The Hurricane (1999)

The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter (book), Sam Chaiton (book)

Stars:

Denzel Washington, Vicellous Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington	...	Rubin Carter
Vicellous Shannon	...	Lesra (as Vicellous Reon Shannon)
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Lisa
Liev Schreiber	...	Sam
John Hannah	...	Terry
Dan Hedaya	...	Della Pesca
Debbi Morgan	...	Mae Thelma
Clancy Brown	...	Lt. Jimmy Williams
David Paymer	...	Myron Bedlock
Harris Yulin	...	Leon Friedman
Rod Steiger	...	Judge Sarokin
Badja Djola	...	Mobutu
Vincent Pastore	...	Alfred Bello
Al Waxman	...	Warden
David Lansbury	...	U.S. Court Prosecutor

Storyline

This film tells the story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, an African-American man who rose above his troubled youth to become a top contender for the middle-weight boxing title. However, his dreams are shattered when he is accused of a triple murder, and is convicted to three natural-life terms. Despite becoming a cause celebre and his dogged efforts to prove his innocence through his autobiography, the years of fruitless efforts have left him discouraged. This changes when an African-American boy and his Canadian mentors read his book and are convinced of his innocence enough to work for his exoneration. However, what Hurricane and his friends learn is that this fight puts them against a racist establishment that profited from this travesty and have no intention of seeing it reversed.

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Plot Keywords:

toronto ontario | historical revisionism | african american | murder | boxer | 

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Taglines:

His greatest fight was for justice.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Universal Pictures

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 January 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lazarus and the Hurricane

Filming Locations:

East Jersey State Prison, Rahway, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$337,000, 2 January 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$50,668,906, 16 April 2000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$73,956,241

Company Credits

Production Co:

Azoff Entertainment,Beacon Communications,Beacon Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

146 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Denzel Washington and Garland Whitt would later appear together in Training Day (2001), as cop and criminal.

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Goofs

Although the scene takes place in New Jersey, just before the car crashes, it passes a Shoppers Drug Mart advertising sign: SDM is a chain of drug stores found only in Canada.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, this fine young fighter will be right here in Pittsburg on the boxing cog, this Monday night.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Windy City (2017)

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Soundtracks

So Amazing
Written by Clark Anderson, Summer Anderson

User Reviews

good old-fashioned entertainment

Jewison's film is an old-fashioned biopic, complete with pivotal backstory, voiceover narration, and a character who enters the protagonist's life and changes it immeasurably. It's one of those stand-up-and-cheer movies where everyone seems to be against the hero, but above all odds (and with more than a little help from some of his friends), he rises above The System and gets his belated due. It's an oft-used scenario, with many scenes that could easily have been taken from Jewison's other films A SOLDIER'S STORY or IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT. Yet despite the familiarity of the storyline, I'll be damned if I wasn't choking back tears of elation at the movie's triumphant conclusion. It's a masterful piece of filmmaking that proves Norman Jewison's skill as a director, as he transcends the cliche-bound script and, with the help of Washington and company, makes it a powerful entity all its own.

As the Hurricane, Denzel Washington proves he is one of the best actors (if not THE best) in the business today. He can run the gamut from cold hatred to hearty laughter like few others can. He brings dignity and class to every one of his pictures (he was the only thing worth watching in THE BONE COLLECTOR). Here, he makes you FEEL every single thing he's feeling. In times of righteous indignation, you feel morally outraged alongside him. When he's at his most vulnerable, you can feel your throat constricting and your eyes watering. He has an uncanny knack for reaching into your soul and making you part of the picture itself; it's almost as if he's channelling the viewer while acting. Other actors delight in wowing the audience with grand theatrics and histrionics, but neglect to make the audience care; Denzel is usually soft-spoken and low-key, but always holds your attention.

In summary, THE HURRICANE was one of the most exhilarating motion picture experiences I've had all year. Norman Jewison directs with a deft surehandedness reminiscent of his late 1960s/early 1970s glory years, Denzel Washington delivers perhaps the most awe-inspiring performance of the year, and the audience goes home happy and feeling good about themselves and the world. What more could be asked for?