Clint Eastwood

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Million Dollar Baby

Posted by kristjan on March 14th, 2009

Cast: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Lucia Rijker, Jay Baruchel.

Director: Clint Eastwood.

Writer: Jerold Hyden Boyd, ( Jerry Boyd ).

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Maggie Fitzgerald a 32 years old woman wants to prove herself by becoming a successful boxer. She moves to Los Angeles and is reluctantly accepted by Frankie Dunn a boxing trainer who has been cast aside by his colleagues and relatives, including his estranged daughter, Katy.

Dunn is willing to helps Maggie realize her goals while developing a stronger-than-blood bond with her. Initially, Dunn’s attitude towards Maggie is indifferent because she is female. She however, perseveres in her million-dollar-baby-large attempts to win Dunn’s favor by training hard each day in his gym, even when others discourage her.

Frank’s friend and employee, ex-boxer Eddie nickname “Scrap Iron” Dupris narrates the story in non-dialogue scenes. Dunn coaches Maggie and manages her professional career.

With his help, she fights her way up to the women’s welterweight boxing division, and eventually ranks high enough for a match in Las Vegas against the WBA women’s welterweight champion, Billie the Blue Bear who is known to get away with committing fouls.

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Trivia provided by The Internet Movie Database:

Watch it at Amazon: USA CAN UK France Germany Austria

“Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner,” a collection of short stories based on the experiences of long-time fight manager and cut-man Jerry Boyd, writing under the pen name F.X. Toole, was published in 2000 by Harper Collins. Toole was 70 at the time and had been writing and battling rejection letters for forty years. “Rope Burns” was his first published work. Soon after its publication he was commissioned to write his first novel, an epic story set on the Texas-Mexico border. He died on 2 September 2002 at age 72, just before his novel was finished. “Rope Burns” was dedicated to Jerry’s partner and longtime friend Dub Huntley.
The movie is based on three short stories from Jerry Boyd’s book: “The Monkey Look,” “Million $$$ Baby” and “Frozen Water.” Some parts of the introduction were used as well.
Ashley Judd was also considered for the part of Maggie.
This is the 25th film Clint Eastwood has directed, the 57th film in which he has acted, and the 21st he has produced.
Hilary Swank underwent a serious training schedule to prepare for this film. She gained nearly 20 pounds of muscle due to the workouts.
An advertisement for Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice” (2004) television show appears on the side of the bus Maggie is riding.
The role of “Little girl in truck” was played by Clint Eastwood’s daughter, Morgan Eastwood.
Clint Eastwood based his character’s voice on producer Albert S. Ruddy.
Boxing and kick-boxing champion Lucia Rijker, who also plays the part of Billie “The Blue Bear” in the film, was Hilary Swank’s boxing coach.
Anjelica Huston originally brought the book “Rope Burns” to producer Albert S. Ruddy’s attention, hoping that he would ask her to direct the film. (She guaranteed that he would cry after reading the “Million Dollar Baby” story, and he admits that he did.) However, by the time Ruddy acquired the rights, Huston was busy on another project.
Sandra Bullock was the first actress attached to play Maggie, and she wanted to pursue Shekhar Kapur as a director. By the time a studio expressed an interest in the project, her commitment to Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous (2005) prevented her from doing the film.
“Mo chuisle” literally means “my pulse,” but can mean “my love” or “my darling”. It’s a term of endearment taken from the original phrases “A chuisle mo chroí” or “Pulse of my heart”.
The name of the café that Hilary Swank’s character works in is, “On the Waterfront Cafe”.
The movie was filmed in 37 days, but originally scheduled filming for 39 days.
Morgan Freeman was originally approached to play the role of Frankie Dunn. But even before Clint Eastwood took on directing and starring roles, he decided to take the part of Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris.
Hilary Swank contracted a bacterial infection from a blister she developed on her foot during training for her role. The infection was so serious that she almost had to be hospitalized for three weeks. Catching the infection in the nick of time, she instead chose to take a week off for medicated rest and didn’t tell Clint Eastwood or the producers of the film about the injury, because she didn’t believe it was in character.
Clint Eastwood was the only nominee for the Best Actor Oscar in 2005 to play a fictitious character. All four of the other nominees portrayed real people in their respective films.
Writer Paul Haggis was directing Crash (2004) and was scheduled to direct this film when Clint Eastwood (who was to act only) asked to direct it as well. Haggis agreed to step aside as director.
According to “Variety” the cost was actually closer to $18 million instead of the reported $30 million (the amount that was used for publicity reasons).
Second in the poll for FIPRESCI GRAND PRIX OF THE YEAR 2005.

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