It’s Baby, by a knockout!
Since its quiet release in four cities on Dec. 17,
Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby has been slowly but surely generating praise, garnering
nearly unanimous rave reviews. Rarely does a film live up to its advance
hype, but Baby is
a notable exception, delivering an emotionally powerful tale told with
subtlety and grace.
More than one critic has already embraced the film as
a classic, and, for once, that isn’t an overstatement. Eastwood, in
adapting the short story by F.X. Toole from a screenplay by Paul Haggis,
has taken a well-worn genre and injected it with something vital.
More than a boxing film, Baby is a unconventional tale of love and redemption.
Eastwood stars (in addition to directing, he also produced and scored the
film) as Frankie Dunn, a man who has devoted his life to boxing, earning
the reputation as a top-notch trainer and cut man. Though his expertise
about what happens in the ring is unquestioned, his reluctance to push
fighters up through the ranks makes him a horrible manager. Having just
lost a prime fighter to a big-time promoter, Dunn is ready to simply spend
the rest of his days quietly running the gym he owns with Scrap (Morgan
Freeman), a former fighter. However, the sight of determined fighter Maggie
Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), plus Scrap’s prodding, compels Dunn to
offer his services against his better judgment.
Baby breaks from the pack
of boxing movies by fully developing the backstories of the three
principals, giving us tattered, flawed, and genuine human beings. This is a
film about life and how we should fight the trials we encounter along the
way. And though these characters each contribute a breath of fresh air to
the film, what truly elevates Baby is the deeply affecting twist it contains. What
happens to Dunn and his protégée comes out of left field, and
the film becomes something much more than a superior boxing movie: a
testament to life and love.
Freeman gives his usual rock-solid performance, using
his naturalistic style to great effect in bringing his battered character
to life. Swank simply bristles with energy and breaks your heart with her
determination and enthusiasm. However, it’s Eastwood who proves the
biggest surprise here, portraying a man haunted by his past but capable of
finding the courage to allow someone into his life again.
Also in theaters this week. . .
Alone in the Dark [R]
Investigating the mysterious death of a friend leads paranormal detective
Edward Carnby to “Shadow Island” where the natives worship
demons that plan to take over the world. ShowPlace
West
Assault on Precinct 13 [R] Officer Jake Roenick cobbles together a force made up cops and
criminals to save themselves from a mob looking to looking to kill mobster
Marion Bishop. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Coach Carter [PG-13]
Samuel L. Jackson stars as a high-school basketball coach in Richmond,
Calif., who pushes his players to excel in the classroom. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Elektra [PG-13] Elektra
is dispatched to kill a widower, but changes her mind. Jennifer Garner
stars as the super-heroine with the power to see in the future. ShowPlace West
Finding Neverland [PG] A
fictionalized story about author J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp), author of Peter Pan. Parkway Pointe
Goodbye Lenin [R] Set in
the former Democratic Republic of Germany, Alex’s devoted socialist
mother falls into a coma just before the government collapses. Because of
her weak heart, Alex and his friends conspire to protect her learning that
she now lives in a capitalist, united Germany. Brookens Auditorium (Brookens
Library, UIS) Admission
free.
In Good Company [PG-13]
Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is a middle-aged exec who gets a youthful boss
(Topher Grace). Complicating matters: Foreman’s daughter (Scarlett
Johansson) is dating the boss. ShowPlace West
Hide and Seek [R] After
her mother commits suicide, the daughter of David Callaway finds solace,
then terror, in an imaginary friend. ShowPlace
West, ShowPlace East
Hotel Rwanda [PG-13]
Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) is a hotel manager who hides more than a
thousand Tutsi refugees during the Rwandan genocide. Parkway Pointe
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events [PG] Three kids are sent to live with a distant relative
(Jim Carrey). Trouble is, he’s a greedy guy intent on getting their
family’s fortune. ShowPlace West
The Phantom of the Opera [PG-13] Andrew Lloyd Webber’s take on the story of a disfigured
musical genius who hides in the Paris Opera House. Parkway Pointe
Racing Stripes [PG]
Stripes, an abandoned zebra, grows up thinking he’s a racehorse.
Frankie Muniz is the voice of Stripes. Parkway
Pointe, ShowPlace East
Sideways [R] A failed
writer/divorcé and his best friend, a faded actor, take a weeklong
trip through California wine country, where they explore their failures and
drink wine. Parkway Pointe
White Noise [PG-13] A
man (Michael Keaton) is contacted from beyond the grave by his murdered
wife. ShowPlace West
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2005.
