American History

My report follows the life of Ray Charles Robinson, better known as Ray Charles, in the 2004 film Ray. Jamie Foxx won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Actor in his portrayal of Charles from the musicians simple roots to his piano work to becoming a superstar. Along the way, he faced numerous trials and tribulations stemming from childhood blindness, the death of his brother and the constant racism. Charles inspired many aspiring singers to greatness and his musical influence lives on today.

The movie Ray portrays an accurate depiction of the life of Ray Charles Robinson. He is better known to most people as Ray Charles (his given last name was dropped to avoid confusion with Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson), a man who faced some incredible challenges to become a worldwide star. He was seen as someone whose drive made him famous despite the many obstacles put in front of him.

Acted by Jamie Foxx, who won a Golden Globe and a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance, Charles is seen growing up in a poor Southern family. His father left when the boy was young leaving mother to raise him and his brother. During the first several years of his life, Charles watched in shock as his brother drowned in a tub and losing his own eyesight.

The movie makes it factual by portraying both episodes (a little dramatic on the drowning, showing a young Ray watching the tragic events unfold but doing nothingnot even yelling to his mother for help).  Regarding his deteriorating eyesight, this mother tells him that there is nothing that could be done to save his vision (no health insurance to treat glaucoma). The film shows Rays eye slowly closing permanently from his front porch.

A little bit of dramatic license to be certain, but the effect is devastating. Charles will no longer see the world in the ways most people will. Instead, Charles will have to use his other senses to survive. In one scene, Charles is riding on a bus and one of the passengers asks him why he does not use a cane to walk. Charles told the passenger that he uses touch (tapping his foot to the bus wall, for example) and his other senses to understand where he is and what to do. Again, the effect is to show that Charles mother taught him to be self-sufficient in an unforgiving world. (Ray movie, 2004)
When Charles began in music, he endured the challenges of dealing with people who were not hiring African-Americans, let alone people with disabilities. Charles would not be denied as he understood the business and how not be swindled. He knew how much was supposed to be paid and demanded satisfaction.

His music was different from everything else in the 1950s and 60s. One change was his infusion of jazz, gospel and soul. The music, which he started listening to early in life, fueled his creativity.  When his Hit the Road, Jack became a hit, Charles soon realized his dream and all of the benefits that came with celebrity.

Charles was married but had affairs with his back-up singers, abused heroin and other questionable behaviors during his fame. Charles believed that he earned the opportunities that came with making music. The movie showed how he dealt with fameby showing him at his worst as well as his best. He created music for the masses, but off stage, Charles was a complete mess. He could not keep his marriage intact, his drug habit took over and he was not creating hits as a result.

Director Taylor Hackford shows Ray trying to exercise his heroin addiction with the withdrawal sequence near the end of the firm. He sees the error of his ways and tries to make right.  During one scene, Charles is performing while one of the back-up singers he had an affair with (played by actress Regina King) continually shoots him dirty looks.

It showed the audience that Charles (a) enjoyed his celebrity (b) was unapologetic about his off-stage antics and (c) proved he could play despite the distractions.

An important side note to the film. Hackford said he cast Foxx in the role hoping he could imitate Charles. That meant pretending to play the piano like the musician. Foxx said that unbeknownst to Hackford, he was already a classically-trained pianist. This meant there was no stunt double needed. No camera shots of Foxx acting like he is playing the pianobecause he actually is playing. In the movies outtakes, Charles and Foxx engage in a jam session that moved both the actor and the musician.

The movie took some liberties with Charles life (name me a movie that does not). Movies have to have a few moments that make the audience grasp or react to situations. That does not take anything away from the man who overcame great obstacles to become a music legend in the RB (Rhythm and Blues), soul, gospel and mainstream fields. There is no denying his talent and his contributions to music. Listen to his version of America the Beautiful and one will understand what his impact has on people.

Foxx researched his role well, even spending time with Charles himself, who gave his blessing to the movie shortly before he passed away on June 10, 2004. He got down every move, nuance and quirk of the late musician so that he could give an accurate depiction of Charles. Foxx deserved the Oscar (and Best Actor Golden Globe) for his work. Hackford should be commended for keeping the facts mostly in the movie. Charles should be remembered for the catalog of music he left behind.