Taglines: Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.
Ali movie storyline. Notoriously obsessive director Michael Mann and star Will Smith devoted nearly two years and over 100 million dollars from the coffers of Columbia Pictures and other financiers to creating this biography of boxing great Muhammad Ali, which focuses on the ten-year period of 1964-1974. In that time, the brash, motor-mouthed athlete quickly dominates his sport, meets and marries his first wife (Jada Pinkett-Smith), converts to Islam (changing his name from Cassius Clay), and defies the United States government by refusing to submit to military conscription for duty in Vietnam.
His world heavyweight champion title thus stripped from him entirely for political reasons, the champ sets about to win back his crown, culminating in a legendary unification bout against George Foreman (Charles Shufford) in Zaire, dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle.” In his travels, Ali becomes a symbol of power to disenfranchised African-Americans everywhere and meets such luminaries as Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles), Martin Luther King Jr. (LeVar Burton) and Maya Angelou (Martha Edgerton).
Ali is a 2001 American biographical sports drama film written, produced and directed by Michael Mann. The film focuses on ten years in the life of the boxer Muhammad Ali, played by Will Smith, from 1964 to 1974, featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston, his conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War, and banishment from boxing, his return to fight Joe Frazier in 1971, and, finally, his reclaiming the title from George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974. It also touches on the great social and political upheaval in the United States following the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. The film was well received by critics, but was a failure at the box office. Smith and Jon Voight received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
Ali opened on Christmas Day, 2001 and grossed a total of $14.7 million in 2,446 theaters during its opening weekend. The film went on to gross a total of $87.7 million worldwide. Ali holds a 67% “fresh” rating at Rotten Tomatoes. In spite of the positive reviews, the film lost an estimated $63.1 million.
Ali (2001)
Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver, Jeffrey Wright, Mykelti Williamson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Nona M. Gaye, Michael Michele
Screenplay by: Gregory Allen Howard, Stephen J. Rivele
Cinematography by: John Myhre
Film Editing by: William Goldenberg, Lynzee Klingman, Stephen E. Rivkin, Stuart Waks
Costume Design by: Marlene Stewart
Set Decoration by: Jim Erickson
art Direction by: Jonathan Lee, Bill Rea
Makeup Depirtment: Pierce Austin, Michael F. Blake
Music by: Pieter Bourke, Bill Brown
MPAA Rating: R for some language and brief violence.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: December 25, 2001
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