| (07.26) | Lady in the Water  |
| (05.21) | Da Vinci Code, The  |
| (05.06) | United 93  |
| (02.05) | King Kong  |
| (01.29) | Syriana |
| (01.24) | Walk the Line |
| (01.05) | Chronicles of Narnia, The: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe  |
| (01.02) | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
| (12.30) | Jarhead |
| (12.27) | Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit |
| (12.05) | randy: Polar Express, The |
| (12.02) | Geoff: Polar Express, The |
| (07.27) | Jen: Lady in the Water |
| (07.27) | Justin: Lady in the Water |
| (07.12) | Sarah: Da Vinci Code, The |
| (05.25) | Chris: Da Vinci Code, The |
| (05.25) | Acceler8: Da Vinci Code, The |
| (05.21) | Mr Plow: Da Vinci Code, The |
| (05.11) | Sarah: United 93 |
| (05.11) | Bread: United 93 |
Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby surprised me in a lot of ways. To begin with, most of the film could be described as a fairly straightforward rags-to-riches sports movie, with Hilary Swank starring as Maggie Fitzgerald, the determined but inexperienced fighter, and Clint Eastwood as Frankie Dunn, her reluctant and slightly bitter coach. But, I was surprised at how good it all was. More so than lots of other characters in sports movies, I found myself really wrapped up in her pursuit and I really wanted her to succeed.
I was really surprised at how convincing Hilary Swank was in her role. This certainly couldn't have been an easy role to play, the physical challenges of becoming a convincing boxer aside. Maggie is definitely a complex character; alternately stubborn, sweet, naive, determined, kind-hearted, and cocky.
I was surprised at how genuinely great an actor Clint Eastwood is. Of course, a grizzled and bitter boxing coach is perfectly suited to Eastwood's demeanour and style, but he brings an incredible amount of humanity to the character of Frankie. His relationship with Maggie grows to become very much one of a father and daughter, and Eastwood brings their connection to life. I was also surprised at how well-directed the film is. Eastwood (who also directed the film... and who also wrote the score, by the way) shoots the film simple and to-the-point. It's almost 'bare-bones' filmmaking, but it suits the characters and the story they're populating.
The biggest surprise comes a little later into the film, when Million Dollar Baby suddenly becomes much more than just a boxing movie. It's at this point that the characters really take over from the sport, and the relationships built in the first part of the movie are tested in extreme ways. Perhaps the biggest compliment to give to a movie like this is that, faced with incredibly difficult decisions, the characters react in ways that we believe they really would, and not just in ways that suit a screenplay.
Don't pass it up this movie just because it might seem like a chick-flick boxing movie. Million Dollar Baby is a lot more than that, and it's all-around surprisingly good.
I saw this movie with Geoff and a few others..and I must entirely agree that this was an outstanding movie. Hillary Swank and Clint Eastwood were great casting choices, not to mention the slick narration essentially by Morgan Freeman. More than anything, as an observer, there was a point in the movie where the director could have turned a good hard nosed movie into somewhat of a chick flick, and luckily Clint restrained the obvious development of the relationship between the fighter and her coach...because easily an alternative relationship could have been constructed during the film, which could have been forcasted by many...its as if they took you to the edge of what you were expecting as a sub plot...and cut you off....things are implied...great film.
We could've done with that isngiht early on.
It's strange that I don't cook Kristyn because my mom DID actually teach me to as a child (which was pretty awesome since she was a single mom). But we mostly cooked casseroles, which to this day I can make with ease. When it comes to cooking actual meat entrees with additional side dishes, that's when I start to get flustered. Honestly though, I think if Clint WASN'T able to cook, I would probably rise to the challenge and become the chef in our family. It's easy to play helpless when your spouse is already so efficient at something and doesn't mind doing it. I remember you couldn't cook back when you lived in Cali, but once you married Matt, it sort of became a necessary skill for you to learn, LOL.Teri IS amazing, Niecy. I couldn't ask for a better mother in law. That's great that you and John are both so apt in the kitchen! I often feel guilty that Clint prepares almost all of our meals. He swears up and down that he loves doing it, but the traditional "domesticated" woman buried deep within me cries out that it should be ME serving my family. But then the hungry, lazy me just gobbles it all up with a smile.
It's strange that I don't cook Kristyn because my mom DID actually teach me to as a child (which was pretty awesome since she was a single mom). But we mostly cooked casseroles, which to this day I can make with ease. When it comes to cooking actual meat entrees with additional side dishes, that's when I start to get flustered. Honestly though, I think if Clint WASN'T able to cook, I would probably rise to the challenge and become the chef in our family. It's easy to play helpless when your spouse is already so efficient at something and doesn't mind doing it. I remember you couldn't cook back when you lived in Cali, but once you married Matt, it sort of became a necessary skill for you to learn, LOL.Teri IS amazing, Niecy. I couldn't ask for a better mother in law. That's great that you and John are both so apt in the kitchen! I often feel guilty that Clint prepares almost all of our meals. He swears up and down that he loves doing it, but the traditional "domesticated" woman buried deep within me cries out that it should be ME serving my family. But then the hungry, lazy me just gobbles it all up with a smile.
It's strange that I don't cook Kristyn because my mom DID actually teach me to as a child (which was pretty awesome since she was a single mom). But we mostly cooked casseroles, which to this day I can make with ease. When it comes to cooking actual meat entrees with additional side dishes, that's when I start to get flustered. Honestly though, I think if Clint WASN'T able to cook, I would probably rise to the challenge and become the chef in our family. It's easy to play helpless when your spouse is already so efficient at something and doesn't mind doing it. I remember you couldn't cook back when you lived in Cali, but once you married Matt, it sort of became a necessary skill for you to learn, LOL.Teri IS amazing, Niecy. I couldn't ask for a better mother in law. That's great that you and John are both so apt in the kitchen! I often feel guilty that Clint prepares almost all of our meals. He swears up and down that he loves doing it, but the traditional "domesticated" woman buried deep within me cries out that it should be ME serving my family. But then the hungry, lazy me just gobbles it all up with a smile.