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Monster's Ball

  • 20012001
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
89K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,849
465
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry in Monster's Ball (2001)
Trailer
Play trailer1:32
4 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Romance
After a family tragedy, a racist prison guard re-examines his attitudes while falling in love with the African-American wife of the last prisoner he executed.After a family tragedy, a racist prison guard re-examines his attitudes while falling in love with the African-American wife of the last prisoner he executed.After a family tragedy, a racist prison guard re-examines his attitudes while falling in love with the African-American wife of the last prisoner he executed.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
89K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,849
465
  • Director
    • Marc Forster
  • Writers
    • Milo Addica
    • Will Rokos
  • Stars
    • Billy Bob Thornton
    • Halle Berry
    • Taylor Simpson
Top credits
  • Director
    • Marc Forster
  • Writers
    • Milo Addica
    • Will Rokos
  • Stars
    • Billy Bob Thornton
    • Halle Berry
    • Taylor Simpson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 545User reviews
    • 139Critic reviews
    • 69Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 15 wins & 23 nominations total

    Videos4

    Monster's Ball
    Trailer 1:32
    Monster's Ball
    Monster's Ball
    Trailer 2:04
    Monster's Ball
    The Rise of Halle Berry
    Clip 4:08
    The Rise of Halle Berry
    What Roles Has Halle Berry Turned Down?
    Video 4:04
    What Roles Has Halle Berry Turned Down?

    Photos107

    Billy Bob Thornton, Peter Boyle, and Heath Ledger in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Billy Bob Thornton, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Heath Ledger, and John McConnell in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Halle Berry in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Halle Berry in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Sean 'Diddy' Combs in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Billy Bob Thornton, Peter Boyle, and Heath Ledger in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Heath Ledger in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Halle Berry and Coronji Calhoun in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Billy Bob Thornton, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Heath Ledger, and John McConnell in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry in Monster's Ball (2001)
    Monster's Ball (2001)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Billy Bob Thornton
    Billy Bob Thornton
    • Hank Grotowskias Hank Grotowski
    Halle Berry
    Halle Berry
    • Leticia Musgroveas Leticia Musgrove
    Taylor Simpson
    • Lucilleas Lucille
    Gabrielle Witcher
    • Bettyas Betty
    Heath Ledger
    Heath Ledger
    • Sonny Grotowskias Sonny Grotowski
    Amber Rules
    • Veraas Vera
    Peter Boyle
    Peter Boyle
    • Buck Grotowskias Buck Grotowski
    Charles Cowan Jr.
    • Willie Cooperas Willie Cooper
    Taylor LaGrange
    • Darryl Cooperas Darryl Cooper
    Yasiin Bey
    Yasiin Bey
    • Ryrus Cooperas Ryrus Cooper
    • (as Mos Def)
    Anthony Bean
    • Dappa Smithas Dappa Smith
    Francine Segal
    Francine Segal
    • Georgia Ann Paynesas Georgia Ann Paynes
    John McConnell
    John McConnell
    • Harvey Shoonmakeras Harvey Shoonmaker
    Marcus Lyle Brown
    Marcus Lyle Brown
    • Phil Hugginsas Phil Huggins
    Milo Addica
    Milo Addica
    • Tommy Roulaineas Tommy Roulaine
    Leah Loftin
    Leah Loftin
    • Booteras Booter
    Coronji Calhoun
    • Tyrell Musgroveas Tyrell Musgrove
    Sean 'Diddy' Combs
    Sean 'Diddy' Combs
    • Lawrence Musgroveas Lawrence Musgrove
    • (as Sean Combs)
    • Director
      • Marc Forster
    • Writers
      • Milo Addica
      • Will Rokos
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      As part of his research for the film, director Marc Forster actually sat in an electric chair and was horrified to see the nail marks that the electrocuted prisoners had involuntarily scratched into the wood.
    • Goofs
      Throughout the movie there are conflicting references to its being set in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Georgia.
    • Quotes

      Sonny Grotowski: You hate me. You hate me, don't you? Answer me! You hate me don't you!

      Hank Grotowski: Yes, I hate you. Always have.

      Sonny Grotowski: Well I've always loved you.

    • Crazy credits
      Thanks to Sam, Austin, Gabrielle. Scott Lambert is thanked twice.
    • Alternate versions
      The initial cut of the picture included more explicit footage during the sex scene between Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton, which was trimmed down after the MPAA threatened to give the film a NC-17 rating. The uncut version premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on February 8, 2001. The R-rated US theatrical release is the cut version; the version released theatrically in Canada and most other countries is the uncut version.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Monster's Ball/Joe Somebody/Ali (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Broken Up and Blue
      (1998)

      Performed by Red Meat

      Written by Jill Olson

      Published by Olson Girl Publishing (ASCAP)

      Administered by Bug Music, Inc.

      Courtesy of Ranchero Records

    User reviews545

    Review
    Top review
    Just as many open questions real life offers to us
    This movie is outstanding and one of the best dramas i've ever seen.

    Some might ask why, because there seems to be nothing really happening at all during the whole movie. Some say the plot is predictable and flat, and the characters too. In my opinion this is just not true. Try to tell the story in one or two lines. Most of the movies can be told in just a short summary, but this does not work for "Monster's Ball" at all. E.g. : "A prison guard falls in love with the wife of a prisoner he just executed". This is a simple tagline, but if you think of what could have happened to this basic plot with other directors, actors or script writers, the feeling of the movie goes in ten thousand different directions. But none of them matches this version. And this is, what makes "Monster's Ball" extremely outstanding.

    This movie offers so many different plotlines, questions, and in-depth-characters you simply cannot describe the feeling of the movie and what is really happening here without telling every little bit of it. Yes, it's sad, and it's depressing, and it gives absolutely no answer to any problem at all (which we basically all want, while watching a movie). But in the end, despite all the drama, it's full of warmth and hope. And this is what it's all about. Just after the credits begin to appear, you sit there and think - about anything.

    Technically "Monster's Ball" is nearly perfect. There is not a single scene, which could be missed and everything is at it's right place. The excellent music goes with well played characters and the timing makes the whole athmosphere so intense you cannot escape and switch off, even if you know that there will be no "great solution" at all. Some might say it's boring, and yes, you're right - but in this case "Monster's Ball" is simply not the movie you expected.

    This one plays with anything we expect from a drama, and this is why most of the other dramas fail and "Monster's Ball" works. Other "so called drama" try to give us solutions, great feelings, great moments in life, and all the other rubbish. But "Monster's Ball" is so slow and intense and ignores all of the standard "drama issues" you have to think for yourselve what this is all about.

    For me it's about love, hate, hope, racism, father-son/mother-son relationships, escaping from your past life, death, depressions, failures and many other things. Everything is shown and nothing is really explained. Just like life basically is - full of complex problems we create for ourselves. Some of them can be solved in one or another way, most of them we just ignore, and life still goes on, because we are able to exist with a whole universe of lies around us.
    helpful•6
    0
    • dv-rec
    • Mar 2, 2003

    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the R-Rated version and the Unrated Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 1, 2002 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Vidio (Indonesia)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Vũ Hội Của Quỷ
    • Filming locations
      • Laplace, Louisiana, USA
    • Production companies
      • Lee Daniels Entertainment
      • Lions Gate Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $31,273,922
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $110,552
      • Dec 30, 2001
    • Gross worldwide
      • $45,011,434
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 51 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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