Hilary Swank as Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Hilary Swank’s Maggie Fitzgerald starts out as a humble waitress, but soon turns into a serious contender in the sport of boxing by her own sheer force of will.

After much resistance and some help from Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris (Morgan Freeman), she successfully convinces curmudgeonly boxing gym-owner Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her in boxing.

Without spoiling too much of the ending — hey, it’s only been 20 years since this movie came out — suffice it to say, Maggie doesn’t meet the most pleasant end. But one thing’s for sure — she puts everything she has into the pursuit of what she loves.