2004 Rewind: Million Dollar Baby

Film released in 2004 are celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year. As part of a look back at films celebrating an anniversary in 2024, I'm looking at five films I liked from 2004. Today, I conclude my look with the Best Picture winner, Million Dollar Baby

Frankie Dunn: [to Maggie] All right. I'm gonna disconnect your air machine, then you're gonna go to sleep. Then I'll give you a shot, and you'll... stay asleep. Mo cuishle means "My darling, my blood."

Million Dollar Baby
Starring: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman
Director: Clint Eastwood
About: Sometimes a movie hits you like a ton of bricks. It's fair to say there have been few bait-and-switch moments in movies in the last 20 years that hit harder than the one in this film. If you've never seen it, you might want to go check it out then come back to this recap. But, it's been 20 years, so I'm going to progress forward. This was marketed as a sports movie. Better yet, it was marketed as an underdog sports movie. And for much of the early going, that's what you get. Eastwood is the grizzled trainer, Freeman the old fighter, and Swank as the up-and-comer that no one believes in. They become like something of a family and you're completely invested in the journey. But this isn't that kind of story. When the big turn happens, it's devastating. It's devastating for the characters on screen, but I remember being shaken to my core watching it. Then the rest becomes about faith, values, and love. That might sound funny to some, but it was what I took away from it. Eastwood's Frankie earnestly wrestles with what is right to do. He's torn between his personal faith, his sense of duty, and the incredible bond of love he's formed with Maggie. That makes the resolution and the ending pack that much more of an emotional punch. I loved this movie when it was released, despite its heavy emotional toll. And I still see it as one of the best movies of that decade, and certainly one that's worth checking out!