Million Dollar Baby - Movie Disclosure Warning - Don't Read if you haven't seen the movie!

Warning: If you plan on seeing Million Dollar Baby DO NOT READ THIS!!!

This is one disturbing movie. It reminds me of the Passion of the Christ in one since...when people ask you if it's good you are not sure how to respond. Was it quality? No question. Was it moving? In several different ways. Does it make you think? Without a doubt. But was it good? I'm not sure. Here's where the movie falls out of the 'good' category for me...the ultimate message. Scrap (Morgan Freeman's character) summed it up when he said (majorly paraphrased) if a boxer is all heart and that's it then the boxer will get destroyed. Apparently that is the overlying message of the movie. When Maggie's body was taken from her it destroyed her heart. It destroyed her will to live. I wanted desperately for Frankie to deliver the message to her that her body may be destroyed but her body is not what gave her greatness. What gave her greatness from the beginning was her heart. Her fight was not primarily her ability to move her feet and throw punches. Her fight was her willingness to look at her life circumstances (she was past her physical prime, never boxed before, came from a really screwed up family) and despite them work her tail off to become more than anyone ever believed she could. Why than such an easy surrender when life delivered a violent blow. Where did the heart go? Where was the fight? I was inspired by her willingness to pursue greatness in life after getting to 31 years old with such mediocrity. It gave me hope! But hope was unplugged with the ventilator.

For those who would say, ‘but isn’t that a common reaction’ to sudden paralysis? Probably. I’m sure suicidal thoughts are common for those who suffer such physical trauma to their bodies. But is that what Hollywood is all about? Is that what people want to see? Has ‘The Real World’ and reality television taken us to the place where we just want to see people doing mediocre things with their lives so we can say, ‘hey, there just like me, mediocre’. Not me. Show me greatness. Show me something inspiring. Make movies about heroes and let them be the standard we strive for rather than showing me quitters who just give in and blend into mediocrity. I can see that everyday. That’s not what I want to be entertained by.

Show me people like a friend of mine named Burt.
He was several years older than me and we were in the same Scout Troop. He was close to completing his Eagle Scout Award when he was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waste down. He should have quit. That’s what normal people do. He spent two years in rehab and than came and completed his Eagle Scout Award.

Show me people like my brother, Bucky. He had a violent streak. My parents were called regularly when we were in high school because he’d be at some night club flushing some poor souls head down a toilet. He could have continued down that road. He didn’t. He decided to use his God given fight for good rather than evil. He would up a Navy SEAL where he gave his life for a cause greater than himself. These are the kinds of people we need to celebrate.

Hey Clint, when the DVD comes out put an alternate ending on it. Have Maggie do something great. Inspire us by showing us that Maggie’s heart was great – even when her body failed. I know, you’ll probably win an Oscar for making us cry. Next time go for one by inspiring us to be great.