IMDb > The Soloist (2009)
The Soloist
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The Soloist (2009) More at IMDbPro »

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The Soloist (2009) -- This is the theatrical trailer for The Soloist, directed by Joe Wright and starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.
The Soloist (2009) -- This is a clip from the movie The Soloist.
The Soloist (2009) -- Interview: Lisa Gay Hamilton "On the pride she feels being involved with the film"
The Soloist (2009) -- A Los Angeles Journalist, befriends a homeless Julliard trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.
The Soloist (2009) -- Trailer: #1

Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   8,551 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Joe Wright
Writers (WGA):
Susannah Grant (screenplay)
Steve Lopez (book)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Soloist on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 April 2009 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Biography | Music more
Tagline:
Life has a mind of its own more
Plot:
A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Julliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper. full summary | full synopsis
NewsDesk:
(306 articles)
Joe Wright Not Directing 'My Fair Lady'
 (From Get The Big Picture. 30 October 2009, 3:33 PM, PDT)

Keira Knightley and Joe Wright Reteaming For My Fair Lady Remake
 (From Slash Film. 25 October 2009, 9:00 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Interesting to know more (89 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jamie Foxx ... Nathaniel Ayers

Robert Downey Jr. ... Steve Lopez

Catherine Keener ... Mary Weston

Tom Hollander ... Graham Claydon

Lisa Gay Hamilton ... Jennifer Ayers (as Lisagay Hamilton)

Nelsan Ellis ... David Carter

Rachael Harris ... Leslie Bloom

Stephen Root ... Curt Reynolds
Lorraine Toussaint ... Flo Ayers

Justin Martin ... Young Nathaniel
Kokayi Ampah ... Bernie Carpenter

Patrick Tatten ... Paul Jr.

Susane Lee ... Marisa (as Susane E. Lee)

Marcos De Silvas ... Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Ilia Volok ... Harry Barnoff
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Imagining Beethoven (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some drug use and language.
Runtime:
117 min
Country:
UK | USA | France
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour (DeLuxe)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS
Company:
DreamWorks SKG more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Most of the homeless people shown in the film are actually homeless. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Lopez leaves the Lamp facility after waiting for Ayers, he gets into his Saab and sees a prostitute walk in front of his car towards some people. She is seen clearly because of the reflection of his car headlights. When the scene changes back to the car, the headlights are not on. more
Quotes:
Nathaniel Ayers: You can't hold down angels. more
Movie Connections:
References The Wise Little Hen (1934) more

FAQ

Who is Nathaniel Anthony Ayers?
What is the song played at the end of the Oscar Ad Commercial?
Is "The Soloist" based on a book?
more
21 out of 34 people found the following comment useful.
Interesting to know, 26 April 2009
Author: benjybass from France

I am a musician and live in France, where the release date of this movie is scheduled for Sept. 2 2009. I obviously cannot write a review at the present time but have nevertheless read the book.

What no one mentions in all of the above comments is that Nathaniel Ayers was originally a Double Bass student at Julliard and NOT a cellist. That instrument-- along with the violin, trumpet, and piano, all came about later on. Put any instrument into his hands and he'll do his best to master it.

Having attended Yale university, I did not know him personally, even though we studied with one of the greatest bass teachers in the New York area at that time: Homer Mensch. Recently our paths did finally cross thanks to one of our mutual acquaintances, bassist and composer Joe Russo. Nathan likes to write down the names of his long lost good friends on walls, or any writing surface, and Joe's name is always there, scribbled amongst his favorites. This was where Steve noticed Joe's name and Googled him to look up his website. A new and close friendship resulted between them, and the many anecdotes that Joe pulled out of Nathan's past were worth their weight in gold to Steve, enough to devote the entire chapter 8 of the book to Joe!

To me, reading this book made me come to the conclusion that every man has his hour in life, and Nathan's time had come now. The chances of 2 men, one homeless and one not, being pulled together through the sound of a violin in a rush hour tunnel, were undoubtedly written in the stars. Through articles, a book and now a film on Nathan, Steve helped uplift a poor and abandoned part of society to a rank that it never imagined nor asked for, but morally deserved. We all know that the Internet is indeed capable of connecting and reconnecting people in the present, but only music can magically, throughout time, open the doors that connect all of us to one another.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
One of the worst performances of 2009. brettjm3
Open Letter to: THE TRAILER EDITOR Pr9mari05
what's the name... reika-3
Suffering from cinematography and art direction artemis00
ahhhh, so what happened? bono_vox_is_god
READ THE BOOK Mobutsky
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