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RUNTIME
Did you know
Clocks in at 152 minutes β on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#01
Ray
"The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles."
2004 2h 32m EN
π
7.4
SOLID
π
80%
FRESH
π
73
METACRITIC
β
7.7
IMDB
β
7.4TMDB Β· 2,315π
80%Rotten Tomatoesβ73Metacriticβ
7.7IMDB Β· 167,179
DramaMusic
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.
βThe extraordinary life story of Ray Charles.β
Cast
Jamie Foxx
Ray Charles
Kerry Washington
Della Bea Robinson
Regina King
Margie Hendricks
Harry Lennix
Joe Adams
Clifton Powell
Jeff Brown
Bokeem Woodbine
Fathead Newman
Sharon Warren
Aretha Robinson
C.J. Sanders
Young Ray Robinson
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Taylor Hackford
- Writers
- James L. White, Taylor Hackford, James L. White
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts πΏ
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Made its money back 3.1Γ over at the box office.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#02
3 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 22 years ago.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Taylor Hackford, shot by PaweΕ Edelman. Note their partnership β DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Craig Armstrong. Worth a dedicated listen after β most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Paul Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington and Regina King carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#07
8 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles.".
MoodPlayr Β· trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Taylor Hackford directs. PaweΕ Edelman behind the camera. Craig Armstrong scores. Paul Hirsch cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Clocks in at 152 minutes β on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
- 2Made its money back 3.1Γ over at the box office.
- 3Released 22 years ago.
- 4Directed by Taylor Hackford, shot by PaweΕ Edelman. Note their partnership β DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 5Original score by Craig Armstrong. Worth a dedicated listen after β most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 6Editor Paul Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 7Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington and Regina King carry the top of the cast.
- 8Marketing tagline: "The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles.".
- 9IMDB entry: tt0350258 β still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 10Classified under 19 themes, including "blindness and impaired vision", "country music", "jazz", "loss of loved one".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- PaweΕ Edelman
- Original score
- Craig Armstrong
- Editing
- Paul Hirsch
- Production design
- Stephen Altman
- Costume design
- Sharen Davis
- Makeup / hair
- Stacye P. Branche
- Stunt coordinator
- Jeff Galpin
- Runtime
- 152 min Β· 2h 32m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $40,000,000
- Box office
- $124,700,000
- Return
- 312% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- PG-13
- IMDB
- Ray (2004)
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 80% π Fresh
- Metacritic
- 73/100
- IMDB rating
- 7.7/10 Β· 167,179 votes
- MPAA
- PG-13
Awards
Won 2 Oscars. 53 wins & 55 nominations total
- Academy Award for Best Sound
- Academy Award for Best Actor
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
Taylor Hackford
Stills Β· wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames β open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
- BR
Bristol Bay Productions
US
Universal Pictures
US
- AN
Anvil Films
- BA
Baldwin Entertainment Group
US
Key crew
- Line ProducerBarbara A. Hall
- Set DecorationMaria Nay
- Art DirectionScott Plauche
- Music SupervisorCurt Sobel
- Co-ProducerRay Charles Robinson Jr.
- Costume DesignSharen Davis
- Supervising Sound EditorKaren Baker Landers
- Production SupervisorYvonne Yaconelli
- Production DesignStephen Altman
- Supervising Sound EditorPer Hallberg
- CastingNancy Klopper
- Still PhotographerNicola Goode
- Executive ProducerWilliam J. Immerman
- Co-ProducerAlise Benjamin
- Makeup Department HeadStacye P. Branche
- ProducerHoward Baldwin
- Co-ProducerNick Morton
- Art Department CoordinatorMary Frances Eglin
- ProducerStuart Benjamin
- Hair Department HeadJoAnn Stafford-Chaney
- Script SupervisorPamela Alch
- ProducerKaren Elise Baldwin
- Executive ProducerJaime Rucker King
- ProducerTaylor Hackford
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- blindness and impaired vision
- country music
- jazz
- loss of loved one
- overdose
- bus ride
- georgia
- melancholy
- record producer
- biography
- rags to riches
- childhood trauma
- gospel
- indianapolis
- record label
- recording studio
- pianist
- usa history
- cautionary
Release history Β· US
When it landed
- Premiere2004-10-14Β· Starz Denver International Film Festival
- Theatrical2004-10-29PG-13
- Physical2005-02-01Β· DVD
Also known as
International titles
- Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles StoryUS
- ΥΥ₯Υ΅AM
