Ragtime (film)
Ragtime is a 1981 American drama film, directed by Miloš Forman, based on the 1975 historical novel Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow. The action takes place in and around New York City, New Rochelle, and Atlantic City early in the 1900s, including fictionalized references to actual people and events of the time.[2] The film features the final film appearances of James Cagney and Pat O'Brien,[3] and early appearances, in small parts, by Jeff Daniels, Fran Drescher, Samuel L. Jackson, Ethan Phillips, and John Ratzenberger. The music score was composed by Randy Newman. The film was nominated for eight Oscars.
| Ragtime | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Miloš Forman |
| Produced by | Dino De Laurentiis |
| Screenplay by | Michael Weller Bo Goldman (uncredited) |
| Based on | Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Randy Newman |
| Cinematography | Miroslav Ondříček |
| Edited by | Anne V. Coates Antony Gibbs Stanley Warnow |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 155 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $28.3 million[1] |
| Box office | $21.2 million[1] |
Plot
A newsreel montage depicts turn-of-the-20th-century celebrities including Harry Houdini, Theodore Roosevelt, architect Stanford White (Norman Mailer), and life in New York City, accompanied by ragtime pianist Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Howard E. Rollins, Jr.). Millionaire industrialist Harry Kendall Thaw (Robert Joy) makes a scene when White unveils a nude statue atop Madison Square Garden, modeled after former chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit (Elizabeth McGovern), Thaw's wife. Convinced White has corrupted Evelyn, Thaw publicly shoots him dead.
An upper-class family resides in New Rochelle, New York, where Father (James Olson) owns a factory where his wife's Younger Brother (Brad Dourif) makes fireworks. An African American baby is abandoned in their garden, and upon learning the police intend to charge the child's mother, Sarah (Debbie Allen), with child abandonment and attempted murder, Mother (Mary Steenburgen) takes Sarah and her child in, despite Father's objections. Coalhouse arrives in search of Sarah, driving a new Ford Model T, and realizing he is the baby's father, announces his intention to marry Sarah.
Younger Brother witnesses White's murder and becomes obsessed with Evelyn. Thaw's lawyer Delphin (Pat O'Brien) bribes Evelyn with a million-dollar divorce settlement to keep silent about Thaw's mental instability and to testify that White abused her. Passing through the Lower East Side, Evelyn encounters street artist Tateh (Mandy Patinkin), who throws out his unfaithful wife (Fran Drescher). He leaves New York with their daughter and sells the flip book he created. Evelyn and Younger Brother begin an affair as she prepares her return to the stage, while he assumes they will eventually marry. After Thaw is found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity, his lawyers inform Evelyn that Thaw will sue her for divorce on the grounds of infidelity and she accepts a smaller settlement. The affair ends, leaving Younger Brother adrift.
In New Rochelle, Coalhouse is targeted by bigoted volunteer firemen led by Willie Conklin (Kenneth McMillan), who refuse to allow his automobile to pass by. Coalhouse finds a policeman (Jeff Daniels) and returns to find his car's soiled with horse manure, and the racist policeman arrests him for parking illegally. After Father arranges for Coalhouse's release, they discover his car has been further vandalized. Coalhouse pursues legal action, but can find no lawyer willing to represent him. Father and Younger Brother argue over Coalhouse's legal recourse. At a presidential rally, Sarah attempts to tell President Roosevelt about Coalhouse's case but is beaten by guards and dies.
After Sarah's funeral, Coalhouse and his supporters kill several firemen. He threatens to attack other firehouses, demanding his car be restored and Conklin be turned over to him. Father is disgusted at the violence but Younger Brother joins Coalhouse's gang with his knowledge of explosives. Ostracized by their own white community and hounded by reporters, Father and Mother leave for Atlantic City. They encounter Tateh, now a film director on a photoplay with Evelyn. Mother is attracted to Tateh and she and Father quarrel. Coalhouse's gang hold the Pierpont Morgan Library's collection hostage. Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo (James Cagney) sends for Walker's child as a bargaining chip but Mother refuses to give him up. Father demands she turn the child over and returns to New York to assist Waldo and Mother leaves.
Booker T. Washington (Moses Gunn) fails to persuade Walker to surrender, as does Father. Conklin is captured by police and forced to apologize to Coalhouse. Waldo is disgusted by Conklin's bigotry but cannot submit to terrorist demands and has him arrested. Coalhouse agrees to surrender if Waldo permits his supporters to depart in his restored car and Waldo agrees after Father volunteers to stay as a hostage. Coalhouse's supporters escape and he drives Father out of the library. Ready to blow himself up, Coalhouse instead surrenders but is shot dead on Waldo's orders. The film ends with another newsreel: Evelyn dances in vaudeville and Thaw is released from an asylum. Houdini escapes from a straitjacket several stories above the ground, while newspapers announce that the First World War has begun. Younger Brother returns to his fireworks job and Father watches from the house in New Rochelle as Mother departs with Tateh and Coalhouse's son.[4]
Cast
The film is notable for introducing numerous actors for whom this was one of their first appearances in an American film: Samuel L. Jackson, Debbie Allen, Jeff Daniels, Andreas Katsulas, Ethan Phillips, Elizabeth McGovern, Stuart Milligan, and John Ratzenberger. Additionally, it was the final film of James Cagney and Pat O'Brien. Cagney had not acted in a film for 20 years prior to his appearance in Ragtime.
- James Cagney as Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
- Brad Dourif as Younger Brother
- Moses Gunn as Booker T. Washington
- Elizabeth McGovern as Evelyn Nesbit
- Kenneth McMillan as Fire Chief Willie Conklin
- Pat O'Brien as Delmas
- Donald O'Connor as Evelyn's Dance Instructor
- James Olson as Father
- Mandy Patinkin as Tateh
- Howard E. Rollins, Jr. as Coalhouse Walker Jr.
- Mary Steenburgen as Mother
- Debbie Allen as Sarah
- Jeffrey DeMunn as Harry Houdini
- Robert Joy as Harry Kendall Thaw
- Norman Mailer as Stanford White
- Edwin Cooper as Grandfather
- Jeff Daniels as P.C. O'Donnell
- Fran Drescher as Mameh
- Frankie Faison as Gang Member
- Alan Gifford as Judge
- Richard Oldfield as Stock Reporter
- Richard Griffiths as Delmas' Assistant
- George Harris as Clef Club Bandleader
- Samuel L. Jackson as Gang Member
- Michael Jeter as Special Reporter
- Andreas Katsulas as Policeman #3
- Joe Praml as Policeman No. 8
- Calvin Levels as Gang Member
- Bessie Love as Old Lady (T.O.C.)
- Christopher Malcolm as Police Captain
- Stuart Milligan as the Marksman
- Zack Norman as Manager
- Ethan Phillips as Guard at Family House
- Barry Dennen as Stage Manager
- Jack Nicholson as Pirate on Beach (uncredited)
Production
The film was shot on location in New York City; Mount Kisco, New York; New Jersey; and at Shepperton Studios, UK.
Awards and honors
Others
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains:
- Coalhouse Walker, Jr. – Nominated[6]
- 2005: AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores – Nominated[7]
See also
- Ragtime – the Tony-winning musical adaptation
References
- Knoedelseder, William K., Jr. (August 30, 1987). "De Laurentiis: Producer's Picture Darkens". Los Angeles Times. p. 1.
- Canby, Vincent (November 20, 1981). "'Ragtime' Evokes Real and Fictional Pasts". The New York Times.
- Phipps, Keith (November 29, 2004). "Ragtime". AV Club.
- Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1981). "Ragtime".
- "Ragtime (1981) – Awards". New York Times. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- "AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 6, 2016.
- "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 6, 2016.
External links
- Ragtime on IMDb
- Ragtime at AllMovie
- Ragtime at Rotten Tomatoes
- Ragtime at Box Office Mojo