Tools of Characterization
Characterization in Million Dollar Baby
Direct Characterization
Sometimes, blatant eavesdropping has its perks. When it comes to characterization, Scrap's narration is about as direct as it gets. He's a major source of intel when it comes to Maggie's character. It's Scrap that tells us that "she grew up knowing one thing: she was trash," and that, no matter how successful Maggie got, her dumpy hometown of Theodosia "was still just over the hill." These details deepen our understanding of Maggie's drive.
Scrap delivers Danger's backstory, too, which helps us see the wannabe world champion as more than just a goofy young kid who's never actually thrown a punch. And then there's Frankie. After Frankie helps Maggie end her life, Scrap tells it to us straight:
SCRAP: Then he walked out. I don't think he had anything left.
The fact that Scrap is recording this whole story in a letter to Frankie's daughter opens the door for all sorts of direct characterization.
Actions
Boxers aren't a talkative bunch. Ditto for their managers and trainers. It's hard to imagine Mike Tyson calling up Don King to talk about his feelings. Boxers are men and women of action, and we don't just mean ferocious uppercuts. All three of the main characters in Million Dollar Baby are characterized by what they do. We know Frankie's invested in his fighters, for example, when we see him shadowboxing along with them from outside the ring, or even at home on his couch. We know there's a sensitive soul underneath that gruff exterior because he reads the poetry of W.B. Yeats and is teaching himself Gaelic. In the end, we know he's a loving, self-sacrificing surrogate father when he helps Maggie end her life even though it conflicts with his faith.
Maggie and Scrap are similarly characterized by their actions. We see Maggie's tenacity and determination in her dogged pursuit of Frankie and all of her after-hours sessions at the Hit Pit. At the rehab center, we see those same qualities in a whole new light when she repeatedly bites her tongue. And Scrap? Scrap's defining moment is when he defends Danger—and wins his 110th fight by K.O. in the process.
Family Life
What's worse: Your family making fun of your dreams and milking your bank account, or your family ignoring all communication from you, period?
Between Maggie's greedy mama and Frankie's estranged daughter, it's tough to say who has the cruelest family life, but it's easy to see how the two of them are able to come together and form their own family. In fact, "it's a foregone conclusion that these two people of integrity, subtle wit and hidden depths…will adopt each other as family," claims The Washington Post's Ann Hornaday (source).
Both characters are influenced by their loss. For Maggie, it's her father who passed away, leaving her with her vile mother and equally gross siblings. That pushes her to follow her boxing dreams and become something more than a trailer park denizen cheating the government for Oreo money. For Frankie, it's his daughter who returns his weekly letters unopened. He's put up an emotional wall as big as the Great Wall of China and The Wall from Game of Thrones combined. He keeps everybody out.
Frankie and Maggie are equally affected by all of the awesome stuff they gain when, as Hornaday puts it, they "adopt" one another. Maggie finally feels supported again, and her boxing career takes off like a knockout rocket. Frankie tears down his wall and starts to take chances again, both socially and in the boxing ring. In short, their broken biological families are what bring Frankie and Maggie together, and the surrogate family that they create by choice is what brings out the best in both of them.