Ray Charles is back on the big screen, and this time he’s played by Jamie Foxx. The 2004 biopic covers three decades of the soul musician’s life, from his blind childhood in Florida to his 1950s breakthrough. Directed by Taylor Hackford, it’s a sprawling portrait of a man whose music drew on gospel and country, and whose personal life was as troubled as his gifts were rare.
Trailer, via Universal Pictures.
The Early Years
The film opens in the 1930s on a sharecropping plantation in northern Florida. Ray Charles Robinson, played by Foxx, goes blind at age seven after an illness. His mother, Aretha Robinson, played by Sharon Warren, insists he learn to fend for himself. She sends him to a school for the deaf and blind, where he learns to play piano.
The film’s first act follows young Ray’s family tragedy. His younger brother George drowns in their mother’s washbasin, a trauma that haunts him. His mother’s insistence on independence shapes his entire approach to music and life.
From Band to Record Deal
In 1946, Ray joins a white country band and wears sunglasses to hide his damaged eyes. Two years later, he heads to Seattle and joins a nightclub band. The club’s owner demands sexual favors and controls his money and career. Ray discovers he’s being exploited and signs his own record deal, leaving the band.
He tours the Chitlin’ Circuit as “Ray Charles,” gaining a reputation for raw energy. That’s where he meets Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records, who gives him the song “Mess Around.” The hit launches his career.
The Drug Problem
Ray’s rise comes with a cost. He discovers heroin in Houston and falls into addiction. His wife, Della Bea Robinson, played by Kerry Washington, is a preacher’s daughter who disapproves of his music mixing gospel with blues. They marry anyway, and Ray writes “I Got a Woman” and “Hallelujah I Love Her So.”
When Della finds his drug kit during pregnancy, she confronts him. They reconcile after the birth of their first child, but Ray begins an affair with singer Mary Anne Fisher. A jealous Mary Anne leaves when Ray hires a trio to become “The Raelettes” and immediately falls for lead singer Margie Hendrix, played by Regina King.
The 1950s Breakthrough
In 1956, Ray’s popularity grows. He records “Night Time Is the Right Time” on a new electric piano while showing the symptoms of his complete addiction. His producers recognize both his genius and his problem. The film captures the tension between the two.
“The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles.”
The Critical Reception
Ray was released on October 29, 2004, by Universal Pictures. It grossed $124 million worldwide on a budget of $40 million. The film was nominated in six categories at the 77th Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It won two: Best Actor for Foxx and Best Sound Mixing.
Foxx’s performance earned him Best Actor at the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics’ Choice. He became the second actor to win all five major lead actor awards for the same performance.
The Legacy
Charles had planned to attend a screening of the completed film. He died of liver disease in June 2004, four months prior to the premiere. The film is dedicated in his memory.
| Event | Year |
|---|---|
| Ray’s blindness | Age 7 |
| First hit, “Mess Around” | 1950s |
| Marriage to Della Bea | Mid-1950s |
| Recording “Night Time Is the Right Time” | 1956 |
Our Verdict
Ray is a solid, often moving account of a great artist’s life. Foxx carries the film with a commanding presence that matches Charles’s own charisma. The supporting cast, led by Kerry Washington and Regina King, gives strong performances around him.
The film doesn’t pretend Charles was perfect. It shows his addiction, his affairs, and the compromises he made to succeed. That honesty is part of what makes it work.
It’s not a flawless biography. Some events are compressed, and some details feel rushed. But as a portrait of a singular talent, Ray succeeds. It’s a worthy tribute to a man who changed the sound of popular music.
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