Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

F.X. Toole (stories)
Paul Haggis (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 January 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Beyond his silence, there is a past. Beyond her dreams, there is a feeling. Beyond hope, there is a memory. Beyond their journey, there is a love.

Plot:

A hardened trainer/manager works with a determined woman in her attempt to establish herself as a boxer.

Plot Keywords:

Boxing Film | Irish American | No Opening Credits | Suicide Attempt | Age Difference

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 45 wins & 29 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Sept. 14

4:00 PM

AMC

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Frankie Dunn
Hilary Swank	...	Maggie Fitzgerald
Morgan Freeman	...	Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris
Jay Baruchel	...	Danger Barch
Mike Colter	...	Big Willie Little
Lucia Rijker	...	Billie 'The Blue Bear'
Brian F. O'Byrne	...	Father Horvak (as Brian O'Byrne)
Anthony Mackie	...	Shawrelle Berry
Margo Martindale	...	Earline Fitzgerald
Riki Lindhome	...	Mardell Fitzgerald
Michael Peña	...	Omar
Benito Martinez	...	Billie's Manager
Bruce MacVittie	...	Mickey Mack
David Powledge	...	Counterman at Diner
Joe D'Angerio	...	Cut Man
Marcus Chait	...	J.D. Fitzgerald
Tom McCleister	...	Lawyer
Erica Grant	...	Nurse
Naveen	...	Pakistani
Morgan Eastwood	...	Little Girl in Truck
Jamison Yang	...	Paramedic
Dean Familton	...	Ref #1
Dr. Louis Moret	...	Ref #2
V.J. Foster	...	Ref #3
Jon D. Schorle II	...	Ref #4
Marty Sammon	...	Ref #5
Steven M. Porter	...	Ref #6
Ray Corona	...	Ref #7
Lo Ming	...	Rehab Doctor (as Ming Lo)
Miguel Pérez	...	Restaurant Owner
Jim Cantafio	...	Ring Doctor #1
Ted Grossman	...	Ring Doctor #2
Ned Eisenberg	...	Sally Mendoza
Marco Rodríguez	...	Second at Vegas Fight (as Marco Rodriguez)
Roy Nugent	...	Fan in Vegas
Don Familton	...	Ring Announcer
Mark Thomason	...	Radio Commentator
Brian Finney	...	Irish Fan #1 (as Brian T. Finney)
Spice Williams-Crosby	...	Irish Fan #2
Kim Strauss	...	Irish Fan #3
Rob Maron	...	Irish Fan #4
Kirsten Berman	...	Irish Fan #5
Susan Krebs	...	Rehab Nurse
Sunshine Chantal Parkman	...	Rehab Nurse #2
Kim Dannenberg	...	Rehab Nurse #3
Eddie Bates	...	Rehab Resident
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nina Avetisova	...	VIP Girl
Christopher Gilbertson	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Michael Bentt	...	Boxer (uncredited)
Bruce Gerard Brown Jr.	...	Boxer (uncredited)
Jude Ciccolella	...	Hogan (uncredited)
Kimberly Estrada	...	Perez / Maggie's fourth opponent (uncredited)
Ricky Pak	...	Las Vegas Bout Timekeeper (uncredited)
Vladimir Rajcic	...	Yugoslavian judge (uncredited)
McKay Stewart	...	Sparring Boxer (uncredited)
Melissa Verdugo	...	Church Goer (uncredited)
Jaerin Washington	...	Jamaican Boxer Cornerman (uncredited)

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits (WGA)
F.X. Toole		(stories from Rope Burns)
Paul Haggis		(screenplay)

Produced by
Clint Eastwood	....	producer
Paul Haggis	....	producer
Robert Lorenz	....	executive producer
Gary Lucchesi	....	executive producer
Robert Moresco	....	co-producer (as Bobby Moresco)
Tom Rosenberg	....	producer
Albert S. Ruddy	....	producer

Original Music by
Clint Eastwood

Cinematography by
Tom Stern		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Joel Cox

Casting by
Phyllis Huffman

Production Design by
Henry Bumstead

Art Direction by
Jack G. Taylor Jr.

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard

Costume Design by
Deborah Hopper

Makeup Department
Deena Adair	....	hair stylist
Janice Alexander	....	hair stylist (as Jan Alexander)
Nancy Hancock	....	makeup artist (as Nancy Worthen-Hancock)
Tania McComas	....	key makeup artist
Carol A. O'Connell	....	key hair stylist
Jay Wejebe	....	makeup artist
Buffy Zerefski	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Tim Moore	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Katie Carroll	....	second second assistant director
Ryan Craig	....	additional second assistant director (as Ryan D. Craig)
Robert Lorenz	....	first assistant director
Donald Murphy	....	second assistant director

Art Department
William A. Barry	....	set dresser
Brian Bilson	....	on-set dresser
Pam Cartmel	....	art department coordinator
Elixandro Diaz Jr.	....	plaster foreman
Elixandro Diaz Jr.	....	plaster supervisor
Bill 'Kauhane' Hoyt	....	scenic artist
Gary A. Lee	....	set designer
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator
Scott Nifong	....	assistant property master
Joseph G. Pacelli Jr.	....	set designer
Michael Sexton	....	property master
Christopher Kelley Snow	....	assistant to production designer (as D. Christopher Johnson III)
James R. Lord	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Bub Asman	....	co-supervising sound editor
Christopher Boyes	....	sound re-recording mixer
William Cawley	....	first assistant sound editor (as Bill Cawley)
Vincent Cirilli	....	ProTools engineer
Lucy Coldsnow-Smith	....	supervising dialogue editor
John T. Cucci	....	foley artist (as John Cucci)
Gloria D'Alessandro	....	dialogue editor
Joe Divitale	....	foley editor (as Joseph B. Divitale)
Michael Dressel	....	supervising foley editor
Juno J. Ellis	....	adr supervisor
Sean England	....	digital archivist
Jonathan Fuh	....	boom operator
Tony Gray	....	sound utility
David Grimaldi	....	sound effects editor (as Dave Grimaldi)
Tom Hartig	....	second boom operator
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jason King	....	sound effects editor
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	adr editor
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	supervising adr editor
Bruce Lacey	....	sound effects editor
Brian Magerkurth	....	sound mix technician (as Brian D. Magerkurth)
Steve Mann	....	sound editor
Steve Mann	....	sound effects editor
Walt Martin	....	sound
Chuck Michael	....	sound effects editor
Kimberly Morrell	....	adr assistant
Alan Robert Murray	....	supervising sound editor
Blu Murray	....	assistant sound editor
Kevin Murray	....	sound apprentice
Rob Nokes	....	additional sound recordist
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer
Carin Rogers	....	dialogue editor
Ronald G. Roumas	....	sound re-recordist
Jurgen Scharpf	....	sound mix technician
Michael Semanick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Sereno	....	sound mix technician
Karen Spangenberg	....	dialogue editor
Shawn Sykora	....	foley editor
David Wolowic	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Virostek	....	additional sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
H. Barclay Aaris	....	special effects crew
Ante Dugandzic	....	special effects technician
Steve Riley	....	special effects coordinator (as Steven Riley)
Dominic V. Ruiz	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Darin McCormick-Millett	....	digital opticals producer: Pacific Title and Art Studio
Liz Radley	....	video & computer graphics supervisor
James D. Tittle	....	digital visual effects coordinator: Pacific Title
Bob Wiatr	....	digital effects artist: pacific title digital

Stunts
Minerva Adams	....	stunts
Michael Bentt	....	stunts (as Michael A. Bentt)
Tamara Bossett	....	stunts
Christina Cox	....	stunts
Daniele Doobenen	....	stunts
Kimberly Estrada	....	stunts
Maritza Franco	....	stunts
Rosine 'Ace' Hatem	....	stunts (as Rosine Ace Hatem)
Nick Hermz	....	stunts
Nicola C. Hindshaw	....	stunts
Mimi Lesseos	....	stunts
Joni Podesta	....	stunts
Cynthia Prouder	....	stunts
Bridgett Riley	....	stunts
Mikee Stafford	....	stunts
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt coordinator
Boni Yanagisawa	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Kevin Barrera	....	rigging electrician
Buzzy Burwell	....	set lighting technician
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	camera operator
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	steadicam operator
Trevor Carroll-Coe	....	film loader
Bill Coe	....	assistant camera
Bill Coe	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Matthew A. Del Ruth	....	assistant camera
Ross Dunkerley	....	gaffer
Sean Higgins	....	rigging gaffer
Terry Kramer	....	electrician
Bobby McMahan	....	assistant camera
Roger Meilink	....	rigging best boy
Morten Petersen	....	rigging electric gang boss
Charles Saldana	....	key grip
T. Daniel Scaringi	....	key rigging grip
Bruce D. Spellman	....	grip
Ken Sylvester	....	electrician
Andrew Towne	....	set lighting technician
Paul Varrieur	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Doug Wall	....	best boy grip
Merie Weismiller Wallace	....	still photographer
James D. Wickman	....	dolly grip
Brian Minzlaff	....	additional electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Susan Grennan	....	casting associate
Geoffrey Miclat	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lynda Foote	....	costume supervisor
Becky Gelbart	....	set costumer
Jennifer Parker	....	costumer
Jack Taggart	....	head ager and dyer
Cathie Valdovino	....	costumer: Mr. Freeman

Editorial Department
Michael Cipriano	....	assistant editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Gary Roach	....	assistant editor
Kurt Smith	....	color timer

Music Department
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer
Donald Harris	....	music editor
Lennie Niehaus	....	conductor
Lennie Niehaus	....	orchestrator
David Potaux-Razel	....	composer: song "Solferino"

Transportation Department
Robert aaron Brown	....	driver
Jim DePue	....	transportation captain
Paulie DiCocco III	....	driver: Hilary Swank
Robert Gaskill	....	personal driver: Mr. Freeman
Roy A. Grace	....	driver
John Magoo McGivern	....	driver
Kevin Norwood	....	driver generator operator
Beau Reed	....	driver
John Sagray	....	driver
Paul Tumber	....	driver: Ms Swank

Other crew
Kokayi Ampah	....	location manager
Mary Aymar	....	assistant: Mr. Ruddy
Ilsa Berg	....	assistant: Mr. Lucchesi
Michael Bilog	....	first assistant accountant
Judith M. Brown	....	studio teacher
Doug Burch	....	adr voice
David Cervantes	....	production assistant
Gerry De Leon	....	assistant: Ms. Swank
Don Dinkins	....	boxing technical advisor (as 'Boxing' Don R. Dinkins)
Don Familton	....	boxing technical advisor
Jessica Franks	....	production assistant
Jason Gondek	....	production accountant
Susan Grennan	....	production assistant
David Halver	....	location consultant: LA (as DJ Halver)
Susan Hartmann	....	assistant production coordinator
Judie Hoyt	....	production executive: Malpaso (as Judie G. Hoyt)
Eva Jensen	....	studio teacher
Michael Judd	....	production assistant
Don Kincade	....	set production aide
Mable Lawson-McCrary	....	script supervisor
Matt Lindquist	....	voice: boxing announcer
Deana Lou	....	assistant: Mr. Eastwood
Lance McDaniel	....	assistant: Mr. Ruddy
Greg Newman	....	production assistant
Scooter Perrotta	....	set production assistant
Quentin Pierre	....	assistant: Mr. Freeman (as Quentin A. Pierre)
Lucia Rijker	....	boxing technical advisor
Grant Roberts	....	weight trainer: Ms. Swank
Hector Roca	....	boxing technical advisor
Jenniphur Ryan	....	assistant: Mr. Eastwood
Gian Sardar	....	assistant: Mr. Haggis
Elizabeth Schlater	....	assistant: Mr. Rosenberg
Taffy Schweickhardt	....	payroll accountant
Ptah Shabaf	....	key assistant location manager
Karen Shaw	....	production coordinator
Michelle L. Shuffett	....	medical technical advisor (as Michelle L. Shuffett M.D.)
Miker Stovall	....	production assistant
Diana Taffolla	....	post-production accountant
Donovan Terranova	....	assistant location manager
Mark Thomason	....	stand-in
John Trujillo	....	craft service assistant
Joseph Hampton	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Paula Kucharski	....	production office assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Anjelica Huston	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (in assocation with)
• Lakeshore Entertainment (presents)
• Malpaso Productions
• Albert S. Ruddy Productions
• Epsilon Motion Pictures

Distributors

• Lakeshore Entertainment (2004) (worldwide) (theatrical) (sales)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures A TimeWarner Company)
• 01 Distribuzione (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Bazuca Films (2005) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Best Film CO (2005) (Poland) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (2007) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Continental Film (2005) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Entertainment in Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (all media)
• FF Film & Music (2005) (Hungary) (all media)
• Filmax S.A. (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (2005) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Mars Distribution (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Movie Bank (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Movie-Eye Entertainment (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• PlazaVista Entertainment (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Shaw Organisation (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Shochiku Company (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Pacific Title (opticals)

Other Companies

• Avon Studio Transport  transportation
• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Everlast Sporting Goods  boxing equipment
• Film Permits Unlimited  permits
• Inflatable Crowd Company, The  inflatable mannequins
• Juniper Post  foreign dub
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Sequoia Illumination  lighting equipment
• Sportsrobe  costumes
• Technicolor  color timing
• Technicolor  prints
• Tom's Food Service  catering
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack released by

Also Known As:

Rope Burns (USA) (working title)
Golpes del destino (Mexico) (Venezuela) [es]
Million Dollar Baby (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Fille à un million de dollars, La (Canada: French title) [fr]
Menina de Ouro (Brazil) [pt]
Miljoni dollari tüdruk (Estonia) [et]
Million Dollar Baby (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Million Dollar Baby (Slovakia) [sk]
Million Dollar Baby (Germany) [de]
Million Dollar Baby (Czech Republic) [cs]
Million Dollar Baby (Denmark) [da]
Za wszelka cene (Poland) [pl]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, some disturbing images, thematic material and language.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Irish Gaelic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Taiwan:PG-12 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:14 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Ireland:15 (video rating) | Brazil:12

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Athletic Club - 6525 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

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 and Fabulous (2005)_ prevented her from doing the film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Frankie introduces Maggie to one of the managers at the gym, movie lights can be seen reflected in the sunglasses hanging on his shirt.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris: [Narrating] Only ever met one man I wouldn't wanna fight. When I met him he was already the best cut man in the business. Started training and managing in the sixties, but never lost his gift.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in T.K.O. (2007)

Soundtrack:

Solferino

Best boxing film since "Raging Bull"?

Clint Eastwood is a man of faith. He is an artist who is confident and experienced enough to have a deep faith in the audience that he is trying to reach. He is also a master of omission, of the left-out detail/line, trusting in his gut that his audience is willing to participate in his films by exercising their imaginations; that they never want any aspect of the story to be 'dumbed-down' for ready consumption. In fact, his trust in the audience to use their own minds to fill in gaps is like a gift of part ownership in the film. "Million Dollar Baby" is a beautiful gift, and a masterpiece if film-making.

Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn, an elder boxing coach, manager, and expert 'cut man' who runs a gym and is learning Gaelic on the side. He's a nice enough guy, but he can't seem to shake the guilt from ghosts in his past (some we're in on, some not quite). His guilt/shame is a constant just beneath the surface and gives him something of a cold exterior, sometimes frozen. Yet, as played by Eastwood, you know Dunn's aware of his own plight, but just doesn't know how to melt the ice. Or more importantly, if he's deserving of such a meltdown.

Enter Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank). She's a thirty-something trailer trash woman from southwest Missouri. An unlikely hero for sure. But for my money, Maggie is this generation's Rocky. That may seem an easy, simplistic, and over-reaching comparison, but the parallels are deep, obvious and myriad. Like many people, Maggie's dream (being a professional boxer) is always just out of reach, yet she cannot give it up. She works as a waitress to make ends meet (or at least the ends are almost touching), but spends all her spare time training. Like Dunn, Maggie has her own ghosts haunting her, and through these ghosts they bond tighter than super glue. The heart and work (incalculably huge amounts) that Swank put into becoming Maggie are unnoticeable. It's a silly phrase but it's as if she was born to play this part. It fits like a glove. The real life parallel of her relationship to Eastwood no doubt played a part in her ability to connect with the character's relationship to Dunn. Yet this in no way diminishes her accomplishment. She is brilliant.

Morgan Freeman plays Dunn's right-hand man (Scrape) at the gym, and reprises a role similar to Red from "Shawshank Redemption". He also voices the omniscient narration to the story, a la Red. Like Dunn and Maggie, he's similarly bruised, but somehow less deeply. He's there when both of them need support and helps to bring them together. I can think of nobody acting in film today who can embody kindness and wisdom through friendship and support better than Freeman. He also serves to bring in another Eastwood trademark – 'Banter'. Even when themes are heavy, Eastwood's sense of humor is never entirely absent and he and Freeman have a good time with each other, as did Bacon and Fishburne in "Mystic River". These three characters together create a beautiful and true, albeit small, family unit Eastwood's lifelong themes and 'blurring of lines' are on full display: good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, the role of violence, redemption, guilt/shame over previous acts, even god and death. Never one for easy answers, his version of the truth lies in the shadows, quite literally. Cinematographer Tom Stern crafts characters in shadow, shifting in and out of light. There is a grey area between the light and the dark where something approaching truth lies waiting, and this is where Eastwood takes us, then leaves us there to ponder. "Million Dollar Baby" is a shadow play. As accomplished as "Unforgiven" and "Mystic River", yet even more personal, this film is a triumph of human storytelling. As Bacon's character says in "Mystic River", "…and the hits just keep on comin'."