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'''Ali''' is an Academy Award-nominated 2001 biographical film which tells the story of boxing icon Muhammad Ali. It stars Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver, Jeffrey Wright, Mykelti Williamson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Nona Gaye (in her film debut), Michael Michele, Joe Morton, Giancarlo Esposito and LeVar Burton.

Contents

Premise

Production

Critical reaction

Academy Awards

Awards/Nominations

References

External links

Premise

The film focuses on the first turbulent decade of the boxer’s professional career, featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from the ill-fated Sonny Liston (played by Michael Bentt), conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War and banishment from boxing, return to fight Joe Frazier in 1971, and lastly his reclaiming the title from George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974. The movie also discusses the great social and political upheaval in the United States following the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. The film also shows the man’s private side: his numerous wives and failed marriages, and his friendships with Malcolm, broadcaster Howard Cosell, and other important figures.

Production

The movie was written by Gregory Allen Howard, Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson, Eric Roth and Michael Mann. The original script by Howard and also Rivele was significantly modified by Roth and Mann. Howard was originally commissioned to write an Ali script by producer Jon Peters in 1994, but it was never produced.
Will Smith spent approximately one year learning all aspects of Ali's life. These included boxing training, Islamic studies and dialect training (to help him speak like Ali). Smith has said that his portrayal of Ali is his proudest work to date.
One of the selling points of the film is the realism of the fight scenes. All of the boxers in the film are in fact former or current world heavyweight champions. It was quickly decided that 'Hollywood fighting' - passing the fist (or foot) between the camera and the face to create the illusion of a hit - would not be used in favor of actual boxing. The only limitation placed upon the fighters was for Charles Shufford (who plays George Foreman). He was permitted to hit Will Smith as hard as he could, so long as he did not actually knock the actor out.
Smith had to gain a significant amount of weight to look the part of Muhammad Ali. His current physique is due to the weight gains he had to make for ''Ali''.

Critical reaction

In its opening weekend, ''Ali'' grossed a total of $14,710,892 in 2,446 theaters. As of December 8 2006, the film has grossed a total of $87,713,825 worldwide. The film holds a 67 percent "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
The film had mixed reviews with the acting being well received by critics in general. Director Spike Lee said during an interview for ESPN that he could not understand how a boring movie could be made about one of the most exciting figures of the 20th century. Lee had been in the running to direct the film but Sony and Will Smith opted to go with Mann instead.
''Time Out London'' gave the film an all-round positive review, stating, "from the virtuoso opening to the climactic re-creation of Ali's 1974 Zaire bout with George Foreman, Mann achieves a thrilling mix of action and analysis, exploiting and transcending both boxing movie and biopic conventions with a master's ease."^[1]
On the other hand, Roger Ebert derided the film with two stars, and mentioned, "it lacks much of the flash, fire and humor of Muhammad Ali and is shot more in the tone of a eulogy than a celebration."^[2]
After the theatrical version was released on DVD, Mann revisited his film again with a new cut. He took out approximately 20 minutes of footage and put 30 minutes of previously unseen footage back in. The director claimed that the politics of the times are more the focus.

Academy Awards

'Award'	'Person'
'Nominated:'
Best Actor	Will Smith
Best Supporting Actor	Jon Voight

Awards/Nominations

★ 'Black Reel Awards'

★
★ 'Best Original Soundtrack: '(Winner)''

★
★ 'Best Supporting Actor: ''Jamie Foxx'' '(Winner)''

★
★ 'Best Supporting Actress: Nona Gaye (Winner)'

★
★ Best Film: (Nominated)

★
★ Best Actor: ''Will Smith'' ''(Nominated)''

★
★ Best Film Poster: ''(Nominated)''

★
★ Best Song From a Film: ''R. Kelly''-"The World's Greatest" ''(Nominated)''

★
★ Best Screenplay Adapted or Original: Gregory Allen Howard ''(Nominated)''

★ Broadcast Film Critics Association

★
★ Best Actor: Will Smith (Nominated)

★
★ Best Picture: (Nominated)

★
★ Best Supporting Actor: Jon Voight (Nominated)

★ Chicago Film Critics

★
★ Best Supporting Actor: Jon Voight (Nominated)

★ ESPY Awards

★
★ Best Sport Movie

★ Image Awards

★
★ 'Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Jamie Foxx (winner)'

★
★ Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Will Smith (nominated)

★
★ Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Jada Pinkett Smith (nominated)

★
★ Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Mario Van Peebles (nominated)

References

1. http://www.timeout.com/film/77686.html
2. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20011225/REVIEWS/112250302/1023

External links

★

★ Mann interview

★ Will Smith interview

★ ''Senses of Cinema'' review

★ ''Entertainment Weekly'' Mann interview

★ ''Ali'' movie trailer