Come January 1st, Netflix will be bringing in a huge stash of new content to its library, ranging from classics to recent hits to their own original content. Films arriving on the streaming service on the first day of the new year include the entire Indiana Jones film franchise, Babel, Black Hawk Down, City Of God, Happy Feet, Hell Or High Water, Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, Pulp Fiction, Swingers, Tears Of The Sun, The Addams Family, The Dark Knight, The Departed, and Watchmen. All that is arriving on the first day alone.
However, the bad news is some films have to leave. Therefore, I took it upon myself to give you quick reviews of films you should view before they leave Netflix forever (or until Netflix decides to bring them back). One of those films is Clint Eastwood’s 2004 Academy Award winner Million Dollar Baby.
In 2004, Eastwood had already made a habit of directing films he starred in, including his first Oscar winner Unforgiven. This story, written by Paul Haggis (Crash, Casino Royal) based off of stories by F.X. Toole, tells the tale of Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a boxer who seeks out hardened trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) to help her go pro. Under the tutelage of Dunn and Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris (Morgan Freeman), Maggie climbs the mountain in the women’s boxing circuit. At first, the film comes off as a simple “cheer on the underdog” boxing story. However, the film takes an emotional twist and touches on a much deeper topic. Released during a time when the mainstream news was covering the ongoing debate regarding the Terri Schiavo case, Million Dollar Baby takes a daring turn in its story. A turn that captures amazing performances by its cast and leaves the audience emotionally connected to the film’s characters.
Million Dollar Baby took home four Oscars at the 2005 Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Swank), Best Supporting Actor (Freeman), Best Director (Eastwood) and Best Film. If you have the time for an emotional film about a boxer and her trainer, or if you’re a fan of Eastwood-directed films (like Mystic River and American Sniper), fit this one in before it leaves the library.
Million Dollar Baby is available on Netflix until January 1st.