Fictional characters intermingle with historical figures in multiple storylines set at the turn of the century after 1900.
Ragtime is based on the novel by award-winning writer E.L. Doctorow, who took many notable real-life events and infused them with his own imagination to create a unique tapestry of a turbulent time in American history. The film adaptation was originally meant to be directed by Robert Altman, a veteran of films with many plot lines and characters, but the project eventually wound up in the hands of Milos Forman, a Czechoslovokian filmmaker best known for his Oscar-winning One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and his adaptation of the musical Hair.
Forman discarded much of the historical fiction and focused the narrative onto a few plots, the most prominent involving a black piano player dealing with racial injustice. The film also explores the immigrant experience, issues of class, and sexual politics.
The film stars stage talents like Mandy Patinkin, previous Forman collaborators like Brad Dourif (known to modern audiences from his role in the Lord of the Rings films), up-and-coming actors like Mary Steenburgen, Jeff Daniels, Elizabeth McGovern, newcomers like Howard E. Rollins Jr., and a special appearance from Hollywood legend James Cagney, coaxed out of retirement after a 20-year absence. There are also cameos from veteran musical star Donald O'Connor (Singin' in the Rain), Cagney's frequent co-star Pat O'Brien, and writer Norman Mailer.
Shot on location in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, interiors were also done at studios in England. Fellow Czech Miroslav Ondricek (another Forman veteran) did the cinematography, and popular songwriter Randy Newman contributed his first of many outstanding film scores. Additional music comes from the classic pieces of the genre that gives the movie its title.
Ragtime was a moderate financial success and received eight Academy Award nominations, including ones for Rollins, McGovern, Newman, Ondricek, the screenplay, and the art direction. The story was also turned into a popular Broadway musical in the mid-1990's.
Running time is approx. 2 and 1/2 hours.
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