Ray (film)

Ray is a 2004 American biographical musical film focusing on 30 years in the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was co-produced and directed by Taylor Hackford, and written by James L. White from a story by Hackford and White. It stars Jamie Foxx in the title role, along with Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Terrence Howard, Larenz Tate, Richard Schiff and Regina King in supporting roles. Along with Hackford, the film was also produced by Stuart Benjamin, Howard Baldwin and Karen Baldwin.
It was released on October 29, 2004 by Universal Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Foxx's performance. It was also a commercial success, grossing $124.7 million worldwide against a production budget of $40 million.
"Ray" received many accolades and nominations and was nominated twice at the 77th Academy Awards. For his performance, Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics' Choice, becoming the second actor to win all five major lead actor awards for the same performance, and the only one to win the Golden Globe in the Musical or Comedy category, rather than in Drama.
Charles was set to attend an opening of the completed film, but died of liver disease in June 2004, months prior to the premiere.
Plot.
In 1948, young Ray Charles Robinson (Jamie Foxx), the blind son of a sharecropper, boards a bus at a rest stop in northern Florida. He travels to Seattle, Washington where he uses his unexpected talent for the piano to get a job playing for a nightclub band. The club's owner (Denise Dowse) soon begins to exploit Ray, demanding sexual favors and controlling his money and career. After discovering that he is being lied to and stolen from, Ray leaves the band in disgust. In 1950, Ray joins a white country band who make him wear sunglasses to hide his damaged eyes from audiences. They go on tour, and Ray is introduced to heroin. He also suffers from traumatic flashbacks relating to his childhood in the 1930s. 
The elder of two brothers, Ray is raised by a fiercely independent single mother, Aretha Robinson (Sharon Warren). The family is poor, but young Ray finds solace in music, learning to play the piano from a man at a local store. At age five, Ray is playing with his younger brother George in front of their house when George slips into their mother's full washbasin. Ray laughs at first, but becomes paralyzed with shock as George violently drowns in the soapy water. Aretha rushes to pull George from the water, but it is too late. Ray feels immense guilt over his brother's death, and begins to develop vision problems soon afterward. By age seven, he is completely blind. Aretha teaches him to be independent despite his condition, and makes him swear that he will never let the world "turn him into a cripple." Eventually, she sends Ray to a school for the deaf and blind, weeping as her only remaining son boards a bus and disappears.
As Ray travels on the road, he demands to be paid in single dollar bills so no one can cheat him, citing an event where Ray is playing with a country band and the man counting single $1 notes implies they are $20 bills to pay Ray. Another band member steps up and demands Ray be paid fairly. As Ray gains fame with his music, Ahmet Ertegun (Curtis Armstrong) of Atlantic Records discovers him. Ertegun’s song, "Mess Around" becomes Ray's first hit.
Ray ends up meeting Della Bea (Kerry Washington), a preacher's daughter. He falls in love with her, and the two get married. Della is not happy about Ray mixing gospel and soul music, but realizes he's got undeniable talent.
Ray goes out on the road with "I Got a Woman" and "Hallelujah I Love Her So", and meets up with Mary Anne Fisher (Aunjanue Ellis), a singer who teams up with Ray. On a trip home, Della Bea finds Ray's drugs in his shaving bag, and demands he stop using. Ray refuses, and walks out on a pregnant Della Bea. Ray begins an affair with Mary Anne. As Ray's popularity grows, Ray hires a girl trio to become "The Raylettes". Ray immediately falls for Margie's (Regina King), the lead singer's charms, and the two begin an affair.
Another few years later, Ray is out on the road as a headliner, and one night while doing a set, the band finishes early. The owner of the club demands Ray fill the 20 minute slot he has left, and Ray makes up the hit "What'd I Say" on the spot. During the 1960s, Ray is becoming more and more popular. Ray is offered a better contract with ABC Records, and although he is loyal to Atlantic, Ray leaves them, but on amicable terms. Ray goes to Augusta, GA, to play a concert, and encounters civil rights protests. Ray protests by saying that he will not play if the black concertgoers have to sit in the balcony. Ray ends up being barred from the state of Georgia.
Another year or so later, Ray then wants to try and do different things with his music, and incorporates classical and country into his sound. Some of his biggest hits come from this mixture, such as "Georgia on My Mind" which Margie says will be Ray's downfall. Ray also records "I Can't Stop Loving You", for which he receives a standing ovation at a concert.
While sleeping in a hotel room, Ray is raided and arrested by the police, explaining that they are acting on an anonymous tip that he has drugs in the room. Although heroin is found and Ray is charged with possession, he gets off on a legal technicality because the police didn't have a search warrant.
Later, while in a hotel room with Margie, Ray is tinkling on the piano while she gets sick. Margie is pregnant, and demands Ray leave Della and his three children with her. Ray refuses, angering Margie. Ray tells Margie to keep her anger, while he plays "Hit the Road Jack" complete with Margie's solo. With her newfound recognition, Margie leaves the Raylettes to embark on a solo career.
Ray and Della Bea move into a huge new house with their kids, but Della is uncomfortable in the new house. In 1965, Ray travels to Canada for another concert. On his return to the United States, he is arrested for possession of heroin. The record company has trouble getting him out of this dilemma and a judge sentences Ray to go to a treatment clinic. Della and Ray argue about the sentencing when Ray gets a call, learning that Margie has died from a drug overdose. Ray swears to Della that he forbid her from using it when she was around him. Feeling guilty, Ray goes to a rehab clinic where he suffers from withdrawal and vivid nightmares. One night, Ray has a conversation with his dead mother, who chastises him for letting drugs cripple him. Ray tries to apologize, but his mother won't hear of it. His little brother George appears, telling Ray that he doesn't blame him for his death.
In 1979, Ray permanently quits heroin and receives his proudest accomplishment: the state of Georgia officially apologizes to Ray and makes "Georgia On My Mind" the official state song. Ray, Della, and their three grown sons receive applause after Ray performs the song before a live audience.
In the epilogue, Ray has a long and successful career and legacy before dying of liver failure in 2004.
Production.
The film's production was entirely financed by Philip Anschutz, through his Bristol Bay Productions company. Taylor Hackford said in a DVD bonus feature that it took 15 years to make the film; or more specifically, as he later clarified in the liner notes of the soundtrack album, this is how long it took him to secure the financing. It was made on a budget of $40 million.
Charles was given a Braille copy of the film's original script; he objected only to a scene showing him taking up piano grudgingly, and a scene implying that Charles had shown mistress and lead "Raelette" Margie Hendricks how to shoot heroin.
As stated in the DVD commentary, Foxx does not sing as Charles with exception to cover versions Charles performs in his earlier years. Kanye West and Ludacris have since made songs with Foxx singing as Charles in their songs "Gold Digger" and "Georgia", respectively. Also stated in the commentary, Hackford stated that no studio was interested in backing the movie. After it was shot independently, Universal Pictures stepped in to distribute it. Part of the reason Universal Pictures released it was because one of its executives used to hitchhike to Ray Charles concerts.
"Ray" debuted at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival. Denzel Washington was offered to play the title role, but he passed on the project.
Hackford also stated in the audio commentary for the film on DVD that Anschutz said the film would be made, but he demanded it that it would PG-13 and this caused him to walk away from the film five times, but because of Charles and Ahmet Ertegun asking him to make the movie, he later agreed to do the film as a PG-13 rating. The film was later then rated PG-13 for "depiction of drug addiction, sexuality and some thematic elements". The film's score was composed by Craig Armstrong.
Reception.
Box office.
"Ray" was released in theaters on October 29, 2004. The film went on to become a box-office hit, earning $75 million in the U.S. with an additional $50 million internationally, bringing its worldwide gross to $125 million.
Critical response.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 206 reviews, with an average rating of 7.30/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "An engrossing and energetic portrait of a great musician's achievements and foibles, "Ray" is anchored by Jamie Foxx's stunning performance as Ray Charles." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" grade.
Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" wrote: "The movie would be worth seeing simply for the sound of the music and the sight of Jamie Foxx performing it. That it looks deeper and gives us a sense of the man himself is what makes it special." Ebert gave it a full 4 out of 4 stars. Richard Corliss of "Time" praised the cast, saying "If there were an Oscar for ensemble acting, Ray would win in a stroll." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote: "Jamie Foxx gets so far inside the man and his music that he and Ray Charles seem to breathe as one."
According to music critic Robert Christgau, "Foxx does the impossible—radiates something approaching the charisma of the artist he's portraying... that's the only time an actor has ever brought a pop icon fully to life on-screen."
Differences from noted events.
The film's credits state that "Ray" is based on true events, but includes some characters, names, locations, and events which have been changed and others which have been "fictionalized for dramatization purposes." Examples of the fictionalized scenes include: