Text Required: Comic Books

Feb. 24, 2005
By Alvaro Macias
Staff Writer

Movie: Million Dollar Baby

LISA: With an odd combination of gore and affection, "Million Dollar Baby" took its viewers along for a rollercoaster ride of emotions.  Clint Eastwood plays Frankie, a stern, cold-hearted boxing trainer who's afraid to send trainees to the next level of competition. 

With a few insets of humor and the appearance of Hillary Swank, Frankie's hard image starts to fade.  It was hard for me to take Eastwood seriously when he said heartless remarks, so I found his character almost unrealistic. 

Swank, who played Maggie Fitzgerald, did an incredible job of keeping the audience's attention and making her character as sweet and feisty as she was.  It was fun to see her transform from her original state to the boxer she became. 

I should've expected violence, as it was a boxing movie, but the gore and blood was a little overwhelming for my queasy stomach.  I had to turn my head multiple times when the broken noses and wounds were too much for me to handle.

The plot of "Million Dollar Baby" was good and it definitely threw the viewer for a loop, which I like.  All in all, I think it's worthy of its Academy Award nominations and hype.

KATIE: "Million Dollar Baby" turned out to be a little bit different from what I expected.  I won’t give away the plot but I was surprised to find out that the movie wasn’t only focused on boxing. 

Clint Eastwood and Hillary Swank gave amazing performances to show the relationship between their two characters.

Morgan Freeman supports the cast with his portrayal of a gambling addict and retired and partially blind boxer who helps Eastwood's character with keeping up the business of his training gym.

The story follows through Frankie’s personal troubles, Maggie’s rise to the top and it delves deep into the relationship between the two. 

Even though this picture is nominated for best picture and six other categories, I didn't think this picture was as deserving as the academy thinks it is.  I thought the movie was a little bit longer than it needed to be and a little too slow for my liking.  I was surprised at how Eastwood directed the film as dark as he did and I’m not happy with his work this time around.  The acting in the film is nothing short of phenomenal, but I can’t say the same for the film in its entirety.

LISA: 4 1/2 bags popcorn
KATIE: 2 1/2 bags of popcorn

DINNER:  Granite City

LOCATION: Right next to Cinemas 53.

Atmosphere:

LISA: From the outside Granite City looked like your typical casual restaurant, but upon entering I knew I should have dressed up in more than jeans and a sweatshirt.  The lights were dimmed and the entryway looked like a hotel lobby, complete with the letters GC on a wall with lights to accent them.  There's a classy bar at the front of the restaurant and tables on both sides of a wall with vases on top of it.  Although the TV's surrounding the restaurant gave it a more laid-back feel, I still felt like a bum.

KATIE: Granite City has a very sophisticated feel with its interior design, but not to worry, I didn’t feel as uncomfortable as Lisa and the attire of our surrounding fellow patrons was a similar appearance in laid back clothing.  It appears to be a hot spot for co-workers just getting off of work, which makes it a little more welcoming.  With dark shades of colors and nice marble countertops Granite City is by far the nicest restaurant we’ve attended so far, but just as hospitable as the rest.

Service:

LISA: We were immediately greeted and asked for our drink order, but it took longer than I expected to receive our drinks.  After they arrived the service was flawless and the millions of servers trotting around continued to deliver drinks, asking how we were as they passed by.

KATIE: I actually felt sorry for our waitress and the rest of the wait staff because there were just too many of them!  We were waited on by more than three servers and everything was at our fingertips within seconds.  Although some were a little less friendly than the rest, over all the service was great and got us in and out in time for the movie!

Food:

LISA: My meal was phenomenal.  Out of all the restaurants we've been to, Granite City is at the top of my list.  I ordered the smothered beef, which was served on open face bread and covered in a mushroom sauce, cheese and seasonings.  The meat was piled on top and I could only eat half of it.  I was suppose to receive garlic mashed potatoes with my meal, but opted for waffle fries, which was a great move as they were seasoned and quite wonderful. 

KATIE: The menu offered a variety of dishes but I settled with the blackened chicken Alfredo.  My food was amazing and came out looking like a masterpiece.  With the perfect amount of spices and an amazing sauce, my dinner was spectacular to say the least!  I only had one little complaint--my garlic bread was as hard as a rock!

Price:

LISA: For the high-class atmosphere and quality food, I thought the pricing was reasonable.  My sandwich was $8.99 and the total ran $11.75.  You could definitely impress a date while staying under budget.

KATIE:  I agree with Lisa, with the surrounding atmosphere and the quality of the food my dinner was a steal!  My total came to $14.86 and worth every penny.  The little bit of extra cash it worth the visit!

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