing.

One character I could have done completely without was "Danger," a dim-witted Southern stereotype who makes Gomer Pyle look like a reasonable portrayal. I don't think the humor or possible parallels this character was supposed to bring to movie worked the way they were intended to. He was simply grating a little insulting (you really expect me to buy this character?).

The acting is pretty good, if very low-key, although I still don't understand why Eastwood had to growl quite so much, or if Swank had to be quite so earnest (Maggie's 31, not 14, let's remember). I've heard lots of rave reviews of Freeman in this movie, but let me voice the small complaint that I had a bit of trouble understanding his mummbled narration at times.

Okay. Maybe you think I'm working my way up to a trash fest of this movie. I'm not. It's a good movie. It's original, it's... Well, it's original. It doesn't make you feel good, in my opinion. It's not something I ever want to watch again. But it does deserve some of the fuss it got, if only because it's in the midst of a movie landscape cluttered with American Pie's and, Lord help us, Fantastic Four's.

But... a little over-hyped, over-rated, how ever you want to put it. It's good... but not quite that good. Glad I rented it, never see myself wanting my own copy.

Special Features: "Born to Fight" is what I assume was a special prior to the movie being released. It includes actors from the movie discussing their characters and the plot, but doesn't really offer any fresh insights. It basically rehashes the observations I'm sure you were quick enough to make yourself when you watched the movie. "The Producers Round 15" is a bit more interesting. It contains interviews with the people--producers, and the like--discussing how Million Dollar Baby got made. Finally, "James Lipton Takes on THree" is a Post-Academy Awards interview with Swank, Freeman, and Eastwood. This is a bit ponderous, as the actors discuss different aspects of acting and the film, and the interviewer kisses a little too much butt. Nothing revolutionary or all that fun in the special features (I reviewed the 2-disc version of the movie).

Bottom Line: Rent it to see what all the fuss is about, but be aware there may have been a weeee bit too much fuss.