--- title: "Million Dollar Baby: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/million-dollar-baby/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/million-dollar-baby" critics_score: 89 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Million Dollar Baby (2004): what the critics said Critics' score 89 from 9 reviews: 9 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are consistently positive, with praise centred on Eastwood’s restrained direction and the three lead performances. Most critics see a character-led drama whose boxing setting allows a close examination of disappointment, loyalty and the bond between trainer and fighter. They admire the patient storytelling, economical images and emotional directness. Eastwood’s vulnerability receives particular attention, while the performances of Freeman and Swank contribute to the widely praised intimacy. The differences are chiefly matters of emphasis rather than substantial disagreement, and explicit reservations are scarce. The Evening Standard acknowledges the story’s familiarity but finds that the acting makes it memorable and sensitive. Slant Magazine concentrates on spiritual questions and the trainer–fighter relationship, while The New Yorker stresses stoicism and the sadness conveyed by Eastwood and Freeman. The spread runs from warm approval to emphatic praise, with no clear dissent over the film’s central strengths. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 4/4. 14 December 2004. Critic calls it a masterpiece about an aging fight trainer and a hillbilly girl determined to become a boxer. Praises the clarity and truth in the three central characters and the simplicity of classical storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/million-dollar-baby-2005) ## Empire — Colin Kennedy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). Eastwood delivers another strong drama that stands alongside Unforgiven as a thoughtful exploration of sin and redemption. The film builds to an unexpected emotional gut-punch through its character-focused storytelling and strong performances. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/million-dollar-baby-review/) ## Film Comment — Amy Taubin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2005. The critic praises Eastwood's direction of this tough, grief-laden film that begins as a bittersweet boxing story but ends in profound emotional territory akin to King Lear. She singles out the tender, vulnerable performance by Eastwood himself as the broken-down trainer Frankie Dunn, who finds a second chance at fatherhood. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/staying-power-clint-eastwoods-million-dollar-baby/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2004. Hails it as Eastwood’s most touching and elegiac work, a lean, emotionally daring tale of dreams and their cost with exceptional acting from the leads. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-dec-15-et-million15-story.html) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2004. Calls it the best major-studio movie of the year, a quiet, intimately scaled three-person drama with patient style, visual thrift and emotional directness. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/15/movies/3-people-seduced-by-the-bloody-allure-of-the-ring.html) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 3.5/4. 8 December 2004. Eastwood delivers another act of faith with this lyrical, stoic tale of broken dreams and spiritual reckoning in the boxing world. The film excels in its existential take on the sport and the nuanced father-daughter dynamic between trainer and fighter. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/million-dollar-baby/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2004. Eastwood's boxing drama transforms an underdog sports story into an intimate, haunted tale with a somber noir texture and unexpected optimism. The three leads, especially Eastwood, deliver superb performances that give the film quiet soul. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/million-dollar-baby-1798200237) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2004. Places it on the honor list of great fight films for its stoicism and restraint; notes the beautifully modulated sadness achieved through Eastwood and Freeman's performances. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/12/20/high-rollers) ## Evening Standard — Derek Malcom Rating 4/5. 10 April 2012. Eastwood excels as both actor and director in this well-crafted sports drama with a surprising emotional turn. The lead performances from Eastwood, Freeman and Swank elevate the familiar story into something memorable and sensitive. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/clint-packs-a-big-punch-7383551.html) ## IndieWire 11 January 2005. The film is a powerful drama about an aging trainer and a determined female boxer who form a deep bond. The critic highlights Eastwood's direction and the performances that elevate the story beyond typical sports films. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/shadow-boxing-clint-eastwoods-million-dollar-baby-78451/) ## Screen Daily 7 December 2004. Eastwood delivers one of the year's best US films with a melancholy, beautifully judged three-hander showcasing his gifts for storytelling, characterisation and studies of human frailty. The three lead performances are outstanding. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/million-dollar-baby/4021216.article) ## The Guardian — Philip French 16 January 2005. Eastwood delivers one of his finest, most mature films as both director and actor, following Mystic River with this measured boxing drama about an ageing trainer, his loyal friend and a determined young woman seeking redemption in the ring. The film stands out for its unsentimental view of prizefighting as squalid and degrading, its strong performances, and its handling of tragedy and moral questions. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/jan/16/1) ## Time Out — GA Eastwood is at his best in this tremendous movie with nuanced performances from the leads and classical grace and integrity. It is quietly quite magnificent. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/million-dollar-baby) ## Eye for Film — Scott Macdonald 17 March 2005. The critic calls the film a shattering masterpiece and praises Eastwood's concise, powerful direction of pained characters. He singles out the strong performances and efficient storytelling that avoids false sentimentality. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/million-dollar-baby-film-review-by-scott-macdonald) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/million-dollar-baby.md