Top 5 Most Overrated Movies of All Time - Million Dollar Baby

A while back I decided to chronicle the top 5 most underrated movies of all time.  It was one of my more fun post series and I enjoyed (hopefully) bringing to people’s attention some movies that all should check out.  As I am a fair person and see both sides of the coin, I have decided to counter that series with my next: the Top 5 Most Overrated Movies of All Time.

Keep in mind, this is not an indictment towards these movies so much as it is my thinking that they just get more credit than they are due.  Also, please note, a movies presence on this list does NOT mean that I do not like the movie.  It merely means that people regard it higher than they should.  This was my thought process and I will stick by it and argue it to the end.  That being said, without further ado, here is the first of my top five most overrated movies of all time:

Number 5:

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Directed by:  Clint Eastwood

Starring:  Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Hillary Swank

Oscars (winners in Bold): Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay

Why This Made the List:  I’m gonna get this out of the way right from the start.  Part of the reason I don’t like this movie is because I didn’t even think it was the best movie in the year it was made.  This movie came out the same year as both ‘Ray’ and ‘The Aviator,’ both of which were superior films in nearly every respect.  Specifically ‘The Aviator’ I thought was the best movie of the year and is in my top 10 of all time, to rob that film of best picture is enough in and of itself to get on this list, but the reasons don’t stop there, and neither will I.

First of all, this is a Clint Eastwood movie.  For those that know, there really isn't anything special about Eastwood's movies beyond the fact that they are exactly what they are.  By that I mean this, Clint Eastwood doesn't get anything you wouldn't expect out of a movie.  He gives you nothing more than the words on the page.  Hillary Swank turns in a worthy performance but other than that, nothing special.  Clint Eastwood gets a pass from everyone because of who he is and what he's done in film, but truly, does any movie stick out at just purely phenomenal or transcendent?  Maybe 'Unforgiven' but beyond that, I can't think of anything.

I think people just started talking about this movie before it came out and just bought into the hype.  Nobody wants to go against Eastwood and the cast was great so they all figured they would vote for it.  To say this movie was superior to what it was up against in 2004 is ludacris.  That is what makes this movie the 5th most overrated of all time.