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• The Soloist is based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a Julliard trained musician who suffered from schizophrenia and ended up playing on the streets of Los Angeles. The film depicts the friendship between Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), a Los Angeles Times columnist and Ayers (Jamie Foxx). The movie is based on a series of columns that Lopez wrote, chronicling Ayers' life and his friendship with the musician.Trailer Addict: The Soloist

• Fast Facts

  1. Release date: April 24, 2009
  2. Director: Joe Wright
  3. Screenwriter: Susannah Grant
  4. Producers: Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff
  5. Distributor: DreamWorks
  6. 2005: LA Times columnist Steve Lopez wrote about his relationship in a series of columnsColumbus Dispatch: OSU Professor Briefly Taught Nathaniel Ayers (April 24, 2009)
  7. Lopez's columns were adapted into the bestselling book The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of MusicColumbus Dispatch: OSU Professor Briefly Taught Nathaniel Ayers (April 24, 2009)
  8. Ayers' sister, Jennifer Ayers-Moore, is the Chairwoman and Founder of the Nathaniel Anthony Ayers FoundationNAAyers.org: The Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation (NAAF)
  9. MPAA rating: PG-13

• Review Quotes

  • "The film is imperfect, periodically if unsurprisingly sentimental, overly tidy and often very moving...The Soloist wouldn't work half as well without Mr. Downey's astringent, bristly take on a man whose best intentions eventually collide with difficult truths."—NY TimesNY Times: Struggle and Rescue, a Duet in Sharps and Minors (April 24, 2009)

• The Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation

  • The Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation was established in 2008 to support arts programs and encourage artistic development at mental health and arts organizations. The Foundation emphasizes programs that serve the artistically gifted who suffer from mental illness.NAAyers.org: The Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation (NAAF)

• Cast

  • Robert Downey Jr. as Steve Lopez
  • Jamie Foxx as Nathaniel Ayers
  • Catherine Keener as Mary Weston
  • Tom Hollander as Graham Claydon
  • Rachael Harris as Leslie
  • Lisa Gay Hamilton as Jennifer

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  The Soloist Trailer | Nathaniel Ayers | Robert Downey Jr. | Jamie Foxx | Schizophrenia | Ludwig van Beethoven | Los Angeles Times

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