Hornpipe Magazine Irish themed film reviews Vol. 7

Sixty-two years ago James Cagney won his first and only Academy Award for his portrayal of legendary Irish American song and dance man George M. Cohan in “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” The musical had been a smash at the box office in 1942 due to its wonderful score and dancing, as well as the surging tide of patriotism that followed

America

’s entry into World War II. The most remarkable thing about Cagney’s triumph is that it came in a role so unlike the ones that had made him famous – the stereotypical Irish gangster.

Volume 7, Issue 1

Million Dollar Baby
Director and star: Clint Eastwood
Also starring Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank

Critics, film fans, talk radio bigmouths, the disabled, euthanasia supporters and boxing aficionados have lined up all the country to take a swipe at or support "Million Dollar Baby," another masterwork from Eastwood whose ability to turn unexpected controversy into box office and critical magic is becoming unequaled in American film-making.

The ostensible story is Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) as the focal character of a fading gym whose personal and professional agonies have shaped the seemingly hard-bitten loser we see on the surface.