SYNOPSICS
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013) is a English movie. Stephen Frears has directed this movie. Christopher Plummer,Frank Langella,Ed Begley Jr.,Peter Gerety are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2013. Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013) is considered one of the best Biography,Drama movie in India and around the world.
In 1964, world champion boxer Muhammad Ali requested exemption from the military draft based on his religious beliefs. His request was denied and when he refused induction into the army, he was convicted and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. His case eventually works itself up the Supreme Court. In their first conference after the case is presented, the justices decide by majority vote to uphold the conviction and Justice John Harlan is tasked with preparing the majority opinion. He assigns one of his clerks, Kevin Connolly, to prepare a first draft but try as he might he believes that decision his wrong. His draft argues for overturning the conviction and Harlan agrees with him. The justice must now find a way to convince his colleagues.
Same Actors
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013) Reviews
A Nice Surprise
I was perusing On Demand yesterday and came across this movie that was made for HBO. My wife and I decided to watch it over lunch and it was one of those movies that was way better than we could have imagined because there was zero hype of this movie. We knew nothing about it, not even the outcome of the decision by the Supreme Court. We had totally forgotten about that case and its impact on Muhammad Ali and his rise to iconic status in American history. After the movie was over I looked up Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan II and found that by Hollywood standards the movie was pretty factual. It was heartbreaking in places. Christopher Plummer does a great job as a conservative judge with a love of the law, and a love of the clerks who worked for him. Frank Langella was also good as Warren Burger who was the politician on the court and took daily phone calls from Richard Nixon. I was surprised by the less than sympathetic portrait of Thurgood Marshall. He comes across as knowing the law but somewhat of a slacker. The movie rightfully so sticks to archival footage of Ali and that alone is almost enough justification to watch this movie. He was far more than just a great heavyweight boxing champion. He represented the changes going on in America. The only weak point in the movie is the interplay between the Supreme Court clerks. It was the least interesting part of the movie. Plummer and Langella make this movie. They are perfect in their roles. If you like real life legal drama, this is a movie worth seeing. Nice to have movies that exceed one's expectations.
Informative
The movie was very accurate to the actual story. The use of actual footage from interviews with Ali was very informative and made the movie more creditable. Because the movie was based on the U.S. Supreme Court Justices, there was no need to actually cast someone to play Muhammad Ali and because of this the movie was far better. Because I was just a teenager when the events of this movie actually played out, there is information in the movie that I wasn't aware of, such as Justice John Marshall Harlan II's fight with cancer. The movie is really a must see for anyone who grew up watching the Ali, Forman and Frazier fights of the time. They were the main reasons boxing was so popular in the 70's.
Supreme Court rules for Ali
This movie took me back to those years, now long gone, when the passions of the 1960's and early 70's were unleashed. Change was in the air and the forces of the status quo were pushing back. This movie is about the Supreme Court, liberal and some conservative, who divide over a pivotal issue: Muhammed Ali's right to refuse military service in the Vietnam War, when conscription was still the rule. I remember the Supreme Court becoming a lightning rod during the presidency of Richard Nixon, when two of his appointees were repudiated by the Senate. I also remember the lengthy hiatus of Muhammed Ali from the ring. This movie brings it all back and is enlivened by the newsreels of Muhammed Ali, a formidable figure in and out of the ring; President Richard Nixon, one of the most controversial presidents of all time; and the youth who were standing up to the established order. In the movie, the fight was on a court divided between the left and right, with a Chief Justice who wanted to avoid a difficult decision. The court appears to be made up of rather elderly men who are not inclined to take risks. I don't know how historically accurate this image is but the Supreme Court is shown as an old boys club, not a group of serious jurists who form a third branch of government. It was made up of all men with only one black, Thurgood Marshall. I found it hard to watch the depiction of Judge Hugo Black as someone seemingly in the throes of senility. I believe in his day he was a great Justice. Frank Langella plays a rather staid, unimaginative and out of touch Chief Justice named Warren Burger, the man who succeeded the great Earl Warren. Christopher Plummer plays Justice John Harlan, a southern conservative who has a passion for the law. He hires a young man who advises him to rule in favour of Ali and his conscientious objector status, following the precedent set in 1955 for the Jehovah's Witnesses. The movie makes the liberal wing look far more sympathetic than their conservative counterparts, who sense no need for the court to rule on the case. But the Justices were capable of following a leader like John Harlan, who showed leadership by ruling on the basis of legal precedent and breaking rank with his boss who wanted a Court that would follow his orders. British Director Stephen Frears shows the Supreme Court as a branch of government that was able to move out of its own comfort zone, deciding in accord with its conscience and legal precedent.
Enjoy watching veteran actors play off of each other!
It's rare that an HBO film disappoints, and this film is no exception. Of course, you may be surprised that no actor plays Mohammad Ali; but he is generously represented with actual news footage from the time. While the film is about the boxer's quest to go to the Supreme Court to have has conviction on not fulfilling the draft decision overturned, the real story here is how the Supreme Court (may) work. And so, the primary reason to watch this film is to enjoy a number of very fine performances by veteran actors who are portraying Supreme Court justices. And chief among these...although he was not the Chief Justice...is the performance of Christopher Plummer as Justice John Harlan...in this case the pivotal vote. Although I didn't particularly enjoy Plummer in his early years in Hollywood, the more he aged, the more I enjoyed his performances. He is a treasure! Frank Langella is also superb here as Chief Justice Warren Burger. Danny Glover appears as Justice Thurgood Marshall, although his part is small because Marshall recused himself from the case. Barry Levinson is very good as Justice Potter Stewart. Ed Begley, Jr. plays Justice Harry Blackmun, and I can't quite get my mind around whether or not his performance is a solid one. Harris Yulin is very good as Justice William O. Douglas. Peter Gerety -- here as Justice William J. Brennan -- is a fine character actor that I always enjoy. Fritz Weaver -- at age 87 -- is good as Justice Hugo Black. Dana Ivey again plays a secretary, and while her part is small she's always a joy to watch. How accurate is the film? Who knows. But it's enjoyable to watch this ensemble of actors...it all runs like clockwork. Recommended.
Brilliant
What I enjoyed most about this movie, it wasn't dramatic. It wasn't polished. It was real. It was factual. It shows us that life isn't full of glitz. It shows us that real life the hours and days are long. The conflict is real. I loved that all of Ali's footage was actual footage. It was well done. I enjoyed the different layers of story lines. You had the SCJ, the interns, the Justices with their staffs, you had the support staff and the families. It was welcomed to see the "behind the scenes" office interactions along with the times at their houses. I appreciated the personal touch they showed in dealing with a mental illness and how that wore on the Justice, along with his own physical battle. I came across it yesterday on HBO and was instantly drawn in. It was like a great book. I sat down and couldn't stop watching until it was over. We need more movies like this one.