Best Picture of 2004: Million Dollar Baby

Maggie Fitzgerald has a dream of becoming a professional boxer. However, there is one problem with her dream. It takes years to get to that point, and most start training when they are young. Being 31 years old Maggie is too old to accomplish that dream now. At least what is what gym owner, and boxing manager, Frank Dunn has told her. Frank refuses to train girls. He won't do it under any circumstances. However, Frank can't help but be pulled toward her to coach her. He tries to pawn her off to another manger at his gym but when he goes to see her fight he does not like how Maggie is being taught. Frank takes over as manager is the in middle of the match and leads her to victory. After many wins, and many first round KO's, Maggie is on her way around the world in the welterweight class. They both seem to be getting what they have need from each other; a coach, a teacher, a parent, a daughter, and a friend. However, not everything lasts forever.

Million Dollar Baby was nominated for 7 Academy Awards and ended up taking home Four of them. After years of being stuck in development Clint Eastwood was finally able to gather a budget from two different companies in order to get the movie made. It seemed to have paid off for them because this film in now in the book of one of the best movies ever made. Warner Brothers' bet paid off and took home Best Picture over: Their own movie The Aviator; Miramax's Finding Neverland; Universal's Ray; and Fox Searchlight's Sideways. 

Ok, so I was little unsure about this movie because of Clint Eastwood. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. I know that he does a lot of Westerns and I know that if you are "type cast" into a role like that it's hard to not do anything else like it. I was very shocked by how wonderful this film was! Outside of Eastwood being in the film, I was worried that it was going to be like very other sports film you see. That it would be predictable that the underdog comes in and wins that championship and lives happily ever after. Oh, was a so wrong! From when you meet Maggie you start to realize that yes she is the underdog but this is not going to go how I think it will. It ends up being the beautifully unexpected story that stays with you well after you have watched it. It's about relationships and what they needed in order to fee like they have done something with their rather than needed to be the best at something. If really it one of the most beautiful stories I have ever gotten the privilege to see.