What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens.

OK. Because I slept late and slept like a boulder and feel much like one sat on my head all night to boot (thank God, for my job’s sake, THIS severe headache – or is it a mild migraine? – hit on a weekend instead of a Monday!), I feel the need to guzzle coffee and tap at a keyboard while the meds kick in, so I’ll try to muster an illustrious hillbilly review of Million Dollar Baby.

*That had to be one of the all-time most grammatically incorrect ‘sentences’ I’ve ever written.* Now, on with my outstanding literary prowess…

Frankly, I HATE boxing. I don’t have even the REMOTEST understanding for how ANYone could consider such barbarism as entertainment. Though I do understand to an extent, how someone could be filled with enough inner rage to actually get off on punching up other people in a legal setting, I would think that after a few broken facial bones and a substantial amount of suffering from the other guy’s punches, that any remotely sane person would come to the conclusion that there MUST be better ways to deal with one’s inner rage. Boxing seems to carry with it, a peculiar dark, dank, seedy feel to it, that, in itself puts me off, not to mention the utter illogic of the sport.

What makes this movie incredible is that the performances by the main characters introduce a very human side to participants in the sport – a side that makes them seem like rather ‘normal’ folk in many ways – folk much like you and I, who just happen to be into an unusual sport. Morgan’s awesome narration makes the peculiarities of such people and their sport seem completely acceptable, even almost understandable. Morgan could play a total shit head in a total BOMB of a movie and still make HIS character stand out as impressive – the man has a real gift. He’s not unusually handsome, but rather ordinary. He’s always soft spoken, but doesn’t sound sophisticated – just ordinary. There’s something about his voice and entire demeanor that makes him always come across as having some quiet, ancient, other-worldly wisdom, that he will only share with those deemed worthy of hearing it. He had the same effect on me in The Shawshank Redemption – I care little for ‘prison’ movies also, but this one made the top of my favorites list, and as always, Morgan’s performance as supporting actor was incredible.

Hillary Swank was incredible in her character. Again, forcing me in my biased arrogance to note that such women who choose to engage in such an UNlady-like sport, CAN be on many levels, not so different than me.

Clint Eastwood.
I had a crush on him as Rowdy as Rawhide’s rugged and rebellious cowhand when I a child. Who DIDN’T love Dirty Harry in the days of Dirty Harry? My favorites though, were the Eastwood spaghetti westerns. I guess because I was raised on Rowdy, the western characters just always seemed to suit him best, in my mind.

In Million Dollar Baby, it’s difficult for me to give an objective assessment of Clint’s performance – he reminded me so much of my own beloved and SORELY missed dad, in so many ways. What can I say about the man – he was awesome, as always – perhaps one of his BEST performances EVER.

When I was younger, I used to wonder how shriveled up old folks could really enjoy sex, since it’s a very physically and visually oriented activity, and few really old folks are overwhelmingly physically attractive. But as I grow older myself (how apropos!), I’m beginning to recognize that there are qualities in people that can so utterly transcend the physical aspects of their mortal identities, so as to make the mortal level of their being seem completely insignificant. Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are 2 such men. I could TOTALLY see any woman of any age being in utter BLISS as they share every aspect of their lives with such incredible men.

This movie is not about boxing. It’s about complex, interpersonal relationships. It’s about life and death and all the hard and happy stuff in between. It’ll leave you in tears. But it will also leave you with the peace of being reminded that for everything, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. It’s all a part of the journey, and the journey is what you make it.

Million Dollar Baby was an AWESOME film. Be forewarned, it’s HEAVY – be sure to have Kleenex and a lighthearted comedy on hand to follow it with! But it is SOOOO worth the viewing – one I would HIGHLY recommend to everyone.