Comments on: In Defense of Million Dollar Baby

By: Ales Rarus - A Rare Bird, A Strange Duck, One Funky Blog » Million Dollar Baby, Part II: Mo’ “Mo Cuishla”

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 20:10:29 +0000

[...] Since my first post regarding Million Dollar Baby ("MDB"), I've had some discussions with Funky Dung and have seen some feedback from other bloggers. I'd like to add a few more points. I'd like to discuss this movie in the context of Eastwood's other two biggest movies, Unforgiven and Mystic River, and talk about how I'd like to see pro-life and disability-rights advocates use this movie. [...]

By: ELC

ELC — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Euthanasia: "The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from InfoSoft International, Inc. All rights reserved."

It seems to me, then, that SHE committed suicide by HIS act of euthanasia.

By: dlw

dlw — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I didn't see too many hints of perfectionism in Maggie and I am someone who struggles with perfectionism. She was no doubt driven to want to overcome her family background to succeed and boxing was her only chance.

I don't see that as perfectionism. Its more like having a sense of calling and having it fulfilled and once that was over, there wasn't much else for her in this lifetime.

I mean I'm a person who grew up feeling very awkward with my physical movements and who dedicated myself to the life of the mind from an early age. Maggie was the opposite and that's okay. But while I could see myself persisting in reading and writing in a situation like Maggies at the end, I don't think someone with a kinesthetic orientation could handle being paralyzed from the neck down with a leg missing.

For me, its one of those you need to walk a thousand paces in another's moccasins type of deal. Modern medicine helped her to say goodbye to Dunn and to find out how much he loved her, but it need not keep her life prolonged indefinitely when in the more natural course of things she would die.

dlw

By: Donna Marie Lewis

Donna Marie Lewis — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I haven't seen it, but here is a commentary from someone who has…." 'Seeing "Million Dollar Baby" From My Wheelchair

By: dlw

dlw — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I read Diane Coleman's article. I don't see MDB as saying that people like her should choose to die rather than live. I think the key here is that Maggie's gift/desire in life revolved around her overcoming her poor-trash background and succeeding with the one talent that God had given here. She accomplished this goal, thanks to Clint's character. When the accident happened, she did not have the same gifts as Diane did and was ready to go home.

It was not suicide, it was accepting the tragic, but natural, consequences of the other female boxer's actions, that were delayed by the extensive use of modern technology. And Clint's character made sure that she would die peacefully.

But for me, I think even more important was the poor quality of the pastoral role played by the priest.

dlw

By: dlw

dlw — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I wrote my own reaction to Eastwood's interview at my blog, the Anti-Manicheist, here.

dlw

By: h2

h2 — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I'm glad I already saw it, or that would have ruined the surprise for me — but back to the euthanasia/suicide thing: I haven't been able to understand all the harsh criticism either.

What Jerry says about it is all true, and the simpler point I've been making to people (part of what Jerry has written) is that the movie doesn't glorify these things. Anyone who pays attention to the film, as opposed to skimming through the talking points, will notice this much about it. But perhaps it's the movie's fault for not being as overly simplified as the rhetoric some people have been spewing about it.

Thanks for posting this, and thanks to Jerry for writing it. It's good analysis.

By: dlw

dlw — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Maggie's severe loss of functionality and early death stem from the rival boxer's action, not from Dunn's action. Her death was only delayed with the help of much modern day technology and Maggie's character did not want it delayed inevitably and Dunn made it so she would pass in an unpainful manner.

I don't see it is an issue of thou shall not kill, but whether or not thou shall always sustain the life in these jars of clay that we reside in. Once again, from a biblical standpoint all those who have a relationship with God will be resurrected with new bodies, eventually. I don't see this as like a suicide where one turns one back on God and all those around you, presuming that you'd be better off dead.

But hey I'm just an estranged brethen, anyways.

dlw

By: theomorph

theomorph — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Oops. Don't know what I was thinking. There are four kinds of euthanasia, because passive euthanasia can be voluntary or involuntary as well. Duh.

By: Jeremy Pierce

Jeremy Pierce — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

There's also non-voluntary euthanasia, which means without consent but also not against any explicit wishes of the person, e.g. Terri Schiavo, small children, pets. This is most definitely voluntary, active euthanasia. He injects her with something, making it active, and she asks for it, making it voluntary. This is also clearly illegal, since active euthanasia is never allowed except in assisted suicide cases in a few states, and the patient has to do the killing herself.

Clint Eastwood said in an interview that the priest expresses Eastwood's own view and the view the film was trying to get across, so this review gets it right.