At ArcLight Cinema, as the lights dimmed, "Million Dollar Baby," "the polar express," "Kinsey," and other films simultaneously began.
Tonight's main event was clearly a showdown between MGM and Warner Bros., but Paramount, Universal, and other companies also joined in, releasing their own films.
However, these were generally not A-list productions, as the current market environment does not allow three A-list productions to be released and compete on the same day.
Although Disney and Warner Bros. desperately wanted to gang up and take down MGM, weaker companies like Paramount, Fox, and Universal still had to consider their own revenue.
So, their current strategy is to besiege MGM with one blockbuster per week. This week it's "the polar express," next week it's Fox's disaster epic "The Day After Tomorrow," and the week after that it's Universal's sci-fi action blockbuster "The Chronicles of Riddick 2."
If I release one big production every week to compete with you, audiences will naturally choose the fresher new releases. Three weeks are enough to stifle MGM's film, especially since "Million Dollar Baby" only cost 30 million dollars to make.
From investment, promotion, cast, and genre, there's no reason for a sports film to win, even with the backing of an old pro like Clint Eastwood.
No matter how good he is, he's an old man now. The primary audience for movies today is young people. True film enthusiasts are a minority; most audiences just follow their feelings. They haven't experienced the Western era and aren't fans of this old man.
Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank?
Heh heh, a perennial supporting actor and an actress who is good but not particularly pretty. How many young people can they attract to the cinema?
"We will definitely win!"
To Eric's right, Nicole squeezed his hand and whispered.
"Of course we'll win!"
Roar.
After the lion's roar, the movie officially began.
As a sports film, "Million Dollar Baby" has a simple but profound plot, and it deviates from the traditional tropes of commercial movies.
"People love violence!"
"They slow down at a car crash to look at the bodies."
"These people love violence, and they also claim to love boxing."
"But they don't understand what real boxing is!"
"It's about dignity. You earn your dignity, and you take away your opponent's dignity."
At the beginning of the film, during Morgan Freeman's deep narration, a fierce match unfolds in the boxing ring, shown from an overhead shot.
Finally, as he finished his last sentence, the match also reached a conclusion.
Morgan Freeman has a nickname, he is called the man with the voice closest to God, so many movies like to have him narrate, or even play God directly.
This match showcased the rich coaching experience of the protagonist, Frankie Dunn, played by Clint Eastwood. His crucial role helped his protégé win the match.
And after the match, the protagonist Maggie, played by Hilary Swank, appeared. She is a 31-year-old woman.
She started working at 13 and is still waiting tables in a restaurant today, but she has a dream: to stand in the boxing ring and win a championship belt.
For this, she secretly packs up leftover meat from customers to supplement her nutrition. When discovered, she can only awkwardly say she's taking it home to feed her dog, unaware that she is that dog.
After seeing Frankie on TV, Maggie believed this old coach could help her become a real boxer, so she came to him for help.
"Coach Frankie, I'm Maggie, a boxer. I've fought and won amateur matches. Have you seen any?"
Frankie didn't even look at her and walked away, saying, "Miss, do I owe you money?"
"No!" Maggie hurried to catch up.
"Did I have an affair with your mother?"
"Huh? I wish you had, then you should train me."
"What?"
"I want you to be my coach, train me, and make me a professional boxer!" Maggie said with anticipation.
Frankie snorted, somewhat disdainfully, and said, "I don't train girls."
"Maybe you should watch my matches. I hit hard, everyone says so."
"Girl, hitting hard isn't enough for boxing!"
Frankie left Maggie with that conclusion and walked away with his beloved protégé.
The next day, in Frankie's old boxing gym, the camera focused on a young man played by Jay Baruchel.
He was full of passion for boxing, quickly throwing punches and excitedly shouting, "I'm Bucky the boxer, nicknamed 'Danger Kid,' and I'll be the lightweight champion!"
But then he was brutally beaten by a character played by Anthony Mackie in a cameo, his spirit instantly crushed, and he ran away crying.
In contrast, Maggie, to gain Frankie's approval, paid six months' tuition with her saved wages and practiced alone in the gym. Her solitary figure caught the attention of Frankie and Eddie, played by Morgan Freeman.
But an expert can tell at a glance that Maggie has not received any professional training. Her so-called ferocity is just a natural, instinctive reaction.
However, Frankie's current attention was entirely on his favorite disciple, and he was getting annoyed by Maggie.
Instead, Eddie, who was also a former boxer, saw in Maggie the excellent quality of persistent pursuit of her dreams.
At this point, 20 minutes into the film, the plot could be described as uneventful, even clichéd.
Due to the bland storyline, even the three excellent actors had no opportunity to showcase their skills; they couldn't even manage to deliver a strong performance.
In the audience, many people's attention had already started to wander, and several scouts sent by The Big Six couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
"Hehe. It seems the boss worried too much. This looks like a mediocre film, at least so far, there are no highlights."
"It's too clichéd. The script is too clichéd. I can already imagine the rest of the development: Frankie trains Maggie to win the championship, and then it ends happily."
"I guess that's probably it, but unfortunately, Rocky has already worn out that trope. You can't just replicate it by changing the gender."
"Send a text. Tell the boss not to worry. 'the polar express' is a sure win."
"Wait, don't rush. Let's watch a bit more, just in case."
On the big screen, due to the betrayal of his favorite disciple, Frankie and Eddie had an argument.
"I trained him for eight years, eight whole years, and he went to someone else!"
"Frankie, that's because you were holding him back. Willie was already good enough to challenge for the championship, but you made him wait and wait. He's been ready for two years, and honestly, I'm surprised he waited for you for two years."
"I just wanted him to be safe. I was protecting him, not like you back then, rushing into a fight and ending up blind in one eye!"
"But at least I tried. I got in the ring!"
Finally, after more than half an hour into the movie, Frankie began training Maggie.
During their interactions, Frankie's past slowly unfolds. He has a daughter Maggie's age, but due to Frankie's issues, their father-daughter relationship is very strained. He wrote countless letters, but each one was returned by his daughter.
Seeing this scene, many people sighed again, still a clichéd and vulgar plot.
After several months of training, Maggie had her first real fight. Hilary Swank's three months of training were not in vain; her every move was convincing.
Eric gave Swank a thumbs-up across the seats, praising her professionalism, and couldn't help but recall the fear of being dominated by "Sweet Combat."
Maggie is an explosive fighter, indeed remarkably talented, often knocking out opponents with smooth combinations.
She moved between Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle, winning 12 consecutive matches, and finally, there were cheers in the cinema.
This is the kind of plot audiences love to watch. Everyone wants the protagonist to win, to see the protagonist beat down their opponent with a flurry of punches. The sense of satisfaction finally kicked in.
Seeing the audience's reaction, Gadot, Theron, and the other women finally breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, they also found the movie somewhat uninteresting and a bit too boring.
But their man had created such a big spectacle today, and if the movie was truly mediocre, he would surely lose face.
It was then that Hilary Swank finally had an opportunity to showcase her acting skills.
Maggie's nose was broken by an opponent's punch, and the crisp crack and sudden blood made many viewers frown.
But Maggie didn't want to give up the fight, so she asked Frankie to brutally reset her nose.
Unable to resist Maggie's pleas, Frankie stuffed a towel into Maggie's mouth and performed the procedure. Hilary Swank perfectly portrayed the pain of the process, making every viewer's hair stand on end, as if their own nose had been broken.
"Deep breath!"
"What?"
"Suck the blood back! You must knock out your opponent within 20 seconds!"
With a belief in victory, Maggie endured the severe pain and exploded, and many viewers relaxed the moment she knocked out her opponent.
Following this, Maggie prepared to go to Europe for a competition, and Frankie custom-made a cloak for her, on which was written a Gallic phrase — "Mo Chuisle!"
And Maggie lived up to expectations, defeating her opponent again. The female lead activated her cheat, and the movie seemed to suddenly enter a "feel-good" mode.
She brought Frankie to the restaurant where she and her father used to eat as a child, symbolizing their father-daughter-like bond.
In contrast, Maggie's family were all leeches, spending the money she earned by fighting for her life, yet showing no gratitude, further highlighting the preciousness of their bond.
90 minutes into the film, the female lead also faced her championship challenge.
The audience was eager, somewhat anticipating the upcoming battle. A half-hour boxing match, it was sure to be exciting.
Maggie's opponent was played by professional boxer Lucia Rijker, a true champion-level boxer hired by the production team.
Her professional record was 36 wins in 37 fights, earning her the nickname "female Tyson." She was all muscle, with a fierce and powerful fighting style.
Once the match began, Maggie was immediately on the defensive, which made the audience a bit anxious, but it didn't matter because everyone knew she would soon beat her opponent, just like Rocky.
The plot indeed unfolded as the audience expected. Under Frankie's guidance, Maggie seized her opponent's weakness and unleashed a barrage of punches, leaving her opponent no chance to retaliate.
"Yeah!"
"That's it!"
Many audience members excitedly shouted, then quickly quieted down to focus on the movie.
But just as the audience thought Maggie would press her advantage and completely defeat her opponent to win the championship belt.
Her opponent suddenly attacked from behind, knocking Maggie down with a punch. Her head suffered a secondary impact, and she collapsed in the boxing ring.
Then the scene shifted, and Maggie lay in a hospital bed, quadriplegic, her life ruined.
At this moment, not only the audience on screen but also the audience outside the screen fell silent.
What does this mean? This plot isn't right.
Why isn't it following the usual script?
Shouldn't the female lead win the championship belt? What the hell is being paralyzed by someone?
"I get it, the female lead will definitely stand up again through hard work, and then stage a revenge battle!" Some viewers imagined.
But looking at the time, there's less than twenty minutes left. Isn't that a bit short?
"I think this part should end with Maggie standing up, and then they'll film a sequel for the revenge battle. That must be it."
"Hehe. If the movie is filmed that way, do you think the box office would survive?"
"You're right, it won't work. I'm a bit confused about what the director wants to do."
Nicole frowned, feeling something was amiss, and a sudden sense of crisis came over her.
On the big screen, prolonged immobility caused Maggie's muscles to waste away, her body to shrink, and bedsores to develop under her arms.
This scene was a bit sickening to watch, and the thought of the once vibrant protagonist made one's heart ache.
Frankie sought the best doctors, prayed in churches, tried every method he could think of, but ultimately, nothing worked.
It wasn't until the female lead's legs were amputated due to necrosis that the audience finally gave up their illusions. Everyone knew Maggie truly couldn't stand up again.
The blow of reality made Maggie seek release. Better to die standing than to live kneeling!
She bit her tongue to commit suicide, but the doctor discovered her and stitched the wound. Frankie also realized that this woman did not want to spend her life in a hospital bed.
This part of the plot once again showcased Hilary Swank's acting to the fullest. The grief, despair, unwillingness, and stubbornness of facing death were all expressed on her face.
"I can't go on like this anymore. I've experienced everything in life, seen this world."
"People shouted my name, they cheered for me."
"I never hoped for any of this to happen. Better to burn out than to fade away."
"Frankie, I don't want to force you to do this, but I've already gotten everything I wanted."
"I don't want my dignity taken away!"
At the bedside, the two had a heart-to-heart conversation.
Frankie also revealed the meaning of Mo Chuisle — My darling, my blood and flesh!
At this moment, many viewers felt a heavy blow to their hearts, and their eyes welled up.
Knowing what Mo Chuisle represented, Maggie's last wish was fulfilled, and tears fell from the corners of her eyes.
After gently kissing her cheek, Frankie turned off Maggie's ventilator, injected her with medication, and personally sent her out of the world.
After seeing Maggie off, Frankie himself disappeared without a trace; no one ever saw the old figure again.
Eddie, meanwhile, stayed in the gym, waiting for his friend's return, though he didn't know if Frankie would ever come back, or if he had already died somewhere.
Just as many viewers were feeling distressed, the gym door was pushed open.
The Danger Kid who had left earlier returned.
"Sir, I think you were right. Everyone experiences failure, but I still want to win the gold belt."
"Then go train. You've been idle for a while."
"I'm Bucky the boxer, nicknamed 'Danger Kid,' and I'll be the lightweight champion!"
Finally, the movie seemed to conclude with a rekindled sense of hope.
Rustle, rustle.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
When the lights came back on, the audience spontaneously applauded.
Watching Hilary Swank take the stage to express her gratitude, Nicole applauded and sighed.
"Eric, I suddenly felt a bit worried just now, and now I understand why."
"Hmm?"
"She will be a strong contender for the Oscar next year."