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Monster's Ball
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Synopsis
Director Marc Forster, winner of Best Feature at Slamdance for his debut film Loungers (1996) and the "Someone to Watch" Independent Spirit Award for his indie drama Everything Put Together (2000), follows up those acclaimed projects with this intense, racially charged romance. Billy Bob Thornton stars as Georgia prison guard Hank Grotowski, a hard-drinking racist ex-cop whose father, Buck (Peter Boyle), is dying of emphysema and whose son, Sonny (Heath Ledger), works the execution detail at the prison's death row. When Sonny commits suicide, Hank is devastated and quits his job, spiraling into a deep depression until, one night, he comes to the aid of Leticia (Halle Berry), a beautiful African-American woman whose son, Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun), has been hit by a car. When Tyrell dies, Leticia and Hank find themselves to be unexpected soul mates linked together by tragic grief. It's not long before Hank discovers that Leticia is the widow of Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs), the man whose execution by electric chair he and his late son helped to orchestrate. Monster's Ball (2001) is based on a screenplay by actors Milo Addica and Will Rokos, who spent five years developing their script into a feature. Their title refers to the name of an English tradition requiring jailers to throw a party for a condemned man on the night before his death. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Cast

Halle Berry Leticia Musgrove
Halle Berry Letitia Musgrove
Sean Combs Lawrence Musgrove
Billy Bob Thornton Hank Grotowski
Peter Boyle Buck Grotowski
Will Rokos Warden Velasco
Mos Def Ryrus Cooper
Heath Ledger Sonny Grotowski
Milo Addica Tommy Roulaine
Coronji Calhoun Tyrell Musgrove
Charles Cowan Jr. Willie Cooper
Taylor LaGrange Darryl Cooper

Production Crew

Francis James Additional Cinematography
Leonard Spears Art Director
Billy Hopkins Casting
Kerry Barden Casting
Mark Bennett Casting
Suzanne Smith Casting
Roberto Schaefer Cinematographer
Eric Kopeloff Co-producer
Milo Addica Co-producer
Will Rokos Co-producer
Asche & Spencer Composer (Music Score)
Frank Fleming Costume Designer
Marc Forster Director
Matt Chessé Editor
Mark Urman Executive Producer
Michael Burns Executive Producer
Michael Paseornek Executive Producer
Michael Lerman First Assistant Director
Lee Daniels Producer
Monroe Kelly Production Designer
Milo Addica Screenwriter
Will Rokos Screenwriter
Jeff Pullman Sound/Sound Designer
Michael Kamper Sound/Sound Designer
Year: 2001
Runtime: 111
Country:
MPAA Rating: R
for strong sexual content, language and violence
Category: Feature

Genre
Drama

Color type
Deluxe color

Sound
Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS

Produced by
Lee Daniels Entertainment

Release
December 26, 2001 (USA - Limited)
by Lions Gate Films

Awards
2001 - Best Picture - American Film Institute
2001 - Best Picture - National Board of Review