"But Million Dollar Baby is a Hollywood flick that is anti-Christian. Eastwood -- not as director -- but as star, kills his lover in this film."
First of all, let me state MY bias from the start: I'm sick of people piling on this film, especially Freepers, who are indeed an ornery lot, but should know better. Here you've gone and led off a gratutious post by saying the Eastwood character "kills his lover." She's not his lover. Not a whiff of that going on here, it's very much father-daughter.
It's also very clear you haven't seen the film. Eastwood's character is estranged from his real daughter, Swank's character misses her dead father...and they fill in those roles for each other. Kills his lover?
As for the sanctity of life hoo-ha I've been hearing here for weeks and weeks...the way it's portrayed in the film, Eastwood's character struggles mightily. It wasn't his idea, it was the now-paraplegic Swank character's idea. Maggie begs him, he refuses. She begs him, and gives all her reasons. Yes, her reasons.
He struggles. He sees his priest. He is clearly torn. It's also clear, moral issuewise, that either choice just sucks. It's clear that, no matter what he does, he's a lost man. Go see the movie, you'll see a masterpiece performance of a man struggling with a profound moral dilemma.
"How can Eastwood be a good guy and kill his lover? The plot is basically that he is a love with a brain injured woman [before the injury]. He feels the need to take her life. [Please note I have not seen the movie -- but that was the summary given]."
Horsecrap, if that was the "summary given," it has as much value as your observation--which is to say, it had to have been made by a brain-DEAD observer, or someone who hasn't seen the film.
Remember all the BRAYING on this forum about all the lefties who criticized The Passion WITHOUT EVEN SEEING IT!! Double-standards, people.
And another thing: I have literally lost count of the folks here who have signed onto the idea that "Hollywood" "misled" America by not telling us it was a..."euthenasia film." My God, if this idea weren't so intellectually feeble it would be hilarious. Every bit of marketing for this pic is so gloomy it makes you want to reach for an antidepressant. It's a downer from the opening frame...and only goes further down. It was never "stealth marketed." To say otherwise is to join in the hysteria. Freepers tend to read all sorts of things into mass market products, including and especially movies. Did the movie makers want "to change America's mind" about mercy killing? Please. The movie makers wanted to make a compelling movie. Its whole violent world is BOXING, where the participants can die, or get crippled, or...brain- or neurologically damaged. Secret message? What is it, boxing's dangerous?
"He is also portrayed as a Catholic who goes to Mass everyday -- supposedly a good Christian.
But direct killing of a loved one is never a Christian thing to do -- killing someone who is attacking your family or defending people is Christian."
Thank you for clearing that up. Do you really think someone who goes to mass every day could not one day, through unforseen circumstances, come up against an impossible moral dilemma?
"Given that about Million Dollar Baby winning an Oscar [or more than one], then how does Terri Schiavo fit in?"
She doesn't. It's a freaking movie, grow up.
"The media may play up Million Dollar Baby as a way to justify Michael Schiavo killing his wife -- to clear the way for his lover, and getting all of the money from judgements in the Terri Schiavo case."
Uh...is this another Schiavo thread?
"So is Clint Eastwood winning an Oscar a good time or a bad thing for the Terri Schiavo situation."
I'm sure, if she were cognizant, she'd be thrilled for Clint.
"In terms of the MSM, it is my belief that they will try to justify imposing the death sentence on Terri."
You really need to spend several years with a Webster's, so you can make your points, such as they are, with words that mean what you think they mean.
"But Christian preachers, from the pulpit, can use both stories to teach their flocks -- teach them that killing Terri Schiavo is wrong and teach them that what Hollywood put in a motion picture is not a good example for living our livings."
Yeah, okay. Is this for Christian preachers in a particulary region or country, or throughout the known world?
"The Christian preachers must get in the pulpit and clear the air -- tell people that the plot of Million Dollar Baby is all wrong."
Actually, the plot is dead-on-perfect, pardon the pun. It's a STORY. If you don't like this story, write your own.
"God bless and hopefully Chris Rock will not profane the American airways -- too much!"
Finally, something we agree on.
Keep saying, It's a movie, it's a movie, it's a movie. Keep saying, The First Amendment guarantees moviemakers' rights to tell any drama they want, even if a fraction of the population chooses to get all exercised about it without ever seeing it, or even making an honest effort to find out what goes on in a film. (And, yeah, the FA also gives you the right to speak out completely erroneausly, I know.)
Keep remembering: How pissed off we were when so, so many passed judgement on The Passion...without even seeing it.
And I applaud what you wrote -- you were factual and giving some good insights.
The only problem is that when I was growing up, movies and TV had a moral influence on me.
Of the older generation, many good Christians may have seen Love is a Many Splendid Thing with William Holden and Jennifer Jones. One couple I know did not realize that this was really about a married man having an affair with a single woman.
That means -- for Christians and Jews -- it is all about adultery.
In that 1950's movie, Hollywood twisted the plot to justify the adultery.
You have pointed out that Million Dollar Baby would not be like that -- but that was my original concern.
Some people are today deceived by the god of the TV or the god of movies -- even if they strongly believe in going to church on Sundays and believe they live a Christian life.
The analogy is Catholics believing in what Senator Ted Kennedy believes on abortion or Senator John Kerry -- versus what the Catholic church and its leaders are clearly telling Catholics.
Thank you for your post.
If you are harsh on me, I don't mind -- which I don't think you were. You were more upset with how Freepers often react to things.
God bless!
You're incredibly ignorant, or willfully blind if you think movies can't influence the public. Undershirt sales plummeted after Clark Gable went without one in one of his films. The Klan experienced a rebirth after "Birth of a Nation." IF this Eastwood film presents euthanasia as an acceptable option -- and from your description of the film, it sounds as if it does -- then it could have a very malignant influence on our society. I'm pretty sure that's why so many critics -- including on all-liberal Air America -- have been pushing it to such a remarkable degree.