Ali (2001)

A biography of sports legend Muhammad Ali, focusing on his triumphs and controversies between 1964 and 1974.

Director:

Michael Mann

Writers:

Gregory Allen Howard (story), Stephen J. Rivele (screenplay)

Stars:

Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Smith	...	Cassius Clay / Cassius X / Muhammad Ali
Jamie Foxx	...	Drew 'Bundini' Brown
Jon Voight	...	Howard Cosell
Mario Van Peebles	...	Malcolm X
Ron Silver	...	Angelo Dundee
Jeffrey Wright	...	Howard Bingham
Mykelti Williamson	...	Don King
Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Sonji Roi
Nona Gaye	...	Belinda Ali
Michael Michele	...	Veronica Porche
Joe Morton	...	Chauncey Eskridge
Paul Rodriguez	...	Dr. Ferdie Pacheco
Bruce McGill	...	Bradley
Barry Shabaka Henley	...	Jabir Herbert Muhammad
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr.

Storyline

In 1964, a brash new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes on to the scene, Cassius Clay. Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self confidence with his unapologetic belief that he is the greatest boxer of all time. To his credit, he sets out to prove that with his highly agile and forceful style soon making him a formidable boxer who soon claims the heavyweight championship. His personal life is no less noteworthy with his allegiance to the Nation of Islam, his friendship with the controversial Malcolm X and his abandonment of his slave name in favor of Muhammad Ali stirring up controversy. Yet, at the top of his game, both Ali's personal and professional lives face the ultimate test with the military draft rules are changed, making him eligible for military induction during the Vietnam War. Despite the fact that he could easily agree to a sweetheart deal that would have meant an easy tour of ...

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Plot Keywords:

boxer | friendship | court | victory | induction center | 

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Taglines:

Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and brief violence

Details

Official Sites:

Sony [DVD] [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Swahili

Release Date:

25 December 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Али

Filming Locations:

Ghana

Box Office

Budget:

$107,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,216,625, 23 December 2001, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$58,203,105

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$87,713,825

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Forward Pass, Initial Entertainment Group (IEG)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

157 min 165 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On June 10, 2016, Will Smith was a pallbearer at the real Muhammad Ali's funeral.

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Goofs

After Malcolm X is killed, several men he attended to him. As they lift up his head, Malcolm blinks, even though he is supposed to be dead.

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Quotes

Muhammad Ali: Sonny Liston, you ain't no champ! You a chump! "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!" Ahhh! "Rumble em', young man, rumble em'!"

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, as the main title fades away the A of Ali lasts a little longer than the other two letters.

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Alternate Versions

A Director's Cut was released on DVD in North America on June 1st, 2004. The runtime of the film is approximately 8 minutes longer at around 165 minutes, but the changes are more significant than it seems: Director Michael Mann deleted about 5 minutes of footage and put 14 minutes of new material in.

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Connections

Features The Mummy's Curse (1944)

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Soundtracks

See the Sun
Written, Produced and Performed by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke
Published by Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke and New Columbia Pictures Music, Inc.

User Reviews

Not a boxing movie, a landmark film

Well, if you went to Ali to see an boxing movie you might have been disappointed, but if you went to see a great film you hit the mark. The hype was due. A conglomerate of great acting, great direction, and a great story has made Ali a landmark film. This film is socially important because it raises up one of the most notable and underappreciated figures of the twentieth century, Ali. Many considered Ali just a boxer with a big mouth, but this film finally exposes him for what he truly was, one of the greatest civil rights leaders of our time. The film makes subtle but amazingly-done comparisons between Ali and other civil rights leaders, notably Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and highlites Ali's influence with theirs. This theme is climaxed in the beautiful scene of Ali (Will Smith) running down streets in Africa with local chidren chanting his name. At this moment in the film, we understand as viewers that Ali did not fight for fame or fortune, but he fought for his rights and the rights of all black people in the United States and the world. No other film has exhalted Ali's influence in such a way. It was beautifully done. Ali will become one of my favorite films of all time, and I believe will be remembered years from now as the crowning achievement of both the main actor and the director. I applaud their efforts