THE GREAT SCRIPT: Million Dollar Baby
(2004; Screenplay by Paul Haggis, based on stories by F.X. Toole;
Directed by Clint Eastwood)
Million Dollar Baby is an incredibly focused story. Haggis
achieves what I call “story cohesion” by making sure that every element
logically flows from strong main dramatic elements and also generates
conflict.
The first level of focus is on Theme -- the theme here is
“self-fulfillment.”
Every character is pursuing self-fulfillment and the character
construction, goals and plot beats reflect this. This pursuit is
most often shown with active devices, i.e. visual devices as opposed to
just being “told” in dialogue. An example of this would be the
letters from Frankie’s estranged daughter, returned to him
unopened. But Haggis knows the letters alone would not be enough
and also represent a generic device, so he builds in
active scenes to illustrate Frankie's inner struggle for fulfillment
(e.g.,
Frankie at church, Big Willie leaving him for another trainer, Scrap
admonishing him for being too controlling when he was a fighter).
Let’s look first at the two main characters...
FRANKIE DUNN (Clint Eastwood): fulfillment as a trainer and
father.
Past: His daughter rejects his attempts to reconcile (the returned
letters, unopened)
Present, negative: Big Willie, his number one fighter, leaves him
for another trainer.
Present, positive: Maggie gives him a second chance as a trainer
and father.
MAGGIE FITZGERALD (Hilary Swank): fulfillment as a boxer and a
daughter.
Past: Her father died when she was young.
Present, negative: Her mother rejects her gift of a house.
Present, positive: Frankie takes her under his wing and pledges to
never leave her.
...and at two of the supporting characters...
SCRAP (Morgan Freeman): fulfillment as a boxer.
Past: He was retired early with an eye injury. Wonders if he
could have made it. (setup)
Present: He defeats Shawrelle (Anthony Mackie) in the ring to
defend Danger. (payoff)
DANGER (Jay Baruchel): fulfillment as a real boxer.
Danger is a supporting character meant to show contrast and color at
the gym. Danger is the boxer who only has the heart, but not the
talent, whereas Shawrelle has the talent but no heart, and Maggie has
both. So we see how the other boxers are written so as to
highlight what makes Maggie special (again, using active, shown devices
for character development and plot progression).
The story pushes Frankie and Maggie to a FINAL DECISION. The
catalyst for this final decision is the big beat, the crippling of
Maggie, which is initially shocking to any first-time audience
member. But it is the perfect method into showing how she has
truly been fulfilled by her experience with Frankie and to force
Frankie to decide between his own selfish needs and the best wishes of
his adopted daughter.
Frankie tells Maggie that he has plans for her when she gets out of the
hospital. Maggie tells Frankie that she saw the world, she heard
people chanting her name, she fought for the title. That’s
enough. She can die now.
Maggie is a young woman who was left by the only man who ever loved
her: her daddy. Frankie is an older man whose daughter left
him. They give each other a second chance, the possibility of
redemption. In the end, Frankie makes his final decision, the
ultimate conflict: to decide to allow his most beloved to die. In
essence, to give up his salvation for Maggie. For a man who’s
been paying for his past sins for decades, it is this final, most
painful act that redeems him.
-Daniel Calvisi
www.actfourscreenplays.com
copyright (c) Daniel Calvisi 2005-2006
-back to TIPS INDEX