Million Dollar Baby (2004)

A tragic masterwork for veteran actor-director Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby (2004) was justly recognized with a slew of Oscars and other awards. Photographed in expressive pools of light and shadow, the scrappy, devastating drama tells of a female prizefighter (Hilary Swank) whose mercurial rise is halted by a shattering accident. Eastwood and co-star Morgan Freeman pitch in tremendous performances, with Freeman even earning a coveted statuette. Few movie buffs will forget the slinky, backless dress that Swank wore to the Oscars in 2005; unfortunately, that same ship-shape body is hidden behind layers of sweats and sports bras on screen.