Ray (I) (2004)

The life and career of the legendary popular music pianist, Ray Charles.

Director:

Taylor Hackford

Writers:

Taylor Hackford (story), James L. White (story),

Stars:

Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King

Won 2 Oscars. Another 44 wins & 39 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jamie Foxx	...	Ray Charles
Kerry Washington	...	Della Bea Robinson
Regina King	...	Margie Hendricks
Clifton Powell	...	Jeff Brown
Harry Lennix	...	Joe Adams
Bokeem Woodbine	...	Fathead Newman
Aunjanue Ellis	...	Mary Ann Fisher
Sharon Warren	...	Aretha Robinson
C.J. Sanders	...	Young Ray Robinson
Curtis Armstrong	...	Ahmet Ertegun
Richard Schiff	...	Jerry Wexler
Larenz Tate	...	Quincy Jones
Terrence Howard	...	Gossie McGee (as Terrence Dashon Howard)
David Krumholtz	...	Milt Shaw
Wendell Pierce	...	Wilbur Brassfield

Storyline

Ray Charles has the distinction of being both a national treasure and an international phenomenon. By the early 1960's Ray Charles had accomplished his dream. He'd come of age musically. He'd made it to Carnegie Hall. The hit records "Georgia," "Born to Lose" successively kept climbing to the top of the charts. He'd made his first triumphant European concert tour in 1960 (a feat which, except for 1965, he's repeated at least once a year ever since). He had taken virtually every form of popular music and broken through its boundaries with such awe inspiring achievements as the LP's "Genius Plus Soul Equals Jazz" and "Modern Sounds in Country & Western." Rhythm & blues (or "race music" as it had been called) became universally respectable through his efforts. Jazz found a mainstream audience it had never previously enjoyed. And country & western music began to chart an unexpected course to general acceptance, then worldwide popularity. And along the way Ray Charles was instrumental in ...

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Plot Keywords:

ray charles | 1960s | racism | singer | drugs | 

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Taglines:

The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles. A man who fought harder and went farther than anyone thought possible.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for depiction of drug addiction, sexuality and some thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

UIP [fr] Universal [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 October 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story

Filming Locations:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,482 (Iceland) (25 February 2005)

Gross:

$15,331,100 (Europe) (25 March 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Bristol Bay Productions, Anvil Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

152 min 178 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Taylor Hackford says on his commentary that he made the decision to end the film in the middle of Ray's life because his later life consisted of no conflict, only success.

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Goofs

When they show the state of Georgia honoring Ray at the state capitol building, it's really the House of Representatives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, not Georgia.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Aretha Robinson: Always remember your promise to me. Never let nobody or nothing turn you into no cripple.

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Crazy Credits

Ray Charles is survived by 12 children, 21 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood's Top Ten: Kennedy Era Movies (2011)

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Soundtracks

"We Will Walk through the Streets of the City"
Traditional

User Reviews

Phenomenal biographical film with intense and memorable performances

Jamie Foxx leads a brilliant cast in this powerful voyage through the life of the blind, emotionally troubled, African American genius of pop jazz, Mr. Ray Charles. Though the entire cast performs wonderfully, Mr. Foxx earned more than simply an Oscar. If it were possible to nominate an actor in consecutive years, I would consider doing so for Mr. Foxx. Foxx doesn't just play Charles, he re-creates him. CJ Sanders and Sharon Warren also deserve special mention for their portrayal of Ray's mother (the inspiration of his life) and young Ray. These two provided the strongest support in the film.

The dramas of Charles' struggles with guilt, the death of his younger brother and mother, blindness, discrimination, addiction, and success, are neatly woven into the tapestries of his music. The music is beautiful, the script is, as far as I can tell, perfect, and the acting is nothing short of legendary.

The directorial method of the film warrants discussion. Taylor Hackford

• a director I am generally ambivalent about - had to choose what

aspects of the larger-than-life and complex life story of Mr. Charles would tell his story most honestly, dramatically, and understandably. Though some disagree (seemingly wanting a documentary instead of a dramatized biopic) I believe he selected his themes admirably. A big part of the success of this film is its consistent focus on a few persistent themes in Charles' life - his profound love and respect for his mother, his need to be loved and accepted, his addiction and guilt complex, his musical genius, and his deep-seated fear of responsibility for others. Charles is depicted as a man struggling valiantly against an army of personal demons. I learned more than I could have imagined about one of the men I used to listen to on my old turntable with my dad in his livingroom on Sunday nights while football games were on the TV. And nothing was sugar-coated in "Ray." The themes are carried forward with power and human dignity. These themes create a unifying drama which span the length of his long and illuminated life. The power of these themes, the strong script and directing, the music, and the acting make this one of the most enjoyable and evocative biographical films I have seen.

Recommended for everyone.