Bent on becoming a professional boxer, plucky 31-year-old Missouri waitress Maggie Fitzgerald sets foot in silver-haired trainer Frankie Dunn's run-down gym. People cheered her name and watched her in awe- she was wondrous and captivating. Yet Judaism categorically states that one may never actively shorten the life of even a terminally ill patient. It does not matter whether we discuss a despondent disabled, boxer, fully cognizant of her condition such as Maggie; a woman who has remained in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years, such as Terri Schiavo; or an old man lying unconscious on his deathbed, feeling (as far as we know) no pain and having no interaction with his environment. In the academy award-winning film, the injured boxer begs her coach to kill her because she can't face life as a quadriplegic, and he complies. Gradually making her way upwards, she becomes notorious for taking out opponents in the first round while earning herself the moniker of "Mo Cuishle." Watch 'Million Dollar Baby' | Anniversary Mashup. Big Willie drops Frankie as his manager and signs with the more aggressive Mickey Mack (Bruce MacVittie). While working side jobs and trying to keep his writing career afloat, he decided to give a go to boxing. In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, Frankie has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone for a very long time. Shes a welterweight boxer. [9] In its later wide release opening, the film earned $12,265,482 in North America and quickly became a box-office hit both domestically and internationally. She eventually finds a. Frankie, who has come to think of Maggie as he would a daughter, does what any good father would do. Then, "What's your plan for tomorrow?" After losing a leg to gangrene, Maggie asks Frankie to kill her, as living in this condition is intolerable to her, but he will not. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. But that doesn't mean I think that's a proper thing to do". An HD DVD release was issued on April 18, 2006. It was after 'Million Dollar Baby' was released that her boxing career came to the limelight. As the Torah teaches, "Do not stand idly by as your neighbor's blood is shed" (Leviticus 19:16). Fought in the literal sense of the word. * Was 36-0 (25 by knockout) as a kick boxer, and . Gal in my book because her character has deep personal meaning. Maggie is devastated, and she and Frankie leave. But in such a state of presumed depression, is it in her best interest for us to give her decision-making autonomy to end her life? A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional. Since she has earned a reputation for quick KOs, Frankie must resort to bribery to get other managers to put their trainee fighters up against her. Lewis has the Wow! Unlike her lazy family, Maggie wants to succeed and make a name for herself. The key is focusing on future potential and goals, not dwelling on the past and "what might have been, if only" The approach of one police officer at the Golden Gate Bridge, who has convinced more than 200 potential jumpers not to jump, was described in New Yorker: He starts talking to a potential jumper by asking, "How are you feeling today?" The film takes the same route of a person completely drowning themselves in training for what they want in life, but in the second half, it takes an unexpected turn and turns into a tragedy. Frankie is also reluctant to let Big Willie fight in a title match. ", but why there is not a greater offering of emotional support? As she tells him, I want a trainer. Mary Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald is a fictional character appearing in the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby. The film played in theaters for six and a half months. Down she went, no longer burning and sizzling, to the earth. Hilary Swank bagged her second Oscar for the sheer determination and heartbreaking emotion on display as Maggie Fitzgerald, a 31-year-old waitress desperately clinging to her dream of becoming a boxer. Best Sound Editing (Sound Effects & Foley), "The Fabulist: Paul Haggis Reflects on His Career Los Angeles Magazine", "Paul Haggis: 'You have to question your beliefs', "Million Dollar Baby Built on Prejudice about People with Disabilities", "Why 'Million Dollar Baby' infuriates the disabled", "Eastwood Wins Suit Over ADA / But jury says resort needs improvements", "Opinion | Fighting Words (Published 2005)", "Metacritic: 2004 Film Critic Top Ten Lists", "Ebert and Roeper Top Ten Lists (2000-2005)", "The 25 Best Films of the 21st CenturySo Far", US News article: Million Dollar Maybe, A real-life version of Maggie Fitzgerald, Another possible real-life Maggie Fitzgerald, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), DallasFort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film, Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Foreign Film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Million_Dollar_Baby&oldid=1139737510, Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award-winning performance, Films featuring a Best Drama Actress Golden Globe-winning performance, Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award-winning performance, Films whose director won the Best Directing Academy Award, Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film winners, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Pages using multiple image with manual scaled images, Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. But it's even more strikingly ironic that Christopher Reeve's most formidable accomplishments, what he will undoubtedly be remembered for above all else, came after he became a quadriplegic. She spent most of the next 42 years working as a copy editor and editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Updates? After months of training, Maggie is given a manager, but during her first fight, Frankie decides to take over as her manager, and she then knocks out her opponent. Maggie falls, hitting her head on the stool in her corner. "[15] The Chicago Tribune reported that protests against the film by disability activists occurred in Chicago, Berkeley, and other cities, and that Clint Eastwood had previously lobbied for weakening provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While the fictional Maggie is convinced that her life is over after her injury, the real Christopher Reeve chose to define himself not as the movie star he had been, but rather by his future potential -- limited in some respects, but boundless nonetheless. Maggie, in the story, had a crusty and protective trainer who became a surrogate father and who reluctantly and heartbreakingly helped her die. Profession coaching the inexperienced Maggie Fitzgerald. She did not tell Eastwood about the infection because she thought it would be out of character for Maggie. Big Willie drops Frankie as his manager and signs with the more aggressive Mickey Mack (Bruce MacVittie). And she's a damn good boxer too, starting off . Even Warner Bros., Eastwood's longtime home base, would not agree to a $30 million budget. Maggie becomes a popular fighter in Europe, where people cheer for her as Mo Cuishle. When Maggie and Frankie return to the United States, Maggie takes Frankie to meet her mother, for whom Maggie has bought a house. It received critical acclaim and grossed $216.8 million worldwide. Get entertainment recommendations for your unique personality and find out which of 5,500+ Maggie cant abide the thought of being bedridden for the rest of her life; after having a leg amputated due to gangrene, she begs Frankie to help her end her life. The bystander on the street would presume that the potential jumper is distraught and needs emotional support and help. Million Dollar Baby received the award for Best Picture of 2004 at the 77th Academy Awards. Frankie then reluctantly agrees to train Maggie. I dont want charity, and I dont want favors.. As a society we would rather take a person's cry for help as a cry for death, rather than adequately fund the social services necessary to help people choose not to die. Browse 46 maggie fitzgerald stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. She has also written and directed plays, dabbled in music, and served as an advocate for animal and human rights. We are certainly never permitted to shorten the life of someone like Maggie who is in a very compromised state, but not dying. Please enable Javascript and hit the button below! (Spoiler Alert: If you don't want to know the film's plot twist, stop reading now.). With Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel. More details are available in the progress report. [27][28] The film is also available online through video on demand and most major streaming platforms. Our weekly email is chockful of interesting and relevant insights into Jewish history, food, philosophy, current events, holidays and more Dr. Daniel Eisenberg is with the Department of Radiology at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA and an Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Imaging at Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine. ", So we need to ask: Is Maggie's decision to die reasonable? (See: Should Terri Schiavo Live or Die?) Scrap gives Maggie some tips and lets her borrow a speed bag. Eastwood persuaded Lakeshore Entertainment's Tom Rosenberg to put up half the budget (as well as handle foreign distribution), with Warner Bros. contributing the rest. Mini Bio (1) Maggie Fitzgerald is known for The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (1973) and Festival (1963). [6][7], Eastwood had confidence in Swank's acting, but upon seeing Swank's small physique, he had concerns, "I just thought, 'Yeah, this gal would be great. Frankie is shown experiencing the first three of the five stages of grief: first seeking multiple doctors' opinions in denial, then blaming Scrap in anger and later trying to bargain with God through prayer. [12], Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film four stars and stated that "Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby is a masterpiece, pure and simple," listing it as the best film of 2004. Clint Eastwood was awarded his second Best Director Oscar for the film, and also received a Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination. He never returns to the gym. Frankie is initially reluctant to train a woman, but Maggie persists and soon wins him over. Let's look at the real-life experience of someone who was at the height of fame and then suffered a devastating injury similar to Maggie's. 10 Video Games That Need a Live Action Adaptation. Scrap gives Maggie some tips and lets her borrow a speed bag. While he trained a lot of people in the field, he never got to make his dream of winning the world championship come true due to a boxing accident in 1970 that had left him with a detached retina. Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a veteran Los Angeles, California boxing trainer who keeps almost everyone at arm's length, except his old friend and associate Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman). They arrive only after first touring Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro Maggie Fitzgerald For instance, we limit the decision-making autonomy of children and of those who are mentally impaired. As she puts it, I was born two pounds, one-and-a-half ounces. GOSSAMER director David Bradley and Maggie Fitzgerald, who plays Littlest One, spoke to us about their history of working together, the many things learned w. 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