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Ray (2004)

PG-13 | | Biography, Drama, Music | 29 October 2004 (USA)
Ray Poster
The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.

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Writers:

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Stars:

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ON DISC
Won 2 Oscars. Another 52 wins & 54 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Ray Charles
... Della Bea Robinson
... Margie Hendricks
... Jeff Brown
... Joe Adams
... Fathead Newman
... Mary Ann Fisher
... Aretha Robinson
... Young Ray Robinson
... Ahmet Ertegun
... Jerry Wexler
... Quincy Jones
... Gossie McGee (as Terrence Dashon Howard)
... Milt Shaw
... Wilbur Brassfield
See full cast »
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Storyline

The story of Ray Charles, music legend. Told in his adult live with flashbacks to his youth we see his humble origins in Florida, his turbulent childhood which included losing his brother and then his sight, his rise as pianist in a touring band, his writing his own songs and running his own band and then stardom. Also includes his addiction to drugs and its affect on his working life and family life. Written by grantss

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

rhythm and blues | band | drugs | singer | 1960s | See All (275) »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for depiction of drug addiction, sexuality and some thematic elements | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

UIP [France] | Universal [United States]

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

29 October 2004 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story  »

Filming Locations:

 »
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Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,039,730, 31 October 2004, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$75,331,600

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$124,731,534
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (extended)

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Jamie Foxx remarked that the demanding role barely left him any time to sleep, as his day would begin early in the morning filming for long hours, and then he'd go home and stay up late practicing piano. See more »

Goofs

About halfway through the movie Ray scrounges around on the floor trying to pick up some tablets that fell out of a canister. The floor has round rubber tiling of a type not available until 1975. See more »

Quotes

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

Crazy Credits

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

Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.200 (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

Emanon
Written by Dizzy Gillespie (as John 'Dizzy' Gillespie) and Milton Shaw
Performed by John Thomas
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How did Ray Charles go blind?
See more »

User Reviews

 
Not a Ray fan? No problem. Cinema at its best
22 November 2004 | by – See all my reviews

My wife wanted to see this movie and I grudgingly went along. I have never been a big fan of the biopic - believing that cinema is more exciting when it isn't structured in non-fiction. Beyond that, although I like Ray Charles' music just fine, I don't consider myself a fan of him or his music.

I expected to either suffer or coast through this movie.

I was wrong.

This is an engaging story told in a classic cinematic style. The realism is in the nuances - the tilt of a character's head after a dramatic moment or the look in their eyes while they sing. I literally discovered myself involved in this movie during the course of viewing it.

Jaime Foxx, of which much has been said, heads a cast of immaculate re-creators of not just a time, but an ERA, a LIFE that never really existed to those of us under forty. This movie sinks the audience into time without the gimmicks and grand sweeping panoramas of Titanic or other period pieces of that ilk. This movie doesn't present you with the 50's and 60's music scene, it takes you there.

This is a movie about Ray Charles, but your appreciate of it should not be limited to the story of his life. This is the kind of movie, like Saving Private Ryan or Schindler's List, that does what a movie should do - bring you to another place, another time.
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