Voila! Finally, the Million Dollar Baby
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the movie directed by Clint Eastwood and
written by Paul Haggis starring Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Hilary Swank, yadda
yadda This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Million Dollar Baby. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
I've only ever met one man i wouldn't want to fight
when i met him he was already the best cut man in the business
started training and managing in the 's, never lost his gift.
I need to look at him.
He's fine, he's fine.
Even if you dont stop this bleeding
I give you one more round.
Seconds up, lets go.
Wwhat do we do? tell me what to do.
Let him hit you.
Sometimes there's just nothing you can do
cuts too high, too close to the bone,
maybe you got a severed vein,
or you just cant get the cuagulant deep enough.
The're all kinds of combinations
you come up against down in the different layers of meat
and frankie knew how to work every one.
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 momma?
Dont really know sir.
What is it you want?
I was on the inner card,
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 dont train girls.
Maybe you should, people seen me fight say
i'm pretty tough.
Girlie, tough aint 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.
Bout time.
I turned him down flat, or more fights
and you'll be ready.
Been more fights
for a long time now frankie.
Look Willie, you've one shot at the title,
you lose, it may not come around again
or more fights and you'll be ready.
If you say frankie.
Frankie liked to say that boxing was an unnatural act,
that everything in boxing is backwards.
Sometimes best way to deliver punches is step back.
Well dO your best lord,
protect katie... Annie too,
other than that, you know what i want,
there's no use repeating myself.
But step back too far, you aint fighting at home.
Father that was a great sermon.Every week.
What's confusing you this week?
Oh same ol one god tree god thing.
Frankie, most people figure out
by kindergarden it's about faith.
Is it sorta like snap, crackle
and pop all rolled up in one big box?
Your standing outside my church comparing god to rice crispies?
The only reason you can romance at me
is to wind me up,
it's not gonna happen this morning.
Well i'm confused.
No you aren't .
Yes I am.
Then here's your answer,
there's one god,
anything else cause i'm busy?
What about the Holy ghost?
He's an expression of god's love.
and Jesus?
Son of god, dont play stupid.
But who is he then,
does that make him demi god?
There are no demigods you fucking pagan.
Did you write your daughter?
Absolutely.
Now your lying to a priest.
You know what, take a day off,
dont come to mass tomorrow.
Some People 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've only ever met one fighter who's all heart.
My name is Dangerous Dillard fighting flipo bam bam
... out of Broward county Texas.
Dangerous showed up a couple years back,
it comes to everything to LA with errilville,... new boyfriend,
apparently errilville got lost,
and ended up back in Texas.
Danger looked for him,
bout a week before he introduced himself.
Hey, you know, I gots nothing against niggers.
Well that's nice to hear.
Yeah, yeah lots of people where i comes from does,
but My momma taught me not to cause hurt to no man,
niggers or not.
You got a nice momma, anything there is i can do for ya?
Just one of those questions you ask.
But danger wanted to give it his best answer.
Well sir i'd likes to become the welter weight champion of the world,
and i challenge the motor city cobra,
thomas evan earns to fight me
for the welter weight championship of the whole world.
Yo flip shut up man, you aint even ranked.
You gotta have at least one fight to be ranked.
Hey i'll fight any man any time.
Hey you a bad man huh? hey come on get in the ring,
go a round with me.
Sherrile, leave him alone.
Danger, your going back to training.
Will do miss graff.
Oww
Those some nice tights, danger.
I Give you that ass whoopping later olive oil.
Hey bro, Those pants look real pretty on you bro.
Give his momma back her tights.
Sherrile , had a left hook that would move a tank
but he had a heart the size of a split pea.
Frankie....pit from bobby malone yrs ago.
Bobby wanted to move to florida and frankie
wanted some security.
Bobby died while he was packing.
Frankie found out.
Most gyms lose money.
Thought i told you i didn't want danger
working out here anymore.
OH he aint hurting nothing frankie.
But he's hurting me, making my heart watching him punch the air
like it's gonna punch back.
How many times do i got to tell you that bleach is bleach.
Why can't you just buy the cheap stuff,
you always have to buy the expensive stuff.
It smells better frankie.
Bleach smells like bleach.
Hey scruff...
Heya mr buda..
Big willie,
Nice fight.
Thanks man.
Wanna talk?
(studying language outloud)
what the hell kind of language is that?
What do you want?
I just 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, Mickie Mac
You came in here to tell me that
Big willie is not talking to Mickie Mac?
Not a word, neither one of them.
I'm trying to read here.
If you think that is more important.
Who's your new girl?
What?
Jesus Christ.
She keeps hitting it like that
she gonna break her wrists.
Your wasting your time, I told you I dont train girls.
Thought you might change your mind.
There's dozen of trainers who train girls,
you wont have any trouble finding one.
Won't hardly need a dozen boss, you'll do fine.
Dont' call me boss now, i'm not your boss,
and dont 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 just keep calling you it.
She came from southwestern missouri,
the hills outside (...)
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 miles
but the (adultra) was still just over the hill.
Working the bag boss.
I'm not your boss
and that bag is working you.
Give her money back.
You sure?
How much's she paid?
Months.
Christ,
no dont be a smart ass now will ya,
woman thinks i'm gonna throw away months worth of dues
just to get rid of her she's out of her mind,
but just dont encourage her, understand?
What's danger doing out there?
What's he looking at?
Looks like a bottle of water.
He pay his dues?
Dues? boy can't afford pants,
you want him to pay dues?
Get out of my office.
Can't think it was the bag.
I'm not a trainer
but i can show you this too.
I appreciate any help i can get.
What you wanna do is take it to the mat see,
he's constantly moving,moving towards you,
moving around ya,and moving away from ya.
Alright, now you dont want to hit him
when he's coming toward ya
cause what he's gonna do is just push you back
and is gonna smuggle your punches take you by (respect),
so you watch him real carefully,
keep rotating,
that keeps your head moving
and keep one shoulder back
so you're always ready to fire power shot,
alright now go ahead now,good good,
keep rotating,keep moving, that's it,
good good, keep that chin tucked in,
come around keep moving, keep moving, good ...
yeah?
Give it a few shots,
tuck that chin in,tuck that chin in,
that's good, that's good
now you get this down
we'll put you on a speed bag?
You do have a speed bag?
I'll just borrow it til i can buy my own.
Go on home now.
I'll walk out with you?
No i am home, see.
It's nice,
would it bother you much
if i worked a little longer?
Just pull the door closed when you leave.
Thank you.
If there's magic in boxing,
its the magic of fighting battles
beyond endurance,
beyond cracked rips, ruptured kidneys
and detached raetna's.
It's the magic of risking everything
for a dream that nobody see's but you.
Hey flip, hey flippie come here man,
i think i found somebody you can beat.
I dont fights women.
Why not boot, it's perfect boot,
cause you know why,
cause she are you, you could fight to him
and then you could kiss to him,
and then you fight to him one more time.
It's beautiful man,
it's like poetry.
It's like poetry.
You've been reading that shit.
Thanks boss.
That's a girl man?
I'll be damned flipper.
Think your right.
Look at them itty bitty titties,
there like mosquito bites, man there's barely even a mouth full.
Saw your last flash shot Will, spend so much time face down,
I thought the canvas had titties.
Canvas has titties.
Hey Look at me i'm Sherille.
Just humping the canvas, humping the floor.
C'mon bro, the floor having titties
that's funny bro.
Shut up, what you laughing at?
Hold the bag stupid.
Yo when they start
making those tights for men flippie?
Alright that's enough,
that's enough for today.
I'll give you a ride.
Oh i can't frankie, middle's got a piano lesson,
i told Grace i'd drive.
Oh, something wrong with Grace's car?
She hates that car,
wants the old one back but dealer wont do it,
says he already got a buyer.
Oh well maybe i should talk to the dealer?
I'd appreciate that.
Ok.
Thanks.
(...) today doesn't want one.
You ever do any work around here?
Not my job i'd worry about if i was you.
Little girl tends to be coming along.
Yeah, almost like someones been helping her.
She might just be a natural.
Looks like She's got something.
She's got my speed bag,
that's what she's got.
I wonder How the hell she got that.
I wonder.
I'm gonna need that speed bag back.
This bag?
Yes that bag, that's my bag
and if your hitting it people will think i'm training ya.
Is that such a bad thing boss?
Yes, yes it is everytime you touch it
your losing me business out here.
I Got it (didn't) embarassing myself.
Well I can't just lend it to anybody you know.
I understand.
Look you seem like a nice girl,
can i give you some advice?
I'd appreciate that.
Your gonna find a trainer either in this gym
or somewhere else that's gonna wanna train a girl,
it's the latest freak show out there,
but the only trouble is your gonna be
they're wasting your time because your too old.
I dont feel that old.
Well neither do I but you don't see me
fighting yr olds do ya,
it takes about years to train a fighter.
HOw old are you?
until my next birthday.
Well there you go. .
You wouldn't start traing to be a ballerina
at now would ya?
Already been working it for years.
And you can't hit a speed bag?
What kind of training is that?
Never had any boss.
Well i hate to say it but it shows.
SOmebody's gotta be honest with ya.
I hate to be the one to tell you the truth.
Ya, well sorry for using your bag Mr dunn.
Your not gonna cry now are ya?
No sir.
Ya, Here, keep the god damn thing.
No you need it.
No take the bag,
haven't seen it in yrs anyway.
I've had since then,
just uh, just enjoy it will ya?
I'll just borrow it till i buy my own.
Just dont lose it.
I know HOgan, your guy's the champ
so we dont split 's
but if i dont see %,
look you call me back with /
or dont call me back at all.
Hey Willie.
Hey Frankie.
Is something wrong?
I'm sorry to come on your house like this,
I know you dont like people dropping in.
Oh your not people Willie,
your welcome anytime come on in.
I wanted to thank you
for getting Grace's car back.
Oh you dont have to thank me.
Paying an extra dollars for your own car (...) is a favor.
Gracey broke down crying when she saw it.
Really?
I also needed to talk with you about business.
Oh yeah well i just got off the phone with Hogan,
we're all set for september,
everything but the splinter.
I gotta leave you Frankie.
What?
Willie the title is just fights away.
It aint that, it's like you said,
i got one shot,
if i win i got to make as much i can while i can.
I need somebody in the action
that can make things happen,
and i got to make a change before the fight.
Only way this guy said he'd take me is
if he took me to the title.
So i get to the title fight,
and this guy takes you there.
Only way he'd do it, i'm sorry Frankie,
i'm no longer waiting on a title,
I wish you could have been with me.
Mickie mac's a business man,
he can't teach ya nothing.
You already taught me everything I need to know.
There's some things people just dont wanna hear.
And I challenge the motor city cobra,
Thomas Hitman Earns to fight me
for the welter weight championship of the whole world.
Danger, i'm wearing these mits for a reason.
Just working on my foot work mr (name).
Danger you through a punch
you get the hell out of this gym.
Danger, i want you thinking bout that punch i'll brb.
I'm, i'm thinking
how i'm gonna hit it hard for ya mr (name).
No one had the heart
to tell Danger Earns retired years ago.
(language study)
Heard about Willie, it's cold, it's dead cold,
plus it wouldn't be so bad if you weren't so damn old.
Yeah well at least i can see through both eyes.
Mmmhmm didn't do you a lot good tho did it?
Well i got the gym,
dont need to be training fighters at my age.
Willie tell you why?
Cause Mickie, mickie's got the connections.
It aint about connections frankie,
it's about you not believing in him.
Well I found him, I stuck with him for years
how's that for not believing in him.
You could have gotten him a title fight years ago,
now he knew that
i'm amazed he stayed around this long.
Yeah well getting there
and taking home the belt are different things.
What was i supposed to do,
just put him in over his head, not protect him?
Oh you were protecting him from the championship?
Yea.
Well Now that makes sense.
Well What about you scrap,
what did your manager do?
You were a hell of a fighter, a lot better than Willie,
he get you a title fight or ..
did he just bust you out banging your head against other people's fist
until you lost your eye?
I had my shot, I went out swinging
and no man can say i didnt.
Ya well i remember, and excuse me,
If I didn't want my fighter spending the nd half of his life
cleanin up other people's spit.
Ya right, like your the smart one, your the one learning greek.
It's galac.
Well you just protected yourself out of a championship fight,
how do you say that in galac.
Boxing is an unnatural act,
cause everything in it is backwards,
You wanna move to the left, you dont step left,
you push on the right toe,
to move right you use your left toe,
instead of running from the pain
like a sane person would do,
you step into it.
Everything in boxing is backwards.
Cheeseburger?
You bought me a cheeseburger?
Ya.
I never see you buy anybody a cheeseburger.
Well i couldn't eat it,
and i ordered it. You want it?
Well I guess I plan go back to spending.
Did you watch the fight?
Yeah I watched it. Willie did good.
That's what you got to say?
Willie won didn't he? He did good.
So you been working on yourself,
learning to open up that's good work.
You watch it?
Yeah i got HBO.
How could you afford HBO?
How long have i been telling you to save your money?
Ever since i fought Louis typhoon johnson at the stadium club
in tupulo mississippi.
That (...)?
Yeah manager ran off, left you and me to hitch home,
don't you remember nothing?
Well I remember walking half way
and thinking i was gonna be lynched.
I remember you leaving me with my dick in my hand
behind that gas station.
Yeah well i got a ride,
the guy took off before i hardly closed the door,
had to walk back miles.
YOur conscience got the better of you that's why.
What the hells that?
It's her birthday.
Your not breathing right,
that's why your pantering.
So it's your birthday huh, how olds that make ya?
I'm mr dunn,
and i'm here celebrating the fact
that i spend another year scraping dishes and waitressing
which is what I've been doing since
and according to you i'll be
before i can even throw a decent punch
which i have to work on this speed bag
for a month (...) god's simple truth.
other truth is, my brother's in prison,
my sister cheats on welfare
by pretending one of her babies is still alive,
my daddies dead, and my momma weighs lbs.
If i was thinking straight i'd go back home,
find a used trailer,
buy a deep fryer and some oreos,
problem is this the only thing
i ever felt good doing.
If i'm too old for this then i got nothing.
that enough truth to see to you?
This your speed bag?
If yours behind the counter,
wish i could say wheres it at
HOld it, hold it,
i'll show you a few things,
and then we'll get you a trainer.
NO sorry.
Your in a position to be negotiate?
Yes sir, because i know
if you train me right i'm gonna be a champ,
i've seen you looking at me.
Yeah out of pitty.
Dont' you say that,
dont you say that if it aint true.
I want a trainer, i dont want charity,
and i dont want favors,
if your not interested than
i got more celebrating to do.
Stop stop stop, god damnit stop.
What the hell are you doing?
Ok, if i'm gonna take you on...
You wont never regret it.
Look just listen to me...
If i take you on...
I'll promise I'll work so hard.
God this is a mistake already.
mmm mmm i'm listening boss.
If i take you on, you dont say anything,
you dont question me, dont ask why,
you dont say nigger something maybe yes frankie
and i'm gonna try to
forget the fact that your a girl.
It's all i ask.
And dont come crying to me
if you get hurt.Alrighty.
We got a deal.
NO not quite,
I'm gonna teach ya how to fight
then we get you a manager and i'm off down the road.
WEll i hate to argue..
Dont argue with me that's the only way we're doing it
I teach you all you need to know
and then you go off you make a million dollars,
I dont care, get your teeth knocked out, i dont care,
I dont wanna hear about it either way,
that's just the way its gonna be,
its the only way i'll do it.
All right,
Now one of the things i've noticed around the gym
is you never move your feet.
You stand there just flat footed.
You gotta move your feet, that's one of the best things
i'm gonna be able to teach ya.
so here's what you do,
You get yourself, bend your knees,
get in an athletic position,
look like your gonna hit something.
Move em how boss?
Just go hit the bag.
Stop.
What i do wrong?
Ok You did two things wrong.
is you asked a question and is
you asked another question.
Now What i want you to do is not about hitting it hard,
is how good you hit it.
so watch me,
and you can count with me if you want,
just count on a one count.
Can you show me that again?
Just say one please.
One.
Ok one.
One.
ok Yeah just say one,
thats good that's good,
then i move over to my right foot,
you see my weight is shifting to my right foot
then i hit it with the back of my hands,
thin ice, thin ice pick then i come over
and i shift to my left foot,
and i hit it with my right hand,
ice picking it again....
Just do it like that, keep practicing.
You show em how to stand,
keep their legs under their shoulders.
To make a fighter,
you gotta strip em down to bare wood.
You can't just tell em to
forget everything you know,
you gotta make them forget it
in their bones.
make em so tired they only listen to you,
only hear your voice,
only do what you say and nothing else.
Show em how to keep their balance
and take it away from the other guy.
How to generate momentum off your right toe
and how to flex your knees when fire a jab.
how to fight backin up so the other guy
doesn't wanna come after ya,
then you gotta show em all over again,
over and over and over
til they think they were born that way.
Think i'm ready for a fight boss?
Hey, come here.
Your not breathing.
Hate to disagree with you.
Everytime you get into pressure your holding your breath,
now stop doing that.
Ok, but other than that
i'm doing pretty good right?
I mean for a girl.
I dont train girls.
Think i might be ready for a fight boss?
You get a manager and we'll find out wont we.
I'd like to but you been keeping me too busy.
You got any family boss?
What?
You spending all this time with me
I didn't know if you had any?
No, well i got a daughter, katie.
That's family.
WE're not exactly close.
How much she weigh?
What?
Trouble in my family comes by the pound.
Yeah, not very big,
used to be real athletic,
dont know if she kept it up.
So what do you think, Im ready for a fight?
Hey Sally, come here for a minute will ya?
Frankie i need to see you in the back
for a minute ok?
can i see you a minute?
Sally here is a real good manager,
has a couple of golden glove boys,
looking for a girl sally?
Well Looking for a good one.
See there you go.
Nice working with you girlie.
What you want?
Nothing.
My my, i've been watching you work,
you got a hell of a left.
Thank you.
So You wanna give this a try see if it's a fit?
Yeah sure.
Good, cause i think your ready for a fight.
What am i doing wrong Sally?
everytime Im gettin (...) on me.
Your doing great, your wearing her down,
just keep punching.
I aint doing great, i'm losing.
Your wearing her down.
Nice night aint it?
Jesus Christ.
That's (name) washington's girl,
hell of a fighter, - .
Your lefts, keep your left up.
(name) has a lot of good fighters,
gots julia (name) lightweight champ.
Your left damnit.
Wouldn't have been my choice for a first fight
but Sally's a good manager,
must think she can take her.
Jesus age, your left, keep your left up.
You thinks she can hear you from back here?
Course if maggie loses,
wouldn't mean a thing to Sally,
might even help him on his card gets another win,
Lonnie might let Sally lightweight fight
julia (name) for the title.
Sally's trying to set a fight with julia?
Hey what do i know,
i just come cause i enjoy the fights.
My god.
Hey come here, come here,
your dropping your left hand, quit dropping your left hand.
Hey frankie do you mind not talking to my fighter?
Your doing a hell of a job of it sally,
is this the way you advise your lightweight?
Dunn, what the hell are you doing?
I'm talking, what you doing?
Is this your fighter?
It's my fighter.
It aint fitting real well sally.
Fine, you take her,
she can't fight worth a shit anyway.
Somebody tell me what's going on.
Look I was late,
Sally was just subbin for me.
You telilng me that this is your fighter?
Yeah this is my fighter.
Then you got seconds.
Ok,(..) and then
i throw a punch and it keeps dropping.
Let it drop.
That'd be a lot easier.
She thinks she knows you that's all,
everytime you drop it she comes right over the top,
so you just wait for her you see,
that's all she's thinkin about,
and When she cocks that big right hand
do ya hear me?
I hear ya boss.
When she does you step to the side,
come over wit a goodnight hook. YOu got one?
Got it right here.
Fighter i'm calling it.
Ok, go give it to her.
The body knows what fighters dont,
how to protect itself.
A neck can only twist so far, twist it just a hair more
and the body says hey i'll take it from here,
cuz obviously you dont know what your doing.
Neutral corner.
See the way she did that?
Sugar ray would do that.Girls got sugar.
Lie down now, rest and we'll talk about this
when you regain your senses.
IT's called a knock out mechanism.
Dont' get carried away now.
You uh, you forgot the rule,
now what is the rule?
Keep my left up?
Is To protect yourself at all times.
Now what is the rule?
Protect myself at all times.
Good good.
You gave me away
how is that protecting me?
It wasn't.
It's ok, i'll work on my left boss.
Drink your water.
Other than that how'd i do?
Fine, you did fine.
You gonna leave me again?
Never, that place you worked today,
have homemade lemon moran pie?
Sure.
Not the kind with the canned filling crap.
Big can, yaaa size,
says homemade on the label.
I want you to take the weekend off.
It's only thursday.
You gonna argue with me?
Know better than do that boss.
well... good.
All fighters are pig headed someway or another,
some part of them always thinks
they know better than you about something.
can you uh spare a few minutes
for the immaculate conception?
Truth is, even if they're wrong,
even if that one thing
is gonna be the ruin of them,
if you can beat that last bet out of them,
then they aint fighters at all.
Thought i said see you monday?
You Sure did boss.
Was last night.
You said not to argue with ya.
Damn woman wont do a thing i tell her.
Want my advice?
What?
Where are your shoes?
There in a feet.
You got big holes in your socks.
There only not that big.
Didn't i give you money for some new ones?
These are my sleeping socks,
my feet like a little air at night.
How come you are wearing them in the day time then?
Cause my daytime socks got too many holes in them.
Well if i give you some more money
buy some new socks, please?
Well i'd be tempted but,
i couldn't say for sure, might find it's way to the track.
Didn't take maggie long to hit a strive.
I've got the breathing thing down.
Nah you aint breathing right,
cuz your knocking them down in the first round, that's what.
I thought that was the point.
The point is to get good,
you can't get good if you keep knockin em out in the first round,
how am i gonna get you fights?
Nobody wants to see their fighter embarrased.
Why am i still doing rounders box?
Cause you haven't got the lungs
for rounds, that's why.
I do if i keep knocking em out the first round.
Frankie made her fight one more rounder,
just to let her know who was boss.
Sorry boss.
Maggie left no doubt about it.
The first rounder didn't go quite as smooth.
Maggie didn't knock her out
til the end of the first round,
after that no manager wanted to put his fighter in with maggie.
Frankie had to go into his pocket to get a decent fights.
sweeting the purse by paying managers on the side.
That only worked for so long,
then frankie did something he hated doing,
he took a chance.
He moved her up in class,
that could have been a mistake.
Damn, Damn, Damn,
seconds will ya, just seconds.
Your nose is broke.
Dang, fix it.
I can't, i can't.
You can fix it.
I can't, i've gotta call it.
I've seen what you can do, fix it.
Look i can snap it back into place
but i can't stop the bleeding,
the ring doctor's gonna call it.
Please Frankie please stop the blood i can beat her.
By doing this.
Inhale, inhale, breath in.
Ok huh?
Yeah it's okay.
Alright You got seconds before this turns into a geiser
and it's gonna spray all over the front row.
seconds that's all you got,
now get going.
What ya reading?
What she saying?
Wants to know what your reading.
Its Yates, keep your head back.
Why won't ya talk a little yates to her,
show her what a treat that is.
When the hell they gonna get to her?
I'm ok frankie.
What you learn tonight?
Always protect myself.
Whats the rule?
Always protect myself.
Margret Fitgerald?
Here.
I'll be right here.
HOw you doing?
Me?
Yeah you.
I'm not the one who's hurt.
Broken noise dont hurt that much.
Why you telling me that?
No reason.
But some wounds are too deep
or too close to the bone,
and no matter how hard you work at it,
you just can't stop the bleeding.
Did you write your daughter?
Every week.
I've no idea why you come to church.
After a straight knock out,
frankie got a couple of real good offers,
the first was to fight billy the blue bare osterman
for the wba welter weight title.
Billy was a former prostitue out of east Berlin,
had a reputation for being the dirtiest fighter in the ranks.
Didn't seem to matter to her that something like that could kill a person
and the crowds loved her.
He turned her down without even telling her.
The next was to fight, the british champ, the jamaican girl billy just beat.
Hello? Not interested.
He turned that down too.
That's a lot of money boss.
Your making money what are you still working here for?
It's a title match right?
Are you british? It's a title you can't take away,
she's got nothing to lose, you got nothing to win.
Might still be a good fight.
I just brought you up to welter weight,
too good to fight these contenders, you'd rather fight some bullshit champ.
Didn't notice i was fighting any contenders.
Well you can get yourself another manager anytime you want.
Frankly i'd learn to protect your face a lil better wouldn't have to turn
down this money.
My face out there so much, it's a miracle i haven't been knocked out yet
boss.
You can't work here anymore tonight, i made us a reservation,
you uh, might wanna shower.
Here you go, here YOU go.
What's this?
Well it aint no big secret (...) for. Go ahead and blow em.
Thank you.
aint so old, I was still fighting the
fought for years.
How's it going scrap?
Doing good nicky, doing good.
what'll ya have?
Coffee.
You do not speaketh?
Don't hardly know him.
When i met frankie, right after my th birthday
he was picking up cut work,
he used to patch me up when i thought it was impossible, good man to have in
the corner.
Yes he is.
He stayed with me through my last fight in san bernadino too.
My manager was off getting drunk somewhere,
It's just frankie and me.
I was taking a hilacious beating.
Everybody gots a particular number of fights in em,
Nobody tells you what that number is. Mine was
i just didn't want to admit it.
Both rounds cut opens up,
blood starts pouring into my eye,
they should have stopped the fight, but hell i was black man in san
bernadino,
blood was what i was there for, round after round,
i kept getting frankie to patch me up, he's talking bout throwing in the
towel,
but he aint my manager he can't throw in nothing,
round after round he's arguing with me,
i'm almost laughing cause (...) more to him than to me.
I go rounds lose by decision,
next morning i lose the eye.
In years he's never said a thing about it.
Doesn't have to, i see it in his face everytime he looks at me,
somehow frankie thinks he should have stopped that fight,
should have saved my eye,
it's been his life wishing he could take back the th fight,
i wanted to go to
thing is, if you want to get to the title,
maybe he's not the one to take you there.
YOu tells mack i'd be here tonight?
You go on and eat your cupcake.
It's the rule, always protect yourself,
People never take their own advice,
if she was gonna leave frankie, better she did it to him then.
Mr micky mack, i'm maggie fitzgerald,
i hear your a real good manager doing good things for big Willie,
but i'd thought you should know i aint never leaving mr dunn,
so you dont need to make anymore excuses to bump into me,
sorry for interrupting your dinner.
Maggie always did like taking em out in the first round.
The letters always came back marked the same way, "return to sender".
OH i'll make ya some coffee.
What are you doing with your money?
Saving it.
Good girl.
You know you save enough of it you get yourself a new house, cash no
mortgage.
It'll be a while before i can do that.
Yeah well it might be a stretch but, you got to get yourself a place of your
own.
Go around wasting it on things that don't matter and what you got?
Understand? (...) wait long enough, you got nothing.
Ok, as soon as i get the money.
I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, i'm just trying to keep you from
doing the same.
I know boss.
I'm not gonna live forever.
What is it?
It's a tape on that girl in england your gonna fight.
If your gonna go for the title we got some moves...
Hey get the hell down, know how old i am?
Thank you boss, thank you so much.
Here just let me put this in the machine.
What machine?
You dont have a tv huh?
No.
Alright, ok.
minutes love.
Thank you, (...) says he loves me.
Oh he's probably not the first one to say that.
First since my daddy. i win you Think he'll propose?
You win, i'll propose.
Look i got you a gift here.
I think you gave me somebody else's.
NO no this is it.
What's it mean?
I dont know, just something in galac.
It's beautiful.
Ya i thought so, Real silk thread.
She wasn't the main attraction, she was only under card to the middle weight
title fight.
But ask someone who was there, and they couldn't tell you who else fought
that night.
She's tough,
I can't go inside, i can't get close enough to hit her.
You know why that is?
Why?
Cause she's a better fighter than you are that's why,
she's younger, she's stronger, and shes more experienced,
now what are you gonna do about it?
Get in.
I could ask someone you know?
Good, you find out you let me know.
Whatever it meant, the name stuck.
Maggie fought in edinbourough, in paris, brussels, and amsterdam,
it was always molkusha.
Seems there's irish people everywhere or people that want to be.
By the time they came back to the states, maggie was in a whole new league.
After that they got another offer to fight for the title.
What's the split?
/ .
Good we'll take and you take beeing as maggie's the draw.
Ugh, that little girl?
You think i'm wrong really?
You think people are saying that they want to see some scabby crout beat up
on little miss what's her name?
YOu find someone that says that and we'll take the (avita cest)
Well there at / but they'll come up to / .
How's that girl doing?
She's got a concusion, broken ear drum.
she be alright?
And if she isn't?
Maybe i should send her something.
You could send her your check if you'd like, i'm sure she'd take it.
Boss? that lil house we talked bout, I bought it.
Well smart girl.
For my momma. It's only about a mile from where she lives now, no mortgage
just like you said.
Your a good daughter.
She dont know about it yet.
I was hoping maybe we could stay an extra day, drive over there,
i know she wants to meet you.
Yeah, we could do that.
oh my god, momma come on out here, mariane's here.
This is the Johnson's old house.
Not anymore,
It's all yours momma, for you, mardel and the kids.
Marianne you bought this for me?
Yeah all yours free and clear.
Darling.
No fridge, no stove neither.
They'll be here before you move in.
How much money this cost you?
You never mind that.
Well You shouldn't have done this.
YOu needed a decent place.
You shouldn't have done it.
You should have asked me first.
Darling (...) gonna find out bout this house there gonna stop my welfare.
Momma No they ain't.
Yeah they are, your fine, your working but, i can't live with out my
welfare.
Momma i'd send you money.
What about my medicine? Medicaid gonna cut me off, how am i suppose to get
my medicine?
I'd send you more money.
I hope you dont expect JD to move in here with us, he's getting out ya know?
Why didn't you just give me the money? Why'd you have to buy me a house?
Didn't have to momma, but it's yours,
you want the money? sell it.
I dont...
I know you didnt mean nothing hurtful by this, its just sometimes you dont
think things through.
Sure momma.
I'll try to keep the house, just worry about all those expenses.
I'll send ya some more money.
That man hitting you?
It's from the fight, i'm a fighter momma.
Find a man marianne, live proper,
people hear about what your doing and they laugh.
Hurts me to tell you but, they laugh at you.
You ever own a dog?
Nope, closest i ever came was a middle weight from bardstown.
My daddy had a german shephard, axl,
axl's hind quarters were so bad
he had to drag himself room to room by his front legs,
me, me and mardel bust up laughing watching him scoop across the kitchen
floor.
Daddy, he so sick by then he couldn't hardly stand himself,
but one morning he got up,
carried axl into his rig and the two of them went off into the woods singing
and howling,
but wasn't til he got home that night alone, that i saw the shovel in the
back of the truck.
Sure miss watching the of them together.
I got nobody but you Frankie.
Well you've got me.
At least that is, until we find you a good manager.
Hey, can we stop just up here?
Yeah.
This place has the best lemon pie around, none of that can filling crap.
Now I can die and go to heaven.
I used to come here with daddy.
I wonder if a place like this is for sale, I got a little bit of savings.
That's fine, fine thanks.
Hey what the hell is Danger looking at?
Looks like another bottle of water.
Wanna come to Vegas with us?
Watch you suffer all the nickel slots, uh uh, my heart can't take that kind of pounding.
WEll she's got a title shot, the blue bear,
million dollars split right down the center.
Ah that's good Frankie, that's real good.
Well i could use a good nd, can't find one, I thought i'd ask you.
Now why the hell would i wanna do that?
Well cause your a half blind old fool who never got there himself,
I thought you might like to feel what it's like to be in the ring in a title
match.
Excuse me for feeling sorry for you.
Nah you, you pick up somebody there in Vegas, somebody with young hands.
Your not gonna cry now are ya? I've already got one girl.
Nah, i leave this place for one day got any idea what it would look like
when i come back?
Kinda like it looks right now.
Oh go to hell.
You tell maggie dont come back here with out a belt.
Will do.
Hey mr grant, i got a question I feel real stupid asking it.
No such thing as a stupid question now there danger.
How'd you get all the ice in here through this little tiny hole?
I've been thinking on it, can't figure it out.
why dont i show you danger.
You could do that? you could show me?
I think so.
Also mr grant, i was kinda thinking i might be ready for a fight.
Well i got the tickets you ready?
We're flying?
Would you rather drive?
Your asking me?
Would you rather fly, or would you rather drive?
So I finally get to decide something?
That's what i'm saying.
Fine, fly there, drive back.
That's the stupidest thing i've ever heard of, how the hell we gonna do
that?
You said it was up to me.
Give em hell now Danger.
Hey old school, toilet's over flowing....
hey flippie come here for a minute.
Ah Jesus, jesus joseph.
Dumb ass.
Could've been up at the mirage drinking mai tai's
looking at naked women.
Danger get out of there.
Fight back, come on.
Hey come on now flip, what you doing, let him go.
I got you, c'mon c'mon, sorry.
We dont need no corner trainer.
HOw'd i, how'd i do mr grant?
You did good danger, you did real good, you my man, you rock.
OH c'mon flip man you aint done, you aint even fight good yet.
Anybody can lose one fight, anybody can lose once, you'll come back from
this you'll be champion of the world.
I wont mr grant, i should of known.
(background) C'mon old school man we dont need to be talking..
I know i can't do this i'm tired of velkro.
C'mon dont take the gloves off man, you aint even used em danger.
My fight, may i borrow this danger?
Ah man i thought your name was Danger. C'mon now,
oh oh i see, now i get to fight a retard and an old man,
call espn cause you can't write this shit.
.
Get a job punk.
Win this one i'll tell you what it means.
I got you some pipers.
I want you to jab, right in the tits, until they turn blue and fall off.
Ladies and gentlemen this is the feature presentation of the evening,
in this corner,
the challenger Maggie Fitzgerald in the red corner,
in the blue corner
the wba welter champion of the world,
billy the blue bear.
Sweet Jesus.
Alright that's it, i'm gonna take away a point, point deduction off the
blue corner.
Ladies and gentlemen the first round is in the books on this championship
match.
Looking good.
You pull that crap one more time your disqualified.
It's gonna be alright.
Got no doubt boss.
Just watch yourself, stay away from her.
Go to the neutral corner, neutral corner.
Stay down you bitch.
I got it, i got it.
How's the blood boss?
HOw many eyes do you need to finish this fight?
One's enough.
Now, what do i do about the bear?
(...) stepping to the outside and hooking the liver?
I've been doing that, she's waiting to steal.
I know but i dont want you to go to the liver this time, i want you to heel,
right up under her skinny ass, understand?
Right in the cianic nerve, just keep digging it in there, digging it in,
and just keep sticking her, you hear that?
What about the ref?
Just keep yourself between the ref and the bear and things'll just be fine.
This is yours, keep your guard up, keep it up.
C'mon breathe,
that's it, breathe, good....
HOw you feeling darling?
I wanna beard boss.
I thought it might help me with the ladies.
Can't say it does.
Does it, does it hurt much?
Don't hurt at all.
That's good.
Where's Frankie?
He's uh, he's out there talking to the doctors,
probably telling them how to do their job.
There telling em i'm a C and C complete,
means my spinal cord is still broken never be able to breathe easy.
That i'll be frozen like this for the rest of my life.
I asked them to tell him, i dont know how's he gonna take it.
Did you see the fight?
Of course i did. YOu had her cold maggie.
I should'nt have dropped my hands,
i shouldn't have turned,
always protect myself how many times he would tell me that.
Yeah he does like to repeat himself.
Well you tell him, i'm real sorry.
No, i wont do no such thing maggie.
Damnest thing,
so what's the plan,
i know you got one, so you might as well tell me what it is?
It's your fault, yeah it's your fault she's lying in there like that,
you kept after me until i trained her, i knew i shouldn't have done it,
her being a girl and all everything kept telling me not to,
everything but you.
I'm gonna get you outta here, doctors around here dont know squat,
why would they be living here out in the desert,
as soon as you'll be able to be moved,
find some place where they actually studied medicine,
you just rest there and i'm on it.
Frankie must have called every hospital in america looking for somebody who
would tell him they could fix her,
came close twice,
til they checked her over said there was nothing to be done,
took months til she was stable enough to move.
They got nurses for that you know.
The're amateurs.
She developed skin (...) cause she couldn't change positions.
Thank you.
It made the th (...) trip by ambulance.
Fly there, drive back.
The rehab center Frankie found was a nice place,
they took good care of Maggie she would have complained if they hadn't.
Took her several hours everyday to get her ready for the wheel chair.
Since she couldn't breathe on her own, the resperators were always on,
oxygen was pumped in her hours a day.
Maggie's momma called to say they were all coming for a visit,
she waited by the window everyday for the next weeks.
Frankie finally tracked them down, learned they checked into their hotel
days earlier,
kept leaving messages which were never returned.
You dont have to hang around all day.
No, I like it here, i dont mind,
fact if you weren't here i'd come here anyway to read my books.
Momma'll be here soon to share some of the burden.
Oh it's no burden,
here read this.
Ok ok that's enough, that's terrible.
But anyway i'll tell ya in english what your saying,
it says that "i will arise and go now, and go to in its free,
in a small cabin built there of clay and waddles made,
and i shall have some peace there,
for peace comes dropping slow,
dropping from the vales of the morning to where the crickets sings.
Not bad huh?
You gonna build a cabin boss?
Me?
Yeah, you know when you quit all this.
You mean boxing? No i'll never quit,
like the stink too much i guess.
You think? cause i could see you there real easy with your books and lemon
pie.
How about you would you like to go live in a cabin?
I could learn how to bake.
Ya well then i'll maybe i'll start looking then.
Hi i'm Frankie Dunn, i met you back out in Missouri.
where's my little girl?
Well don't you think you oughta go back to the hotel and change,
she doesn't know you've been here a week visiting woody and mickey.
We got business with my sister, why dont you tell us where she is?
Well you must be JD and you must be the business guy,
look there's some rides you missed, why don't you just go on back and i'll
tell her you couldn't make it.
I drove all the way here to take care of my child and your suggesting i'm
not a good mother?
Marianne can't go no where, if we could have taken her to disneyland we
would've.
Maggie fitgerald?
Right down here .
-- (family talk, pig snortling LOL)<-----
Just some kind of legal thing.
what is it?
How we all doing here?
Sorry darling but we aint got alot of time,
mr johnson is charging us a lot of money to be here to make sure this is
done proper.
Why dont you just leave that and i'll read it to her later?
Hey old man, you part of our family? stay the hell out of this.
Read it to me momma.
Just something legal, protect your money.
Momma you dont have to worry, the boxing commission is paying for all this,
everything.
What if they dont marianne? mr johnson says they can take my house.
If you assign your assets to your mother no one will be able to touch them.
No doctors, no funeral expenses, nothing.
Now look, why dont you just leave it and i'll just read it to her later on.
Mr dunn with respect this aint your business.
Alright, i'll be out in the hall.
You've been a good daughter marianne,
you sign that paper it'll take care of your family,
like the way your daddy would have wanted you to,
uh how do you make your mark.
Can you hold a pen?
She gotta do it with her teeth momma.
Huh?
You got to put it in her mouth.
Here you go honey.
Did you see the fight momma?
Now you know how i feel about that.
I did pretty good.
You lost marianne,
ain't your fault the way i heard it but you lost,
dont want to lost the rest of what you got left.
What happen to you?
What's that supposed to mean?
Momma you take mardee and jd get home,
before i tell that lawyer there
your so worried about your welfare you never signed those house papers like
you were supposed to,
so anytime i feel like it, i can sell that house from under your fat lazy
hill billy ass,
and if you ever come back, that's exactly what i'll do.
Well maybe someone oughta count to .
Doesn't smell real pretty does it doc?
You might have to lose it maggie.
They took my leg boss.
It's gonna be alright, here.
All I hear is your voice boss.
Need anything?
Need to know what mokulsha means.
Well, you didn't win, i dont have to tell ya.
You are the meanest man i've ever met, no wonder no one loves you,
you remind me of my daddy.
Well he must have been a very intelligent, handsome man.
You ain't gonna make me tap no more 's are ya?
No i was, looking at this catalog from city college,
I thought i'd get ya a wheel chair
maybe the kind that operates by moving through a straw,
thought maybe you'd like to go back to school.
Got a favor to ask you boss.
Sure, anything you want.
Well I want what my daddy did for Axl.
Don't even think about that.
I can't be like this frankie,
not after what i've done,
i've seen the world,
people chanted my name, hell,
not my name, some damn name you gave me,
they were chanting for me,
I was in magazines,
you think i'd ever dream that happen?
I was born pounds / ounces,
daddy used to tell me i'd fight to get into this world,
and i'd fight my way out,
that's all i wanna do frankie,
i just dont want to fight you to do it,
I got what i needed,
i got it all,
dont let em keep taking it away from me,
dont let me lie here til i can't hear those people chanting no more.
I can't, please,
please dont ask me.
I'm asking.
Can't.
Hello.
In the middle of the night, maggie had found the wrong solution,
she'd bit her tongue.
Stop, stop, look at me look at me.
Nearly bled to death before they stitched her up,
she came around and ripped them out before frankie even got there,
they stitched her up again, padded the tongue so she couldn't bite.
You can't do it, you know that.
I do father, you dont know how thick she is,
how hard it was to train her,
other fighters would do exactly what you would say to them and,
she'd ask why this, and why that, and do it her own way anyway,
she fought for the title, wasn't by anything,
wasn't by listening to me.
But now she wants to die, and i just want to keep her with me,
and i swear to god father it's,
it's committing a sin by doing it, by keeping her alive I'm killing her,
how do i get around that?
You don't, you step aside frankie, you leave her with god.
She's not asking for god's help, she's asking for mine.
Frankie i've seen you at mass almost everyday for years,
the only person that comes to church that much is the kind that can't
forgive themself for something,
whatever sins you carry there nothing compared to this,
forget about god, or heaven and hell,
if you do this thing, you'd be lost,
somewhere so deep.
YOu'll never find yourself again.
I'm keeping her sedated so she wont try that again.
Went to see maggie this morning,
you must have been somewhere else.
Ya.
You got a fighter i dont know about?
Wasn't your fault, i was wrong to say that.
Your damn right,
i found you a fighter, and you made her the best fighter she could be.
I killed her.
Don't say that,
maggie walked through that door with nothing but guts,
no chance in the world of being what she needed to be,
a year and a half later she's fighting for the championship of the world,
you did that, people die every day frankie
mopping floors, washing dishes,
and you know what their last thought is,
i never got my shot,
because of you maggie got her shot,
if she dies today you know what her last thought would be?
I think i did alright.
I know i could rest with that.
Ya, ya.
I'm gonna get a cup of coffee.
Alright,
I'm gonna disconnect your air machine and your gonna go to sleep
and i'll give you a shot and you'll stay asleep.
Mokulsha
means "my darling, my blood"
He gave her a single shot,
it was enough adrenaline to do the job a few times over,
he didn't want her going through this again.
Then he walked out, i dont think he had anything left.
I went back to the gym, waited figuring he'd turn up sooner or later
and that's when a ghost came through the door.
I got to thinking what you said mr grant.
And what was that Danger?
Anybody can lose one fight.
That's the truth,
go ahead and put your clothes on, you missed a lot of training.
will do mr grant, sure thing.
Frankie never came back at all,
Frankie didn't leave a note, and nobody knew where he went,
I'd hope he'd gone to find you,
to ask you one more time to forgive him,
but maybe he didn't have anything left in his heart,
i'd just hope he found some place where he could find a little peace,
a place set in the cedars and oak trees,
somewhere between no where and goodbye,
but that's probably wishfull thinking,
no matter where he is,
i thought you should know what kind of man your father really was.