Director Clint Eastwood accepts the Oscar for best director for his work on 'Million Dollar Baby' at the 77th Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005, in Los Angeles. (AP)

"The Aviator" had more Oscars, but it was "Million Dollar Baby" that scored the knockout punch at the Academy Awards Sunday night.

The Clint Eastwood-directed film about a female boxer, her crusty trainer and the trainer's ex-boxer, right-hand man won four Oscars: best picture, best actress, best supporting actor and best director.

"I saw Sidney Lumet out there, who's 80, and I thought, 'I'm just a kid,' " said the 74-year-old Eastwood, the oldest director to win an Oscar.

Producer Albert S. Ruddy, who guided the script into Eastwood's hands, accepted the award by thanking the people involved with the film. It had been 32 years since Ruddy's last win -- which was for the legendary "The Godfather."

Hilary Swank won best actress for "Million Dollar Baby," her second Oscar in five years.

"I don't know what I did in this life to deserve all this," she said, on the verge of tears. "I'm just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream. I am eternally grateful for this great honor." She also paid tribute to her fellow best actress nominees, her husband, Chad Lowe -- forgotten when she won for "Boys Don't Cry" in 2000 -- and pretty much everyone who worked on the film.

When the orchestra started tuning up, she said, "You can't do that. I haven't gotten to Clint yet."

"Million Dollar Baby" also featured the best supporting actor winner, Morgan Freeman.

"I want to thank everybody and anybody who ever had anything to do with the making of this picture," Freeman said, singling out Eastwood and Swank in an elegant, understated speech.

(Agencies)