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Million Dollar Baby (3-Disc Collector's Edtiion) (2004)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank Director: Clint Eastwood Rating: PG-13
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| Storyline: |
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In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, boxing trainer Frankie Dunn has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone for a very long time--then Maggie Fitzgerald walks into his gym. so sets the scene for Clint Eastwoods latest offering "Million Dollar Baby" In a life of constant struggle, Maggie's gotten herself this far on raw talent, unshakable focus and a tremendous force of will. But more than anything, she wants someone to believe in her.
The last thing Frankie needs is that kind of responsibility-- let alone that kind of risk--but won over by Maggie's sheer determination, he begrudgingly agrees to take her on. In turns exasperating and inspiring each other, the two come to discover that they share a common spirit that transcends the pain and loss of their pasts, and they find in each other a sense of family they lost long ago. Yet, they both face a battle that will demand more heart and courage than any they've ever known.
Released a little over a year after the grand success of his Oscar-winning feature MYSTIC RIVER, Clint Eastwood returns to the director's chair for "Million Dollar Baby". Eastwood also stars, in the role of Frankie Dunn, a down-on-his-luck former boxing manager who spends the twilight years of his life running a small, dilapidated gym in downtown Los Angeles. Frankie's previous career was blighted by an injury to one of his prize fighters, Scrap (Morgan Freeman), who lost the sight in his right eye during a particularly brutal bout; Scrap now wiles away the hours working as a cleaner in Frankie's gym. Wary of similar occurrences being inflicted on the prestigious young talent that passes before him, Frankie lets a succession of great boxers slip through his fingers. But when the brash, confident young boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) strides into the gym, Frankie's life is irretrievably altered. Initially refusing to train Maggie due to her gender and age, Frankie relents when faced with her tenacity, spirit, and burning ambition. The combination of Maggie's talent and Frankie's tutelage paves the way for the adroit fighter to rise steadily through the ranks of women's boxing, with the unlikely coupling forming a genuinely touching bond in the process.
Clint Eastwood has crafted a boxing film fit to stand alongside classics such as RAGING BULL and ROCKY with "Million Dollar Baby". The scenes between Eastwood and Freeman are a delight to watch, with the two old hands pulling off masterfully understated performances as a couple of men teetering on the brink of failure. Likewise, Swank puts in a powerful turn as Maggie, further emphasizing her penchant for unusual roles, and perhaps even bettering her incredible, Oscar-winning showing as Teena Brandon in BOYS DON'T CRY. |
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| Cast & Crew: |
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Starring:
Clint Eastwood | Hilary Swank | Morgan Freeman | Jay Baruchel | Mike Colter | Lucia Rijker | Brian F. O'Byrne | Anthony Mackie | ...more
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Directed By:
Clint Eastwood
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| Technical Information: |
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Genre:
Drama, Sport Interest
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DVD Release Date:
July 12, 2005
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Format: Region 1
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Rating:
PG-13
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Year:
2004
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Regional Coding:
R1:
Will only play on North American Region 1 or multi-region DVD players.
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Number of Discs:
3
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Screen Ratio:
Anamorphic (16:9), Widescreen Edition - 2.35:1
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| Sound System: | |
English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
French (Dolby Digital 5.1) | |
Running Time:
132 minutes
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Studio:
Warner Brothers
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Catalogue Number:
DVE070998
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UPC/Barcode Number:
012569709980
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Closed-Captioned: Yes
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Color: Yes
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| DVD Features: |
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- James Lipton Takes on Three: 25-minute roundtable with Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, and moderator James Lipton
- Born to Fight: examines the parallels of the movie to real-life boxer Lucia Rijker
- Producers Round 15: behind the scenes
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Includes soundtrack CD
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