#8 – Million Dollar Baby
Hilary Swank and Clint Eastwood shine in this tale of Maggie (Swank), a young girl from a poor family who rises to the top of the women’s boxing world with the help of cantankerous coach Frankie (Eastwood). Tragically, just as Maggie reaches her peak at her first title fight, a sore loser punches her from behind. Maggie breaks her neck on a corner stool and is left paralysed from the neck down. After months of torment, poor treatment by her grasping family and the eventual loss of her leg due to poor circulation, Maggie begs Frankie to end her suffering. He does, injecting her with an adrenaline overdose before disappearing into the night. Directed by Eastwood, this film was released in 2004 to critical acclaim and received four Oscars. The ending is devastating, but it is a great story.