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Ray

Ray (2004)

⭐ 7.7 | PG-13 | 153 minutes
DVD (2 discs + 1 features ) Blu-ray (1 discs ) Digital ✓
Genre: Drama
Aspect Ratio: Wide
Sound: DD 5.1
Academy Awards: 2 Wins , 6 Nominations

Synopsis

Jamie Foxx's uncannily accurate performance isn't the only good thing about Ray. Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz, Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all the inner demons that Charles would battle into adulthood), the film does a remarkable job of summarizing Charles's strengths as a musical innovator and his weaknesses as a philandering heroin addict who recorded some of his best songs while flying high as a kite. Foxx seems to be channeling Charles himself, and as he did with the life of Ritchie Valens in La Bamba, director Taylor Hackford gets most of the period details absolutely right as he chronicles Ray's rise from "chitlin circuit" performer in the early '50s to his much-deserved elevation to legendary status as one of the all-time great musicians. Foxx expertly lip-syncs to Ray Charles' classic recordings, but you could swear he's the real deal in a film that honors Ray Charles without sanitizing his once-messy life.

Cast

Jamie Foxx
Regina King
Terrence Dashon Howard
Harry Lennix
Richard Schiff
Larenz Tate

Director

Taylor Hackford

Awards & Nominations

  • Oscar Nominee: Best Costume Design
  • Oscar Nominee: Best Director
  • Oscar Nominee: Best Film Editing
  • Oscar Nominee: Best Picture
  • Oscar Winner: Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
  • Oscar Winner: Best Actor In A Leading Role

Keywords

Academy Award Winners AFI Top 100 Inspiring Biopics Classic R&B Drama Music

Technical Specifications

Audio Languages

English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

Subtitle Languages

Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish

Special Features

  • Audio commentary
  • Deleted/extended scenes
  • Featurettes/Behind-The-Scenes/Documentaries
  • Trailers/TV spots
  • 14 Never Before Seen Deleted Scenes
  • Complete Uncut Music Performances From The Movie - Including Ray & The Raelettes Performing "Hit the Road Jack"
  • Walking In His Shoes (A Revealing Look at Jamie Foxx's Incredible Transformation Into Ray Charles - Including A Jam Session Between The Actor and the Legendary Musician Himself)
  • Ray Remembered (Friends and Fellow Musicians Remember Ray Charles)
  • Feature Commentary With Director Taylor Hackford
  • Extended Musical Scenes
  • Intro By Jamie Foxx
  • Stepping Into The Past
  • The Women Of Ray
  • The Filmmaker's Journey
  • Ray: An American Story
  • A Look Inside Ray
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