Al, great post. Although I think this gaffe by Rush doesn't reflect nearly as badly as his illegal pill popping. It still gives me chills to watch this sanctimonious bastard knocked down 50 notches. I hope he has the shakes right now. What a fucker.

really super job Al, one of your best, and I think you are right for just the right reasons

I guess I HAVE to go see the movie now.

The desire to rewrite art as we would like it is the impetus for greater art, often. Artists, of all hues, are egoists. Critics, even more so.

Thanks for the kind words, guys.

Matt, I don't hold Rush's drug problems against him. I would regard that as an unfortunate personal problem. Also, in some defense of him on that count, that did apparently at least start as in fact a real, medical thing, dealing with chronic back pain.

Still, if he wants to tangle asses with Clint, I say we give 'em guns and put them out on the street at high noon. Wonder who'd come out in that deal?

age over beauty

In keeping with Ebert -- and in not keeping with Limbaugh and Michael Moron Medved -- I hereby warn that if you haven't seen Million Dollar Baby, the following will spoil the ending.

I just saw the movie this afternoon and liked it. Clint Eastwood is a superb storyteller and over the last couple decades his films -- from Honkytonk Man to Tightrope to Unforgiven to Mystic River -- have served up a nice raw slice of American life, and this one delivers with the same powerful deliberation. The story is very much of a staple of boxing movies, in which a young up-and-comer begs to be trained by a tough old manager and fights impossible odds for a title shot. However, it has its own heart and soul, and the performances, particularly by Hilary Swank, are splendid.

I left it in very much the same quandary as Roger Ebert. Maggie (Swank) is a boxer who receives an all but fatal beating in her fight for a title shot, and winds up a paraplegic with a breathing tube, and begs her manager Frankie (Eastwood) to deliver a mercy killing. It offends his Catholic beliefs, but -- at what may be the cost of his immortal soul -- he decides to do as she wishes.

I, too, found the ending very credible. It was what she would have done; boxing was her only way out of the white trash world she grew up in, and I don't think she saw herself as being any longer useful. Here is a woman who has dropped from the top of the world to the bottom in one fell swoop, from a very active, extremely physical life to a life of no physical activity whatsoever.

Personally, I would have done something different -- whether I was in Maggie's shoes or Frankie's. I drove home thinking "You know, as far as her physical state goes, she's pretty much in the same state as Stephen Hawking, and he still thinks life is worth living. She could read, she could write, she could -- as Frankie first suggested -- have gone back to school. There are people out there whose fates are just as drear as Maggie's, and they haven't given up."

Yes, of course, you can argue back that with or without his disability Hawking lives a very interior, brain-centered life and Maggie doesn't. But she could have developed her mental faculties, forced herself. People do it all the time.

So I'm somewhat in sympathy with paraplegics who don't like the ending: they have chosen to live, and I say all power to them. And yes, I can certainly see the point of view of that mother quoted in Ebert's article; I, too, would certainly distract her son from watching it. I would not want to encourage his thinking in that direction -- at the same time, how could I do that without feeling I was curbing the very independence I would want him to feel?

Movies do sometimes force us all to face things we'd rather not think about, and sometimes the healthiest thing to do is just work your way through them regardless.

But that mom with the son -- boy, that's a very tough call.

Damn it Rodney, what's wrong with you? Now you KNEW that Rush said you didn't approve and didn't need to watch this BAD MOVIE.

Ebert's column was a classic in misdirection and evasion. You wouldn't know from reading his column, but he encountered disabled protesters in Chicago, not religious conservatives. When he finally got finished with his rant against conservatives, he gave this classic response set to someone under attack from a minority group:

*Some of my best friends are disabled
*I found one disabled person who agrees with me
*I saw a great documentary about disabilities at Sundance...

And so on...

Disability activists are definitely not impressed.

The big news about the criticisms directed at "Baby" isn't about the religious right - it's about the disability community.

There's a lot of information about that at: http://www.notdeadyet.org

And there's a response of sorts to Ebert in today's Chicago Sun-Times written by me and a disability journalist: http://www.suntimes.com/output/otherviews/cst-edt-ref12.html

thanks for the reply and information Stephen

Thanks for the link, Stephen, it's an impressive editorial review.

I understand Christopher Reeve, who certainly could afford the best of care, also suffered from bedsores. I'm not sure that's an inaccuracy in the film.

Stephen, Thanks for do this. We really appreciate your desire to make sure we never see movies about doing things that not everyone approves of. All movies should be devoid of any controversy. People CANNOT think for themselves whether the behavior is appropriate, which is why its important to make sure this type of objectionable material is not made. Kudos.

Al--I don't hold Limbaugh's drug abuse against him, but I must be honest--I relish that this asshole's epitaph will include "drug abuser" in it somewhere. Fuck him.

Al, I semi-listen regularly to Rush. I seem to remember an interview with Medved on this subject. I think it was a show that Rush was absent. The sit in, I don't recall whom, simultaneously had another guest who agreed with Medved that the glorification of assisted suicide was bad, but didn't agree that this movie was guilty of it. It was seemingly a balanced and friendly exchange. The one thing I really remember from it was that Medved and the other guest took such pains NOT to reveal the plot ending that it made for an awkward debate. In fact, I came away thinking that a different character had committed the suicide until I followed your link to Ebert's essay.

I dunno, maybe Medved toned it down after Ebert's scolding. What I heard sure didn't sound like a punk sabotage move though.

I really don't see how you can discuss a controversy over the ending of a movie without discussing the ending of the movie. If it's going to be an issue, discussions of the issue are by their nature going to be movie spoilers.

Dave

Like I said, it was awkward. I don't feel like the movie was spoiled. (for me) If anything, I'd be more interested in seeing it to find out if euthenasia was glorified.

It wasn't like I found out Bruce Willis was dead or anything.

I wish I had heard Rush so I wouldn't have seen this movie. Once again, Hollywood has gotten it's point across that it's okay to sin against Gods most precious gift. Shame on them and Clint Eastwood. I was disgusted with the movie. Check out Google and see who the beautiful quadraplegic artists are. The Lord givith and the Lord taketh away...or He should.

awww..c'mon..don't get yer panties all in a twist

IT'S ONLY A MOVIE!!!

was the Story well done?...of course

were the Characters well portrayed?....yes

did the Ending place you in 2 Moral Quagmires and let you experience very difficult moral and ethical choices from the side of the one Injured and the one that was Asked by a loved one to End it all?

once again Clint creates Art in the truest sense and i say...

Excelsior!

I would urge Marian and others of her ilk to read the original story by F.X. Toole. Despite the prior example of the movie version of Cujo, anyone who adapts another's material has an somewhat of an obligation to remain true to the original author's intent. The assisted suicide is in the original story. The assisted suicide is in the original story. The assisted suicide is in the original story. (Repeat until you finally get the point.) Your argument should start with Toole, not Eastwood and company.

The one thing I've noticed here is that no one has mentioned, much less defended, the Swank character's choice as her personal choice. When it comes right down to it, that's what it is, and that's all it is. A personal choice. Her decision. It's not like the ghost of Dr. Mengele was making the rounds and tapping the foreheads of those who would die. (I can't count how many times the horrors of the Nazi Reich have been evoked when self-deliverance or assisted suicide has been debated.)

I've already made my choice. If I was in an accident that left me a paraplegic, I'd give it a chance, as long as I had use of my hands (computer, musical intruments, art, reading, etc.). Paralysed from the neck down, though, and I'm throwing my vote in with Baby and the protagonists of Johnny Got His Gun and Whose Life Is It Anyway?

Miss Marian, you're wrong here on a couple of counts. In the first place, you shouldn't be taking Clint Eastwood as the representative of Hollywood in general. Clint speaks for himself, and hasn't always been that popular with people in the business- exactly because he was perceived as being politically alien. In short, don't hang your beef with Hollywood liberals on Clint, cause he ain't one.

Second, you have to have some idea of ART involved here. Just because this act is portrayed in the movie doesn't mean that Clint says it's cool, anymore than Unforgiven meant that Clint said it was cool to go massacre a bar full of sheriffs and deputies.

Wow Marian...I'm curious. What's it like to be the mouthpiece of God? I mean, people like yourself seem so sure as to not only what would please Him, but your type always seem so witty in your suggestions of what a fitting punishment would be. Have you considered at all that the world consists of more than just Bible beaters (thankfully...)? Have you also considered that life is not a picturesque storybook world of love, kindness, peace, acceptance, and moral living? And have you even once, in your insipid, one-track, self-righteous mind EVER considered that not everyone feels and thinks like you, and equally that they rightfully shouldn't? You're sad and weak minded if that is your true outlook on life. Not only should you not be spouting things like "The Lord givith and the Lord taketh away...or He should" since it's not your place to say, but you also seem to forget that the Bible asks its readers to always question there faith and ask questions and explore all the facets of life to come to a better understanding of their own beliefs. Are you not familiar with the term "the blind leading the blind"? No, I suppose not, as that would require too much free thought. I happen to find that gift from God, my ability of free thought and will, to be the greatest gift, and people like you who appoint themselves his right-hand men are the ones who waste that gift.

With this movie so prominently featured, and the termination decision re: Terri Schiavo set for March 18th, I hope everyone here has made very clear to your own loved ones the way you would like to have your own choice carried out in such a case.

Good point, Dr Pat. I'll just say right now that if anyone insists on leaving me on some respirator or vegged out like the poor Schiavo woman, you will pay. When finally the sweet release of death delivers me, I will come back and haunt your dumb ass for putting me through that. You'll WISH you just had Beetlejuice after you.

its jus such a sad movie.BUt in all cases, i desperately agree with gonzo, its just amovie peeps. These controversial things are wat makes a movie so interesting and so hollywood-ish. I mean, if at the end maggie becomes teh biggest champion, it would be awesome, but it woulnd't be a "Clint eastwood" movie, if u know what i mean

DrPat -- I have indeed made it clear to my loved ones that they do not have the authority to kill me. Should I ever be hooked up to an artificial respirator, I would prefer to be kept on it indefinitely.

all these strange words flowing about the process described in 'million dollar baby' (the thought process swank's character goes through, and our exposure to it) and whether eastwood is morally 'right', 'wrong', et al, the feelings of some in a similar real-life paralysis situation, those ranting against/for the flick, yadda yadda et cetera...we all keep forgetting how righteously bad-ass clint has been in some of his shoot-em-ups...i mean, give me my lightsaber and maybe han solo piloting the 'falcon, and i'd take on a borg hiveship, klingon bird-of-prey, pinhead and his minions, darth vader, freddy krueger and that weird big black 'its full of stars' obelisk that freak-o kubrick showed us -- but dog-damn! i wouldn't even CONSIDER trying to parry with Clint! He'd say some kind of 'do you feel lucky' line and even my bad-ass ninja skills and force prowess and alla the best things yoda ever taught me couldn't do SHITE against him! So negative ninnies, drink some eggnog and/or take some heavy narcotics if it'll help you choke down the reality of this movie, and Clint - i'll be light-saber sculpting a huge vat of mcdonald's artery-clogging grease into funny little cartoon animals until you take me up on my duel - then i'll run with various appendages between my legs into the sunset, screaming and saying fried man designs! woot. ;-)

The great thing about freedom expression is that we call can express it... Clint Eastwood and what's her name can express it, and so can Rush.

Rush Limbaugh is a big fat asshole.
What an arrogant stupid fucking son of a bitch~
there are few people in the earth that make me crave to just plant my fist squarely through their fat faces---
Limbaugh has me dreaming of that!

And that comment "it's just a movie"---
BULLSHIT!

I am living this movie right now with my 87 year old father. He was an Air Force fighter pilot and flew Kennedy, Johnson, and many assorted VIPS in DC---now he is almost a vegetable with Alzheimer's and a myriad of complications healthwise.

Each time I visit--and it's very hard for me to drag myself into his nursing home--it kills me to see this former fighter hero lying in almost a vegetative state--with this pathetic look on his face as he drools and can't remember what just happened 5 minutes ago.

Would I or YOU want to exist like this ???

If I left a vial of sleeping tablets, or some such- on his nightstand---he probably doesn't even have the cognitive awareness to realize what that would be for.....

Each time I finally drag myself in to see this "stranger" who really is NOT my father anymore ----- I walk away and get in my car and have to sit for a minute to clear my eyes and be able to drive away...

What is "right" ...??? and don't give me any of thsi god psycho-babble bullshit; nobody knows IF there IS a god and if so--what "god's" "take" would be on this.

Those that say that it is against "god's law" to put people like this out of their MISERY are pompous ignorant ASSHOLE speaking out of their asses...

I was not going to even go see Million Dollar Baby--but I had seen every single other movie out that I wanted to so it was the only choice that day~~~

This is one of THE greatest movies I have EVER seen in my entire life~~~ranking right up there with The Godfather, et al.... a MASTERPIECE of a script..... I needed to wait 5 minutes after the movie ended to leave the theatre.......the tears wouldn't stop....

And yes: that is pure IGNORANCE and BULLYING on Limbaugh's part to tell the plotline and RUIN it for people that have not seen it.....the act of a child who is mad cause he lost the game!

What would you expect from a slob who makes his MAID go out and score his driga for him----then turns state's evidence on her~!!!!!

This horrible excuse for a human being--Limbaugh---should be thrown in prison for 30 years and have the biggest meanest convicts sodomize him over and over and over with no lube....!!!!

Other than that, he's a great person!

No offense, Rod Shealy Jr. is Republican political consultant, and most Republicans do not share mainstream values on these issues.

Rod, I enjoyed your Guiliani post, but Limbaugh's a bully who knows not of what he speaks.