Movie of the Year. Best Director. Best Actress. Best Supporting Actor. And a few more, I think.

I saw it a couple of days ago, and it is very well done! I think Hilary Swank deserved the best actress Academy Award, as did Morgan Freeman for best supporting actor (high time, too).

If you haven't seen it, try to do so before it leaves the big screen. Hilary Swank's love for life and her fighting spirit are contagious. Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are also excellent.

The ending is definitely controversial. If you haven't seen the movie, I won't spoil it for you, but you've probably already heard that it's got an euthanasia theme. While I deeply empathized with the situation and even with how it was handled, I strongly disapprove of the action.

If you've seen the movie and want to talk about it, let's do so.

I saw the movie a while back now and remember thinking how intelligent an exploration of the parent/child relationship it was.

The themes of protection and letting go run through the trainer/boxer relationship, paralleling that of the parent/child relationship. The need for protection, the need to let go; the dangers of over-protection and those of letting go too soon. Very thoughtful and subtley rendered. Of course in the end Clint has to let go and Hilary fails to "protect herself at all times."

The sub plot of the relationship between Morgan Freeman and the simple young lad who thought he could take Thomas 'The Hit Man'Hearns followed the same thematic lines. The whole thing was very touching.

I think euthanasia was used as a vehicle for these themes; that the film didn't so much concern itself with the morality of the act but used it to fully explore the notions of parental responsibilty and the child's need to make it's own decisions.

Very moving and powerful stuff.

Felt a bit sorry for Martin Scorcese though. He deserved an Oscar 15 years ago.