Hillary Swank is not the daughter but she is the trainee in the Movie Million Dollar Baby released in 2004 The academy award winning Million Dollar Baby movie is based on an original short story, Born To Fight, one of the stories in Rope Burns by F. X. Toole. He had earlier worked both as a professional boxer and ‘cut-man.’ Clint Eastwood, as star and director, continues his tradition of being associated with movie themes from the dark side of life. Many of Eastwood’s movies have themes of violence and death with unexpected endings. Many capture our imagination and trigger our repressed feelings. As an operator of a boxing gym in L.A. which had long ago enjoyed better days, Clint Eastwood plays the character, Frankie Dunn, who himself was past his prime. Early in the film, narrated by Morgan Freeman, (Eddie) we are told about the weekly letters which Frankie writes to his estranged daughter which are always returned to him unopened. A devout Catholic, Frankie goes to church every day.