10 Happy Endings To Improve Depressing Movies

5. Million Dollar Baby

Million Dollar Baby Belt
Warner Bros. Pictures

What Actually Happens

It's your classic plucky underdog sports flick, as Hilary Swank's Maggie Fitzgerald looks to reach boxing super-stardom with the help of a typically cantankerous, initially reluctant Clint Eastwood.

Her apogee comes suspiciously early in the film's run-time, and then - BAM! - she's illegally blindsided in her million dollar fight, tragically landing head-first on an evil chair, which renders her quadriplegic.

But wait, there's more! The film has a further sucker punch in store as Maggie, leg amputated and estranged from her family, asks to be euthanised by her manager. As it's a film which doesn't pull its punches, she is.

What Should Happen

Ordinarily in these sort of genre movies, the afflicted sportsperson heroically fights their way back from injury, often miraculously so, going on to win the top belt/cup/ornamental teapot in their field.

So too does Maggie, despite having one leg. Frank adopts her too, because why not? No tears here: All's well that enswell. (sic)

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Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.