Million Dollar Baby

Do it!

You got him! You got him!

I only ever met one man I wouldn't wanna fight.

I can't stop that.

Get out of here, you useless tit.

When I met him, he was already the best cut man in the business.

Can you stop it?

Started training and managing in the '60s, but he never lost his gift.

No.

Let me have a look at him.

He's fine. He's fine.

He ain't if you don't stop this bleeding.

I'll give you one more round.

-Seconds out. Let's go. -What do we do? Tell me what to do.

You let him hit you.

Sometimes there's just nothing you can do.

Cut's too wide, too close to the bone.

Maybe you got a severed vein...

...or you just can't get the coagulant deep enough.

-Come on! -Break. Break.

There are all kinds of combinations you come up against...

...down in the different layers of meat...

...and Frankie knew how to work every one.

-That's it! Come on! -What are you doing?

Knock him out, Willie!

People love violence.

They'll slow down at a car wreck to check for bodies.

Same people claim to love boxing.

They got no idea what it is.

Boxing is about respect.

Getting it for yourself...

...and taking it away from the other guy.

I'll warm up the car.

Mr. Dunn?

I owe you money?

No, sir.

I know your mama?

Don't rightly know, sir.

-Then what is it you want? -I was on the undercard.

I won my fight too. Maggie Fitzgerald.

Well, Maggie Fitzgerald, what's up?

-Did you happen to see it? -Nope.

I did pretty good.

Thought you might be interested in training me.

I don't train girls.

Maybe you should. People see me fight say I'm pretty tough.

Girlie, tough ain't enough.

It's a mistake.

Car should be able to back up, Frankie.

Just push, will you?

-What did Hogan want? -Offered us a title shot.

About time.

I turned him down flat.

Two or three more fights, you'll be ready.

Been two or three more fights for a long time now, Frankie.

Look, Willie, you get one shot at the title.

You lose it, it may not come around again.

Now, two or three more fights and we'll be ready.

Whatever you say, Frankie.

Frankie liked to say that boxing is an unnatural act...

...that everything in boxing is backwards.

Sometimes...

...best way to deliver a punch is step back.

Well, do your best, Lord...

...protect Katy.

Annie too.

Other than that...

...you know what I want, there's no use me repeating myself.

But step back too far, you ain't fighting at all.

-Bye. -Bye.

Father, that was a great sermon. Made me weep.

What's confusing you this week?

Oh, it's the same old one-God-three-God thing.

Frankie, most people figure out by kindergarten it's about faith.

Is it sort of like Snap, Crackle and Pop all rolled up in one big box?

You're standing outside my church comparing God to Rice Krispies?

The only reason you come to Mass is to wind me up.

-It won't happen this morning. -I'm confused.

-No, you aren't. -Yes, I am.

Then here's your answer: There's one God.

Anything else? Because I'm busy.

-What about the Holy Ghost? -He's an expression of God's love.

-And Jesus? -Son of God. Don't play stupid.

What is he then? Does that make him a demigod?

There are no demigods, you fucking pagan!

-Did you write your daughter? -Absolutely.

Now you're lying to a priest.

You know what? Take a day off, don't come to Mass tomorrow.

Some people would say the most important thing a fighter can have is heart.

Frankie would say, "Show me a fighter who's nothing but heart...

...and I'll show you a man waiting for a beating. "

Think I only ever met one fighter who was all heart.

My name's Dangerous Dillard Fighting Flippo Bam-Bam Barch...

...out of Broward County, Texas!

Danger showed up a couple of years back.

He'd come visiting L.A. with Ervel, his mama's new boyfriend.

Apparently Ervel got lost and ended up back in Texas.

Danger looked for him for about a week before he introduced himself.

Hey, you know, I gots nothing against niggers.

Well, that's nice to hear.

Yeah, lots of people where I comes from does...

...but my mama taught me not to cause hurt to no man...

...niggers or not.

You got a nice mama. Anything else I can do for you?

Just one of those questions you ask...

...but Danger wanted to give it his best answer.

Well, sir, I'd likes to become the welterweight champion of the world.

And I challenge the Motor City Cobra...

...Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns...

...to fight me for the welterweight championship of the whole world!

Yo, Flip, shut up, man! You ain't even ranked.

You gotta have at least one fight to be ranked.

Hey, I'll fight any man, anytime!

Hey, you a bad man, huh?

Get in the ring. Go a round with me.

-Shawrelle. -I will.

Leave him alone.

Danger, you go on back to training.

Will do, Mr. Scrap.

Them's some nice tights, Danger.

I'll give you that ass-whupping later, Olive Oyl.

Hey, bro, those pants look real pretty on you.

Give his mama back her tights.

Shawrelle Berry had a left hook that would move a tank...

...but he had a heart the size of a split pea.

Frankie bought the Hit Pit from Bobby Malone 17 years ago.

Bobby wanted to move to Florida, and Frankie wanted some security.

Bobby died while he was packing.

And Frankie found out most gyms lose money.

I thought I told you I didn't want Danger working out here anymore.

He ain't hurting nothing, Frankie.

Well, he's hurting me.

Breaking my heart, watching him punch the air like he thinks it's gonna punch back.

And how many times have I gotta tell you that bleach is bleach?

Why can't you buy the cheap stuff? You don't have to buy the expensive stuff.

It smells better, Frankie.

Bleach smells like bleach.

-Hey, Scrap. -Hey, Mr. Willie.

Hey, nice fight last night.

Nice fight.

-Big Willie. -Hey, Sally.

-Nice fight. -Thanks, man.

People are talking.

What the hell kind of language is that?

What do you want?

I thought you might like to know you got a fighter out there...

...not talking to another manager.

Not talking to another manager?

And not just any manager.

Mickey Mack.

You came in here to tell me that Big Willie is not talking to Mickey Mack.

Not a word. Neither one of them.

I'm trying to read here.

Well, if you think that's more important.

Who's your new girl?

What?

Jesus Christ.

Better hurry up.

She keeps hitting it like that, she gonna break her wrists.

You're wasting your time. I told you I don't train girls.

Thought you might change your mind.

Dozens of trainers train girls. You won't have any trouble finding one.

Don't hardly need a dozen, boss. You'll do fine.

Don't call me boss, now. I'm not your boss, and don't you be calling me that.

-Willie, you ready to work? -Anytime.

If I stop calling you boss, will you train me?

No.

Then I might as well keep calling you it.

She came from southwestern Missouri...

...the hills outside the scratch-ass Ozark town of Theodosia...

...set in the cedars and oak trees somewhere between nowhere and goodbye.

She grew up knowing one thing: She was trash.

It's for my dog.

She'd come 1800 miles, but Theodosia was still just over the hill.

Working the bag, boss.

I'm not your boss. And that bag's working you.

Give her her money back.

You sure?

-How much did she pay? -Six months.

-Jesus Christ. -No, I'll give it back.

No, don't be a smartass now, will you?

Woman thinks I'll throw away six months' worth of dues...

...just to get rid of her, she's out of her mind.

-But just don't encourage her, understand? -Okay.

And what's Danger doing out there? What's he looking at?

Looks like a bottle of water.

He paid his dues?

Dues? Boy can't afford pants. Want him to pay dues?

Get out of my office.

Fuck me.

Can't think of it as a bag.

I'm not a trainer, but I can show you this if you'd like.

Appreciate any help I can get.

What you wanna do is, you wanna think of it as a man, see?

And he's constantly moving.

He's moving towards you, around you, away from you. All right?

Don't hit him when he's coming towards you because he's just gonna push you back...

...he's gonna smother your punches and take your balance, right?

So you watch him real carefully.

Keep rotating. That keeps your head moving.