[lbo-talk] Re: Million Dollar Baby gets disability dead wrong

BklynMagus magcomm at ix.netcom.com
Mon Feb 28 11:59:40 PST 2005


Dear List:

Jim writes:


> There is no "choice" to want to die in the movie,
there is only a visceral "reaction."

Choices often follow visceral reactions. If you are asserting that in all the months after her injury, Maggie does not rationally reflect on her situation, then I would ask for what evidence is there in the film that she does not do so.


> There is an extremely contrived and badly written
end (although there are many decent things about the movie otherwise) to MDB that limits her apparent scope of "choice".

How is her choice limited? She can choose to live or choose to have her life ended. It is much the same choice faced by Ramon Sampedro in "Mar adentro." What was your reaction to that film which faces the same question?


>They did not even show ONE scene of physical
therapy.

And? Eastwood didn't include a scene you wanted. Bad Cllint. No Oscar. When you go to hear a concert of Schoenberg do you complain that you cannot find the harmony? At a museum do you gripe that Pollack doesn't have horses and children and trees in his paintings?


> Imagine Ms. Swank's same character in a different
movie . . .

Why? We are not talking about a different movie, we are discussing MDB. When you go to a Mexican restaurant do you fantasize about sushi?


> how could such a spunky character be led (by
writers) to such a limited and final decision?

The injury deprived her of her spunk. Why is that so hard to believe? Or is it that you want the writers to guide her to the decision you believe to be politically correct: she chooses to live. Would you also condone keeping Ramon Sampedro alive for 27 years against his explicit wishes?


> The point is Hollywood puts characters in places
millions of times worse than the fallen boxer and only when disability is involved does "euthanasia" even come up. THAT is the very definition of prejudice.

The moment when disability strikes is usually the moment that the issue comes up which has been true in my life: when my lovers/friends have been disabled by AIDS was the time when the issue of what to do arose. Otherwise we usually dish about Oscar fashions.


> Until the "euthanasia" advocates start putting instant
death kits in boardrooms, in bank lending offices, on trading floors, and at elite prep school dances I am not buying it is about "choice" at all

There are plenty of tall buildings, bridges, exhaust pipes, etc for those who wish to end their lives.


> (lots of people kill themselves, but our society only
feels good about it if the disabled are involved).

Did you go to the same mindreading school as Joanna, or did you attend a different institution?

"Given free will but within certain limitations. . ."

Limitation #1: Don't do anything Jim W. would disapprove of because he will try to stop you.

Brian Dauth Queer Buddhist Resister



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