''The Hurricane'' is a 1999 American biographical

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

crime drama film directed and produced by

Norman Jewison Norman Frederick Jewison (July 21, 1926 – January 20, 2024) was a Canadian filmmaker. He was known for directing films which addressed topical Social issue, social and political issues, often making controversial or complicated subjects acces ...

. The film stars

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...

as Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter, a former middleweight boxer who was wrongly convicted of a triple murder in a bar in

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon from Carter's 1974 autobiography ''The Sixteenth Round: From Number 1 Contender To 45472'' and the 1991 non-fiction work ''Lazarus and the Hurricane: The Freeing of Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter'' by Sam Chaiton and Terry Swinton. The film depicts Carter's arrest, his life in prison, and how he was freed by the love and compassion of a teenager from Brooklyn named Lesra Martin and his

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

foster family. Washington won the

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

and was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...

for his performance. The film was released by

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

in the United States on December 29, 1999. It grossed $74 million against a budget of $50 million.

Plot

In 1966, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was a promising and top-ranked middleweight boxer from Paterson, New Jersey, who was expected by many fans in to become the world's greatest boxing champion. However, a bartender and two customers were shot to death in a bar, Carter and his friend John Artis, driving home from another club in Paterson, were stopped and interrogated by the police moments after the crime while the police were investigating the killings. Although the police asserted that Carter and Artis were innocent and thus, "were never suspects," letting them go after questioning them, a man named Alfred Bello, a suspect himself in the killings, who was also questioned by police claimed that Carter and Artis were present at the time of the murders and committed the killings themselves. On the basis of Bello's testimony, Carter and Artis were convicted of the triple homicide in the bar, and Carter was given three consecutive life sentences. Throughout his time in prison, Carter proclaimed his innocence, claiming that his race was the real reasons for his conviction while he wrote and published his autobiography. Eight years later, Bello and a co-suspect, Arthur Bradley, who also claimed that Carter was present at the scene of the crimes, renounced and recanted their testimony. However, Carter and Artis were convicted once again. Following the second trial that sent Carter and Artis back to prison, Lesra Martin, an underprivileged Afro-American youth from Brooklyn, goes to live in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

with a group of Canadian activists who see his academic potential and offer to raise him as his tutors. In the 1980s, he becomes interested in Carter's life after purchasing a copy of Carter's autobiography which he reads and is convinced of his innocence after which he and his Canadian foster family commit themselves to Carter's case as they join Carter's legal team to push the State of New Jersey to reexamine Carter's case. In 1985, a Federal District Court presided over by Judge H. Lee Sarokin of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, ruled that the prosecution in Carter's second trial committed "grave constitutional violations" and that his conviction was based on racism rather than facts. As a result, Carter (and later Artis) were finally freed. Both before and after the verdict that set him free, Carter summed up his story by saying, "Hate got me into prison, love got me out."

Cast

Production

Background

became interested in a "Hurricane" Carter biopic in 1992. Armyan Bernstein purchased the filming rights through Beacon Pictures, and went on to write the first scripts while establishing a financing partnership with

Irving Azoff Irving Azoff (; born December 12, 1947) is an American businessman, who is chairman of Full Stop Management, a company that represents recording artists. During the course of his career, he has worked as an agent, personal manager, concert pr ...

. At first, Jewison felt the story was so extensive that it would fit better as a television miniseries. Once Denzel Washington signed to play the title character, he went through long boxing training, and worked closely with Rubin Carter. Washington said, "He went through pots and pots of coffee and packs of cigarettes. I'd drink a little coffee. It's interesting and challenging when the person is there, alive and in the room." Filming began in November 1998, with locations in both

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

– East Jersey State Prison in Rahway and the cities of Avenel and Paterson – and

Soundtrack

Release

Premiere

''The Hurricane'' premiered on September 17, 1999, at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

. It also was featured at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

on February 17, 2000. Two weeks prior to its opening in North America, a premiere for ''The Hurricane'' was held at the Mann Village Theater in Los Angeles. Many of the depicted people were in attendance. When asked about being portrayed by Denzel Washington, Rubin Carter replied that “I didn’t know I was that good-looking." The film was praised by Lesra Martin, who described it as "a stupendous depiction of accurate events", and John Artis, Carter's friend who was convicted with him, said he “was in awe to see what unfolded and not have to feel the pressure I felt at the time.” An objection was held by H. Lee Sarokin, the federal judge who freed Carter, saying that unlike his portrayal by Rod Steiger “I’m a lower-key guy.”

Box office

The film opened in North American limited release on December 29, 1999. The first week's gross was $384,640 (11 screens) and the total receipts for the run were $50,668,906. In its widest release the film was featured in 2,148 theaters. It closed the week of April 14, 2000. The motion picture was in circulation sixteen weeks.

Critical response

''The Hurricane'' has an 83% approval rating at

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

based on 115 reviews. The consensus reads: "Thanks in large part to one of Denzel Washington's most powerful on-screen performances, ''The Hurricane'' is a moving, inspirational sports drama, even if it takes few risks in telling its story."

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

, film critic for the ''Chicago Sun Times'', liked the film and the acting, and wrote, "This is one of Denzel Washington's great performances, on a par with his work in ''

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...

.''... Washington as Hurricane Carter is spare, focused, filled with anger and pride.... This is strong stuff, and I was amazed, after feeling some impatience in the earlier reaches of the film, to find myself so deeply absorbed in its second and third acts, until at the end I was blinking at tears. What affects me emotionally at the movies is never sadness, but goodness."

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

gave the score a film of 74 based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Ebert discussed his perspective on the "fictionalized" aspects of the film: "Several people have told me dubiously that they heard the movie was 'fictionalized'. Well, of course it was. Those who seek the truth about a man from the film of his life might as well seek it from his loving grandmother. Most biopics, like most grandmothers, see the good in a man and demonize his enemies. They pass silently over his imprudent romances. In dramatizing his victories, they simplify them. And they provide the best roles to the most interesting characters. If they didn't, we wouldn't pay to see them." He added, "''The Hurricane'' is not a documentary but a parable, in which two lives are saved by the power of the written word." Film critic

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

, writing for ''The New York Times'', had mixed views of the film but praised the acting. He wrote: "In telling the story of Mr. Carter's protracted and ultimately successful fight for freedom and justice, ''The Hurricane'' rides to glory on an astonishing performance by Denzel Washington.... That is to say, Mr. Washington leans into an otherwise schlocky movie and slams it out of the ballpark. If his Hurricane is an inspiring portrait of nobility, it is because the actor never conceals the demons of fury and despair gnawing beneath his character's forcefully articulate surface."Holden, Stephen
"Fighting The Demons Within"
''The New York Times'', 29 December 1999. Last accessed: November 20, 2007. Alex von Tunzelmann, writing for

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, gave the film a "B", but cited issues with historical accuracy, including depictions of Carter's military service, prior criminal record, and the Giardello fight. She also stated that the inclusion of negative aspects of Carter's life would not have made it acceptable "that he was wrongfully convicted of three murders." Jewison considered ''The Hurricane'' his best work.

Accolades

Wins

* Berlin International Film Festival: Prize of the Guild of German rt House Cinemas, Norman Jewison; Silver Berlin Bear, Best Actor, Denzel Washington' 2000. * Black Reel Awards: Black Reel; Theatrical, Best Actor; Denzel Washington; 2000. * Golden Globes: Golden Globe; Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama; Denzel Washington; 2000. *

Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

: Image Award; Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, Denzel Washington; 2000.

Nominations

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

: Oscar; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Denzel Washington; 2000. *

Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role; Denzel Washington; 2000. * Berlin International Film Festival: Golden Berlin Bear, Norman Jewison; 2000. * Blockbuster Entertainment Awards: Blockbuster Entertainment Award, Favorite Actor, Drama, Denzel Washington; 2000. *

Chicago Film Critics Association The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is an association of professional film criticism, film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The organization was founded in 1990 by film cri ...

Awards: CFCA Award; Best Actor; Denzel Washington; 2000. * Golden Globes: Golden Globe; Best Director, Motion Picture, Norman Jewison; Best Motion Picture – Drama; 2000. * Image Awards: Image Award; Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Debbi Morgan, Outstanding Motion Picture; 2000.

Lawsuit

Former

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

World Champion Joey Giardello sued the film's producers for

libel Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...

over the depiction of his fight with Carter as a "racist fix." Giardello stated: "Virtually every boxing expert then and now will tell you I won the fight." Referee Robert Polis who scored the fight 72–66 in Giardello's favor stated: "They portrayed Joey Giardello as an incompetent fighter. I thought it was ludicrous.". Even Carter himself agreed that Giardello was the rightful victor of the fight. Eventually, the case was settled out of court, with the producers paying the retired champion damages and with Jewison agreeing to make a statement on the DVD version that "Giardello no doubt was a great fighter."Stephen Brunt. ''The Italian Stallions: Heroes Of Boxing's Glory Days'' Sport Classic Books. 2003 p213

References

External links

* (archived) * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hurricane (1999 film), The 1990s American films 1990s biographical drama films 1990s English-language films 1990s prison films 1990s sports drama films 1999 drama films 1999 films African-American biographical dramas African-American films American boxing films American sports drama films Beacon Pictures films Biographical films about sportspeople Cultural depictions of boxers English-language biographical drama films English-language sports drama films Films about miscarriage of justice Films about prejudice Films about race and ethnicity Films about racism in the United States Films based on biographies Films based on multiple works Films based on non-fiction books Films directed by Norman Jewison Films featuring a Best Drama Actor Golden Globe winning performance Films produced by Armyan Bernstein Films produced by Norman Jewison Films scored by Christopher Young Films set in 1966 Films set in 1985 Films set in New Jersey Films set in the 1960s Films set in the 1970s Films set in the 1980s Films shot in New Jersey Films shot in Toronto Films with screenplays by Armyan Bernstein MCA Records albums Rubin Carter Sports drama films based on actual events Universal Pictures films English-language crime films