Ray

2004
NC-16
2h 32m

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

159K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,397

407

Oscar winner Jamie Foxx returns to the screen in the action comedy 'They Cloned Tyrone.' From his early days in comedy starring in "In Living Color" to his dramatic award-winning roles in 'Ray' and much more, "No Small Parts" takes a look at his rise to fame.

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Tragedy Biography Drama Music

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 st... Read allThe 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.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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

159K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,397

407

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 2 Oscars
- 53 wins & 55 nominations total

Videos7

Clip 3:59

The Rise of Jamie Foxx

Clip 1:01

'Ray' | Anniversary Mashup

Clip 1:01

'Ray' | Anniversary Mashup

Clip 2:15

IMDbrief: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' & the Top 5 Music Biopics

Clip 3:53

Ray: Ray Charles Rejects Jim Crow Segregation

Video 3:26

The 5 Best Biopics of All Time With O'Shea Jackson Jr.

Video 3:59

Which Celebs Almost Played Rock Stars?

Photos127

+ 121

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Ray Charles died of liver failure on June 10, 2004, after filming had ended. He was able to sit through the first edit of this movie before his death.

Goofs
The scene where Charles is met by a group of protesters outside the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia is a fabrication. Charles canceled his appearance after receiving a telegram from students at a local black college. The promoter successfully sued Charles for breach of contract, but he was never banned from the state of Georgia. When the Georgia state legislature honored Ray Charles in 1979, they didn't apologized for banning him because he was never banned. In the commentary, it is stated that this event actually happened, but those who looked into Georgia's legislature found no record that he was banned, just sued, and later they adopted as their state song "Georgia" - by Ray Charles.

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

Crazy credits
Ray Charles is survived by 12 children, 21 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.

Alternate versions
Universal Pictures Oscar Edition contains Extended Cut of the film.

Connections
Featured in The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards 2005 (2005)

Soundtracks
What'd I Say
Written by Ray Charles
Performed by Ray Charles
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing

User reviews562

Review

Featured review

9/10

Great movie - love the music

Taylor Hackford wanted to make this movie for 15 years, and finally found Jamie Foxx to play the title role. Foxx is amazing in his portrayal of Ray Charles. From an interview I saw with Foxx, he met Charles several times and the two of them also played piano together (Foxx had piano lessons as a young child and actually played piano in all his scenes). I didn't see Charles live until his later years, so it was great to get a perspective on how his career developed. I hope Foxx gets nominated for the Best Actor Oscar as he certainly deserves it. The music, also, is incredible - it really showcases the breadth of Charles' music, from country to blues, and everything in between. The movie also gives an unblemished account of Ray Charles' life, from the many women he had relationships with to his drug habit and the consequences of that.