3. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Maggie Fitzgerald shows up at a run down LA gym and boxing club run by Frankie Dunn. She begs him to train her, and initially sceptical by the thought of training a girl to box, he refuses but eventually gives in, impressed by her enthusiasm. Maggie starts winning welterweight fights but receives no support from her white trash family. Frankie always teaches her how to protect herself from harm in the ring but in a million dollar fight against a German boxer, she gets sucker punched from behind, falls against her stool and breaks her neck, leaving her quadriplegic. Her greedy family try to take her money but their attempts are negated. Maggie is in a rehab facility. Her leg is amputated and she talks Frankie into killing her with an injection of adrenaline. I have a close family member who is a quadriplegic through a sporting accident and I know the terrible tragedy that it is - not just for the person injured - but the family members too. Of course, Hilary Swank won an Oscar, not just because of her incredible performance, but also because the Academy loves to reward people who portray characters with a disability. The ending of the film is vey sad and presumes that quadriplegics have nothing to live for. This is not true - my family member has adapted to her life with immense grace and courage and I would say she is content in her life - she does the best to her abilities. There is no hope for Maggie in the film, it doesn't even explore some ways she could live her life despite being disabled. Her family suck and to add insult to injury, Maggie has to have an amputation. It is a film with such depressive tendencies, I don't think I could watch it again. Not just because of my personal life but because the film promises you the world and then smashes it to bits relentlessly in front of your eyes.