Sad yet inspiring, I remember seeing this one in theaters...
All I can say is that was my favorite movie when I wtched it on the opening weekend (until I started watching more movies). When a 15 (now) year old can tell that an actor is doing an amzaing job, you know that it has to be one hell of a performance-- which is what Jamie Fox gave. I didn't like how Ray kept cheating on his wife, and the movie did carry a sad tone most of the way through, until the end when he was welcomed back into his home state. There was a fari amount of iffy content, which included the sexuality, some language, and of course, Ray's addiction to heroine (when he first tried it, one of his friends said: "It's better than sex." to which Ray responds, "Nothing is better than sex.")-- so you can get an idea of what's in there. Also, some younger viewers might be sad during Ray's flachbacks to his childhood, especially given the way they were presented.
Definitely not for children, but definitely for mature teenagers. So much more to this movie than the normal PG-13 movie. Overcoming adversity, perserverence, the evils of drug use, the history of segregation in this country, the history of the soul music, etc.The acting and the story are excellent. An superb group of African American actors tells a moving story about a great African American figure. Jamie Foxx is getting a lot of Oscar buzz and it is justified. Learned tons about Ray Charles that I didn't know and while he had severe personal weaknesses (drugs and sex) his ability to overcome his blindness, the racial prejudices of the 40's-60's AND even his drug addiction is truly inspirational. Some of the women portrayed are truly role models -- Ray's mother and his wife.Proves that an R-rated life does not have to be portrayed in an R-rated manner.
Loved it but I would mke it R For Pervasive strong drug use,sexuality, and some emotinal upsetting thematic elements and breif violent content. The Drugs and Sexuality i this were a bit strong mostly the drug use though.
It is a good movie with an Oscar-winning performance. Very well deserved. Drugs are the only concern. If you watch with a younger one, assure them it is not good to take in drugs. Other than that, great movie about the life of Ray Charles.
Using an icon of music for an Advertisement for drugs
Not for kids at all! This is an extremely disappointing movie. It shows little about a great icon of the early days of rock music and his contributions to it and overcoming adversity. It is a plug for drugs and alcohol. A typical hollywood "I like drugs" move. A throwback to some of the drug movie trash of the 70's. This is not about music - it is about drugs.
Jamie Fox did an excellent job with a terrible script. He deserves note and maybe they will let him do a movie about the Ray music man.
Such a wonderful movie -- and while there is drug use portrayed, it's such a powerful anti-drug message that I think it might be worth an 11-year-old seeing it, particularly one very into music. The sex isn't explicit, and much of it might even be over an 11-yr-old's head. Some scary scenes, I averted my eyes whenever the sibling-death images came up. But ultimately there are great values portrayed, and I think that balances out the bad stuff.