I watched quite a few movies back in 2004 and I’ve been revisiting some of them recently.
Million Dollar Baby is not one of the best films of 2004. Overall, I’d have to say Finding Neverland is probably the best overall movie from that year. Still, 2004 was a great year for movies. Phantom of the Opera should have earned a best picture nomination. I’m guessing the Chicago win hurt Phantom. The Aviator was also an excellent movie and far more deserving of a best picture Oscar. I’d also put The Incredibiles right up there.
It is strange, but as a huge film buff who goes to a movie almost every Friday, on opening day, I have never wanted to see Million Dollar Baby. I have still not seen it - even when it hit the cable channels.
First of all, I am not a big fan of boxing, or boxing films.
Secondly, some idiot spoiled the film and let me know how it ended while it was still in the movie theaters.
And lastly, this was one of those films that pretty much gave away the whole plot in the trailer that ran a gazillion times on television and in theaters - and once the ending was spoiled for me, I felt like I had already seen it.
One of those rare, Oscar winning films that I have absolutely no interest in seeing. (Braveheart is the only other one that comes to mind - have not seen it either.)
Aside from a few welcome visual flights of fancy, Neverland is a predictable, by-the-numbers costume weepy. Good cast, all of whom deserve better. As for Phantom?!? Ugh.
My top films of 2004:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (head and shoulders above everything else)
Sideways, Collateral, The Motorcycle Diaries, Before Sunset, Hotel Rwanda, The Incredibles, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Spider-Man 2 and Goodbye, Dragon Inn.
Still, Million $ Baby is the 2nd best (IMHO) of the Pic nominees and a worthwhile enough winner, if not in my personal top 10.
I agree on Million Dollar Baby–good not great. The main problem for me were the seams between the A-story (Eastwood/Swank) and the B-story (Freeman and the other boxers); the two plots never really gelled together, and the film never became more than the sum of its parts.